ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TENSES CHART

SIMPLE PRESENT and SIMPLE PAST

The active object becomes the passive subject.
am/is/are + past participle
was/were + past participle

Active: Simple Present Passive: Simple Present

The movie fascinates me. I am fascinated by the movie.
The movie bores Jack. Jack is bored by the movie.
The movie surprises them. They are surprised by the movie.

Active: Simple Past Passive: Simple Past

The movie bored me. I was bored by the movie.
The movie fascinated Jack. Jack was fascinated by the movie.
The movie surprised them. They were surprised by the movie.

PRESENT and PAST CONTINUOUS (PROGRESSIVE)

Passive form:
am/is/are + being + past participle
was/were + being + past participle

Passive: Present Continuous

Active: Present Continuous
Shannon is being helped by me.
I am helping Shannon.
Su and Ling are being helped by
June is helping Su and Ling.
June.

Passive: Past Continuous

Active: Past Continuous The bathroom was being cleaned
I was cleaning the bathroom. by me.
They were cleaning the bedroom. The bedroom was being cleaned
Susan was cleaning the kitchen by them.
and courtyard. The kitchen and courtyard were
being cleaned by Susan.

PRESENT PERFECT, PAST PERFECT and FUTURE PERFECT

Passive form:
have/has been + past participle
had been + past participle

Passive: Present Perfect

Active: Present Perfect
The gift has been mailed by me.
I have mailed the gift.
The gifts have been mailed by
Jack has mailed the gifts.
Jack.

Active: Past Perfect Passive: Past Perfect

Steven Spielberg had directed the The movie had been directed by
movie. Steven Spielberg.
Penny Marshall had directed those The movies had been directed by
movies. Penny Marshall.

Active: Future Perfect Passive: Future Perfect

John will have finished the project The project will have been finished
next month. by next month.
They will have finished the projects The projects will have been
before then. finished before then.

FUTURE TENSES
Passive forms: will + be + past participle
is/are going to be + past participle

Active: Future with WILL Passive: Future with WILL

I will mail the gift. The gift will be mailed by me.
Jack will mail the gifts. The gifts will be mailed by Jack.

Passive: Future with GOING TO

Active: Future with GOING TO The cake is going to be made by
I am going to make the cake. me.
Sue is going to make two cakes. Two cakes are going to be made
by Sue.

PRESENT / FUTURE MODALS

The passive form follows this pattern:
modal + be + past participle

Passive: WILL / WON'T (WILL

Active: WILL / WON'T (WILL
NOT)
NOT)
Tom will be invited to the party by
Sharon will invite Tom to the party.
Sharon.
Sharon won't invite Jeff to the
Jeff won't be invited to the party by
party.
Sharon.
(Sharon will not invite Jeff to the
(Jeff will not be invited to the party
party.)
by Sharon.)

Passive: CAN / CAN'T (CAN

NOT)
Active: CAN / CAN'T (CAN NOT)
The future can be foretold by Mai.
Mai can foretell the future.
The future can't be foretold by
Terry can't foretell the future.
Terry.
(Terry can not foretell the future.)
(The future can not be foretold by
Terry.)
Active: MAY / MAY NOT Passive: MAY / MAY NOT
Her company may give Katya a Katya may be given a new office
new office. by her company.
The lazy students may not do the The homework may not be done by
homework. the lazy students.
MIGHT / MIGHT NOT MIGHT / MIGHT NOT
Her company might give Katya a Katya might be given a new office
new office. by her company.
The lazy students might not do the The homework might not be done
homework. by the lazy students.

Active: SHOULD / SHOULDN'T Passive: SHOULD / SHOULDN'T

Students should memorize English English verbs should be
verbs. memorized by students.
Children shouldn't smoke Cigarettes shouldn't be smoked by
cigarettes. children.

Active: OUGHT TO Passive: OUGHT TO

Students ought to learn English English verbs ought to be
verbs. memorized by students.
(negative ought to is rarely used)

Active: HAD BETTER / HAD Passive: HAD BETTER / HAD

BETTER NOT BETTER NOT
Students had better practice English had better be practiced
English every day. every day by students.
Children had better not drink Whiskey had better not be drunk
whiskey. by children.

Passive: MUST / MUST NOT

Active: MUST / MUST NOT
A passport to travel abroad must
Tourists must apply for a passport
be applied for.
to travel abroad.
That door must not be used by
Customers must not use that door.
customers.

Active: HAS TO / HAVE TO Passive: HAS TO / HAVE TO

She has to practice English every English has to be practiced every
day. day.
Sara and Miho have to wash the The dishes have to be washed by
dishes every day. them every day.
DOESN'T HAVE TO/ DON'T DOESN'T HAVE TO/ DON'T
HAVE TO HAVE TO
Maria doesn't have to clean her Her bedroom doesn't have to be
bedroom every day. cleaned every day.
The children don't have to clean Their bedrooms don't have to be
their bedrooms every day. cleaned every day.

Active: BE SUPPOSED TO Passive: BE SUPPOSED TO

I am supposed to type the The composition is supposed to be
composition. typed by me.
I am not supposed to copy the The stories in the book are not
stories in the book. supposed to be copied.
Janet is supposed to clean the The living room is supposed to be
living room. cleaned by Janet.
She isn't supposed to eat candy Candy and gum aren't supposed to
and gum. be eaten by her.
They are supposed to make dinner Dinner for the family is supposed to
for the family. be made by them.
They aren't supposed to make Dessert isn't supposed to be made
dessert. by them.

PAST MODALS
The past passive form follows this pattern:
modal + have been + past participle

Active: SHOULD HAVE / Passive: SHOULD HAVE /

SHOULDN'T HAVE SHOULDN'T HAVE
The students should have learned The verbs should have been
the verbs. learned by the students.
The children shouldn't have The window shouldn't have been
broken the window. broken by the children.

Active: OUGHT TO Passive: OUGHT TO

Students ought to have learned The verbs ought to have been
the verbs. learned by the students.
(negative ought to is rarely used)

Active: BE SUPPOSED TO Passive: BE SUPPOSED TO

(past time) (past time)
I was supposed to type the The composition was supposed
composition. to be typed by me.
I wasn't supposed to copy the The story in the book wasn't
story in the book. supposed to be copied.
Janet was supposed to clean the The living room was supposed to
living room. be cleaned by Janet.
She wasn't supposed to eat Candy and gum weren't
candy and gum. supposed to be eaten by her.
Frank and Jane were supposed Dinner was supposed to be made
to make dinner. by them.
They weren't supposed to make Dessert wasn't supposed to be
dessert. made by them.

Active: MAY / MAY NOT Passive: MAY / MAY NOT

That firm may have offered Katya Katya may have been offered a
a new job. new job by that firm.
The students may not have The paper may not have been
written the paper. written by the students.
MIGHT / MIGHT NOT MIGHT / MIGHT NOT
That firm might have offered Katya might have been offered a
Katya a new job. new job by that firm.
The students might not have The paper might not have been
written the paper. written by the students.