Passive Voice in Present Tenses
The form of the auxiliary verb to be changes depending on the tense of the active sentence. In this lesson, we will focus on how to construct the passive voice for the three primary present timeframe tenses.
1. Simple Present Passive
We use the simple present passive to describe habits, routines, facts, and general truths where the receiver is the focus.
Formula: Subject + am/is/are + Verb 3 (Past Participle) + ...
- Active: Millions of people speak English.
- Passive: English is spoken by millions of people.
- Active: They clean the offices every evening.
- Passive: The offices are cleaned every evening.
2. Present Continuous Passive
We use the present continuous passive to describe actions that are currently ongoing at the moment of speaking.
Formula: Subject + am/is/are + being + Verb 3 (Past Participle) + ...
- Active: The mechanic is repairing my car.
- Passive: My car is being repaired by the mechanic.
- Active: They are building a new bridge over the river.
- Passive: A new bridge is being built over the river.
3. Present Perfect Passive
We use the present perfect passive to describe completed actions that have a direct relevance or impact on the present.
Formula: Subject + have/has + been + Verb 3 (Past Participle) + ...
- Active: Someone has stolen my wallet!
- Passive: My wallet has been stolen!
- Active: They have approved the new project.
- Passive: The new project has been approved.
4. Present Perfect Continuous in the Passive (Rare/Awkward)
In theory, you can form the passive voice for the Present Perfect Continuous tense.
Formula: Subject + have/has + been + being + Verb 3 (Past Participle) + ...
- Active: They have been building the house for six months.
- Passive: The house has been being built for six months.
Why It Is Avoided
As you can see, the combination of “been being” sounds highly awkward, repetitive, and difficult to pronounce. Therefore, native speakers almost always avoid this structure.
How to Rephrase It
Instead of using the Present Perfect Continuous passive, we choose one of two alternatives:
- Use the Active Voice: Keep the sentence active if the subject is known (e.g., They have been building the house for six months).
- Use the Present Continuous Passive: Simplify the tense to present continuous passive (e.g., The house is being built right now).
5. Present Passive Summary Table
| Tense | Active Sentence | Passive Sentence | Passive Verb Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | He cleans the room. | The room is cleaned. | is/am/are + Verb 3 |
| Present Continuous | He is cleaning the room. | The room is being cleaned. | is/am/are + being + Verb 3 |
| Present Perfect | He has cleaned the room. | The room has been cleaned. | have/has + been + Verb 3 |