Welcome to your The Passive 2 : Other tenses lesson! In this topic we talk about:
• Passive with the infinitive
• Passive with the perfect infinitive
• Passive with the Present Perfect
• Passive with the Past Perfect
• Passive with the Present Continuous
• Passive with the Past Continuous
Take the quizzes when you’re ready! If you’re having problems, use the comment box to contact our English Teachers.
Passive with the infinitive
Have a look at these sentences:
Active sentence
“Someone will make the dinner.”Passive sentence
“The dinner will be made.”
Here are some more examples of passive infinitive sentences:
“This is strange. It simply can’t be explained.”
“The new road will be built next year.”
“English breakfasts should be made with fresh sausages.”
Passive with the perfect infinitive
Have a look at these sentences:
Active sentence
“Someone should have cooked the dinner.”Passive sentence
“The dinner should have been cooked.”
Here are some more examples of passive perfect infinitive sentences:
“The problem should have been resolved by now.”
“Your bike wouldn’t have been stolen if you’d chained it up.”
“All the beers seem to have been drunk!”
Passive with the Present Perfect
Have a look at these sentences:
Active sentence
“Someone has cooked the dinner.”Passive sentence
“The dinner has been cooked.”
Here are some more examples of passive Present Perfect sentences:
“The kitchen has been cleaned.”
“The kids were naughty today so they have been punished.”
“Oh no! The concert has been cancelled because of the weather.”
Passive with the Past Perfect
Have a look at these sentences:
Active sentence
“The kitchen smelled lovely, someone had cooked dinner.”Passive sentence
“The kitchen smelled lovely, dinner had been cooked.”
Here are some more examples of passive Past Perfect sentences:
“My bike disappeared, it had been stolen.”
“The man was taken to the hospital, he had been shot.”
Passive with the Present Continuous
Have a look at these sentences:
Active sentence
“Someone is cooking dinner now.”Passive sentence
“The dinner is being cooked now.”
Here are some more examples of passive Present Continuous sentences:
“Someone’s behind us, I think we‘re being followed.”
“The swimming pool is being used by the local school this week.”
Passive with the Past Continuous
Have a look at these sentences:
Active sentence
“Someone was cooking dinner when I arrived.”Passive sentence
“Dinner was being cooked when I arrived.”
Here are some more examples of passive Past Continuous sentences:
“Someone’s was behind us, I thought we were being followed.”
“The swimming pool was being used by the local school last week.”
