Passive Voice: Forms in the Present, Past, and Future 

• be (in the correct tense) + past participle
  
  

• Active: “The manager approves the request.”
• Passive: “The request is approved by the manager.”
  
  

• subject + am / is / are + past participle

• Active: “They clean the classrooms every day.”
  Passive: “The classrooms are cleaned every day.”
• Active: “People use this software worldwide.”
  Passive: “This software is used worldwide.”
• Active: “The company produces the cars locally.”
  Passive: “The cars are produced locally.”

• subject + am / is / are being + past participle

• Active: “They are repairing the road.”
  Passive: “The road is being repaired.”
• Active: “The team is reviewing the report.”
  Passive: “The report is being reviewed.”
• Active: “They are interviewing candidates.”
  Passive: “Candidates are being interviewed.”
  
  

• subject + has / have been + past participle
  
  

• Active: “They have completed the project.”
  Passive: “The project has been completed.”
• Active: “Someone has stolen the laptop.”
  Passive: “The laptop has been stolen.”
• Active: “They have updated the system.”
  Passive: “The system has been updated.”

• subject + was / were + past participle
  
  

• Active: “They built the bridge in 2010.”
  Passive: “The bridge was built in 2010.”
• Active: “Someone broke the window.”
  Passive: “The window was broken.”
• Active: “They announced the results yesterday.”
  Passive: “The results were announced yesterday.”
  
  

• subject + was / were being + past participle
  
  

• Active: “They were questioning the suspect.”
  Passive: “The suspect was being questioned.”
• Active: “The workers were painting the house.”
  Passive: “The house was being painted.”
• Active: “They were repairing the machines.”
  Passive: “The machines were being repaired.”

• subject + had been + past participle
  
  

• Active: “They had completed the work before noon.”
  Passive: “The work had been completed before noon.”
• Active: “Someone had locked the door.”
  Passive: “The door had been locked.”
• Active: “They had cancelled the flight.”
  Passive: “The flight had been cancelled.”

• subject + will be + past participle
  
  

• Active: “They will announce the decision tomorrow.”
  Passive: “The decision will be announced tomorrow.”
• Active: “Someone will deliver the package.”
  Passive: “The package will be delivered.”
• Active: “They will complete the task soon.”
  Passive: “The task will be completed soon.”
  
  

• subject + will have been + past participle

• Active: “They will have finished the report by Friday.”
  Passive: “The report will have been finished by Friday.”
• Active: “Someone will have repaired the system.”
  Passive: “The system will have been repaired.”
• Active: “They will have completed the training.”
  Passive: “The training will have been completed.”

• the action is more important than the doer
• the doer is unknown
• the doer is not important
• we want a formal or neutral tone
  
  

• Active → focus on who does it
• Passive → focus on what happens
  
  

• be → shows the tense
• past participle → shows the action