Active / Passive Verb Forms

Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have "active forms" and "passive forms." You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English. Active Form In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the sub ect of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the ob ect. !ost sentences are active. "Thing doing action# $ "verb# $ "thing receiving action# E%amples&

Passive Form In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the sub ect of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not kno' 'ho is doing the action or if you do not 'ant to mention 'ho is doing the action. "Thing receiving action# $ "be# $ "past participle of verb# $ "by# $ "thing doing action# E%amples&

Active / Passive Overview (ctive Simple )resent )resent +ontinuous Simple )ast )ast +ontinuous *nce a 'eek, Tom cleans the house. ,ight no', Sarah is writing the letter. Sam repaired the car. The salesman was helping the customer 'hen the thief came into the store. !any tourists have visited that castle. ,ecently, -ohn has been doing the 'ork. .eorge had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic/s license. +hef -ones had been preparing the restaurant/s fantastic dinners for t'o years before he moved to )aris. Someone will finish the 'ork by 1&22 )!. Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. (t 3&22 )! tonight, -ohn will be washing the dishes. )assive *nce a 'eek, the house is cleaned by Tom. ,ight no', the letter is being written by Sarah. The car was repaired by Sam. The customer was being helped by the salesman 'hen the thief came into the store. That castle has been visited by many tourists. ,ecently, the 'ork has been being done by -ohn. !any cars had been repaired by .eorge before he received his mechanic/s license. The restaurant/s fantastic dinners had been being prepared by +hef -ones for t'o years before he moved to )aris. The 'ork will be finished by 1&22 )!. ( beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight. (t 3&22 )! tonight, the dishes will be being washed by -ohn.

)resent )erfect )resent )erfect +ontinuous

)ast )erfect

)ast )erfect +ontinuous

Simple 0uture will Simple 0uture be going to 0uture +ontinuous will

0uture +ontinuous be going to 0uture )erfect will 0uture )erfect be going to

(t 3&22 )! tonight, -ohn is going to be washing the dishes. They will have completed the pro ect before the deadline. They are going to have completed the pro ect before the deadline. The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over si% months by the time it is finished. The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over si% months by the time it is finished. -erry used to pay the bills. !y mother would always make the pies. I kne' -ohn would finish the 'ork by 1&22 )!.

(t 3&22 )! tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by -ohn. The pro ect will have been completed before the deadline. The pro ect is going to have been completed before the deadline. The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over si% months by the time it is finished. The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over si% months by the time it is finished. The bills used to be paid by -erry. The pies would always be made by my mother. I kne' the 'ork would be finished by 1&22 )!.

0uture )erfect +ontinuous will

0uture )erfect +ontinuous be going to 4sed to 5ould (l'ays 0uture in the )ast Would 0uture in the )ast Was Going to

I thought Sally was going to make a beautiful dinner tonight.

I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be made by Sally tonight.