Once you understand that all passives follow the same core pattern — the right form of be plus the past participle — forming the passive in any tense becomes predictable. The challenge is knowing which form of be to use for each tense, and understanding why a writer or speaker would choose, for example, the present perfect passive rather than the past simple passive. This lesson extends the passive across tenses while keeping the communicative function — the why — at the centre of the teaching.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
All three use the passive — but they tell us very different things about time. What is each sentence focusing on? Why would a writer choose each one?
Sentence A (past simple passive) reports a completed past event — the construction happened and finished last year. Sentence B (past continuous passive) describes an action in progress at a past moment — the building was under construction when something else happened. The passive continuous is used for background scenes, exactly as the active past continuous is. Sentence C (present perfect passive) connects a past completion to the present — the building has been completed and is now ready. The passive does not change the time meaning of the tense — it only changes who or what is the grammatical subject. The tense choice still carries all its normal meaning. This is the key insight: the passive is not a special category of grammar divorced from tense — it is simply be + past participle inserted into whatever tense framework the speaker needs.
Active: They will announce the results next week.
Passive: The results will be announced next week.
Active: The school has introduced a new policy.
Passive: A new policy has been introduced.
What pattern do you see in how be changes between each tense in the passive?
The pattern across all passive forms is consistent: the form of be changes to match the tense, and the past participle stays the same. Present continuous passive: is/are + being + past participle (are being marked). Future passive: will + be + past participle (will be announced). Present perfect passive: has/have + been + past participle (has been introduced). The key word being for continuous forms and been for perfect forms are the clues that tell you the tense. A useful memory aid: continuous passives always have being; perfect passives always have been. This pattern extends to all tenses — once learners see it, they can form passives in any tense by asking what the active form of be would be in that tense and adding being or been as appropriate.
For each sentence, who is the agent — and why has the writer chosen not to name them?
In all four sentences, the writer omits the agent deliberately. Sentence A: supported by whom? The school/teachers — obvious. Sentence B: provided by whom? The school — obvious and unimportant. Sentence C: made by whom? Everyone — collective achievement being celebrated. Sentence D: introduced by whom? The school — a formal announcement where who introduces it matters less than the fact that it will happen. This shows that the passive is a systematic choice across all tenses when the agent is omitted — and that reports, announcements, and formal communications favour the passive precisely because they focus on what was done, not on who did it. Teaching learners to read reports critically and notice passive choices builds this awareness.'
| Form | Use / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tense | Passive form | Example and typical communicative use |
| Present simple | is/are + past participle | The register is checked daily. (regular action — agent obvious) |
| Past simple | was/were + past participle | The school was inspected last month. (completed past event) |
| Present continuous | is/are + being + past participle | The new block is being built. (in progress right now) |
| Past continuous | was/were + being + past participle | The books were being marked when the power went out. (background past action) |
| Present perfect | has/have + been + past participle | A new policy has been introduced. (past completion, present relevance) |
| Past perfect | had + been + past participle | The decision had been made before I arrived. (earlier of two past events) |
| Future (will) | will + be + past participle | The results will be announced on Friday. (upcoming event or plan) |
| Future (going to) | am/is/are + going to be + past participle | The classroom is going to be repainted. (planned future event) |
WHY REPORTS AND FORMAL DOCUMENTS USE MULTIPLE PASSIVE TENSES
In formal writing — school reports, inspection summaries, policy documents — it is very common to see several passive tenses used together. For example: A new curriculum has been developed (present perfect passive — past achievement, still relevant). It is being piloted in ten schools (present continuous passive — happening now). The outcomes will be evaluated at the end of the year (future passive — upcoming plan). This sequence moves from what has already been done, to what is currently happening, to what will happen next. Understanding each passive tense allows teachers to both read these documents accurately and to write them fluently.
PASSIVE WITH MODAL VERBS
Passive forms can also appear with modal verbs: can be done, should be checked, must be submitted, could have been avoided, should have been reported. The structure is: modal + be + past participle (for simple modal passive) or modal + have been + past participle (for perfect modal passive). These are very common in formal instructions, policies, and recommendations. They are covered more fully in the advanced lesson in this series.
GOING TO PASSIVE
The going to passive (is/are going to be + past participle) describes a planned future event, exactly as the active going to form does. The school is going to be repainted next holidays. Three new teachers are going to be hired next term. This form is slightly more informal than the will passive and is more common in speech and informal writing.
WHICH PASSIVE TENSE DO I NEED? - Is the action happening right now, in progress? → Present continuous passive: is/are being + past participle. - Did the action happen in the past at a specific time? → Past simple passive: was/were + past participle. - Was the action in progress at a past moment (background scene)? → Past continuous passive: was/were being + past participle. - Did the action happen in the past with a present result or relevance? → Present perfect passive: has/have been + past participle. - Had the action happened before another past event? → Past perfect passive: had been + past participle. - Will the action happen at a future time? → Future passive: will be + past participle. - Do you see being? → Continuous passive. Do you see been after have/has/had? → Perfect passive.
Choose the correct passive form to complete each sentence. Think about both the form and why the passive is used.
Each sentence has one error in the passive form or an inappropriate tense choice. Write the correct sentence and explain the mistake.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — THE PATTERN ACROSS TENSES (8 minutes): Write the unifying pattern on the board: be + past participle. Show how be changes in each tense while past participle stays the same. Write a single sentence in active voice (They are building the new block). Convert it through multiple passive tenses together: is being built / was being built / has been built / will be built. Ask: what changes? What stays the same? Establish the pattern visually.
STEP 2 — BEING VERSUS BEEN (7 minutes): Write ten passive verb phrases on the board — five using being (continuous) and five using been (perfect), mixed together. Ask learners to sort them into two groups. Confirm: being signals continuous, been signals perfect. Ask learners to produce one sentence using being and one using been about their school.
STEP 3 — WHY THIS TENSE? (8 minutes): Present four passive sentences in different tenses — present continuous, present perfect, past simple, and future — all about the same school building project. Ask learners: what is different about what each sentence tells us? Guide learners to understand that the tense choice carries its normal meaning even in the passive. Each sentence gives different time information about the building project.
STEP 4 — FORMAL DOCUMENT ANALYSIS (7 minutes): Write a short school report paragraph using three different passive tenses. Ask learners to identify each passive form, name the tense, and explain why the passive was chosen for each sentence. Who is the omitted agent in each case? What is the communicative focus? This connects form, tense, and function simultaneously.
STEP 5 — PRODUCE A REPORT PARAGRAPH (5 minutes): Ask learners to write four sentences about something happening at their school — one in present simple passive (regular action), one in present perfect passive (recent achievement), one in present continuous passive (currently happening), one in future passive (upcoming plan). Share with a partner who checks both form and appropriateness.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
Your feedback helps other teachers and helps us improve TeachAnyClass.