Passive Voice

Passive verb forms

We form the passive voice with various tenses of be + a past participle.

Present
It is written

Past
It was written

Future
It is being written
It is going to be written

Perfect tenses
It has been written

Past perfect
It had been written

Future perfect
It will have been written

Progressive tenses

Present
It is being written

Past
It was being written


An object (direct or indirect) of an active sentence becomes the subject of a passive sentence. The subject of an active sentence becomes a phrase begging with by or disappears entirely.

Active Sentences

Maria wrote the best essay.
The best essay was written by Maria

People speak Portuguese in Brazil.
Portuguese is spoken in Brazil (by people)*

Someone stole my car yesterday.
My car was stolen yesterday (by someone)*

*It is unnecessary to say by people, so it was omitted.
*It was unknown who stole my car, so by someone is omitted.