Active Vs. Passive

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Topic:    Today we’re going to compare ACTIVE and PASSIVE forms. 

*We use the passive when it’s not important to know WHO’S doing the action, or we DON’T KNOW who’s doing the action.  Rather, it’s important WHO or WHAT is RECEIVING THE ACTION.   *So we’re going to look at some passive forms in the Present, Past and Future tenses, and which ones are most important to know.   

Present Tenses

1. Present Simple
   Active: The choir sings the song.
   Passive: The song is sung by the choir.

Form: Object (now the subject) + is/are + past participle

2. Present Continuous
   Active: The choir is singing the song.
   Passive: The song is being sung by the choir.

Form: is/are + being + sung

3. Present Perfect
   Active: The choir has sung the song. Passive: The song has been sung.

Form: has/have + been + past participle

4. Present Perfect Continuous
   Active: The choir has been singing the song.
   Passive: (Rare and awkward) The song has been being sung. X
   Note: While grammatically possible, this form is rarely used in practice.   Instead, use “The song has been sung.” OR “The song was being sung.”

Past Tenses

5. Past Simple
   Active: The choir sang the song.
   Passive: The song was sung by the choir.

Form: was/were + past participle

6. Past Continuous
   Active: The choir was singing the song.
   Passive: The song was being sung by the choir.

Form: was/were + being + past participle

7. Past Perfect
   Active: The choir had sung the song.
   Passive: The song had been sung.

Form: had + been + past participle

8. Past Perfect Continuous
   Active: The choir had been singing the song.
   Passive: (Rare and awkward) The song had been being sung. X
   Note: Like the present perfect continuous passive, this is technically correct but seldom used.

Future Tenses

9. Future Simple
   Active: The choir will sing the song.
   Passive: The song will be sung (by the choir).

Form: will + be + past participle

10. Future Continuous
    Active: The choir will be singing the song.
    Passive: (Rare) The song will be being sung. X
    Note: This form is awkward and not commonly used.
11. Future Perfect
    Active: The choir will have sung the song.
    Passive: The song will have been sung.

Form: will have + been + past participle

12. Future Perfect Continuous
    Active: The choir will have been singing the song.
    Passive: (Rare and awkward) The song will have been being sung.  X                     Note: This is almost never used in practice.

Key Observations

• The perfect continuous tenses in the passive voice (present perfect continuous, past perfect continuous, future perfect continuous) are grammatically possible but RARELY USED because they are cumbersome and awkward.
• The passive voice includes a form of the verb “be” + past participle of the main verb.
• In practical communication, most passive constructions occur in the simple and perfect tenses.
• Used for:

• Facts
• General statements,
• Scheduled events
• Official reports
• News reports*
• Instructions
• Formal writing

• Common in official reports, news reports, instructions, and formal writing.