Active Voice to Passive Voice : Tense wise


@@. Active Voice to Passive Voice : Present Continuous Tense


Active Voice: Structure: Subject + is / am / are + verb + ing + object


Ex: 1. Ram is writing a letter. 2. She is cleaning the room.3. They are playing cricket.


Passive Voice: Structure: Object + is / am / are + being + verb (3rd form) + by + subject


Ex: 1. A letter is being written by Ram. 2. The room is being cleaned by her. 3. Cricket is being played by them.


Change Process :


Active: Ram is writing a letter.


1st : Make the object the subject → A letter. 2nd : Use is/am/are according to new subject. 3rd : Add being (shows continuous action). 4th : Use verb 3rd form (V³)


Passive: A letter is being written by Ram.


Grammar Point: “being” shows continuous action. Main verb must be in 3rd form (V³)


Helping Verb Rule: is being → singular object: A letter is being written. are being → plural object: Trees are being cut. am being → with I (rarely used)


Note: Never remove being in continuous passive. Wrong: A letter is written now. Ok: A letter is being written now.


Tricks: Present Continuous Passive = is / am / are + being + V³


Remember: Continuous tense = “being” must be there!


@@. Active Voice to Passive Voice : Present Perfect Tense


Active Voice : Structure: Subject + has / have + verb (3rd form) + object


Ex: 1. Ram has written a letter. 2. She has cleaned the room. 3.They have completed the work.


Passive Voice: Structure: Object + has / have + been + verb (3rd form) + by + subject


Ex: 1. A letter has been written by Ram. 2. The room has been cleaned by her. 3. The work has been completed by them.


Change Process


Active: Ram has written a letter.
Passive: A letter has been written by Ram.


1.      Make the object the subject. 2. Use has / have according to the new subject. 3. Add been (shows perfect tense). 4. Keep the verb in 3rd form (V³).


Helping Verb Rule: has been → singular object : Homework has been done. have been → plural object : All letters have been posted.


Common Student Warning: Do NOT forget been in perfect passive.


Wrong: A letter has written by Ram. Ok: A letter has been written by Ram.


Tricks: Present Perfect Passive = has / have + been + V³


@@. Active Voice to Passive Voice : Simple Past Tense


Active Voice: Structure: Subject + verb (2nd form) + object


Ex: 1. Ram wrote a letter. 2. She cleaned the room. 3. They played cricket.


Passive Voice  Structure: Object + was / were + verb (3rd form) + by + subject


Ex: 1. A letter was written by Ram. 2. The room was cleaned by her. 3. Cricket was played by them.


Change Process


Active: Ram wrote a letter.


1st : Make the object the subject → A letter. 2nd : Use was / were according to the new subject. 3rd : Change the verb to 3rd form (V³)


Passive: A letter was written by Ram.


Helping Verb Rule: was → singular object: The door was opened. were → plural object: The windows were broken.


Common Student Warning: Do NOT use did in passive voice.


Wrong : A letter did write by Ram. Ok :  A letter was written by Ram.


Tricks: Past Simple Passive = was / were + V³


Remember: Past tense passive always uses was/were, never did.


@@. Active Voice to Passive Voice : Past Continuous Tense


Active Voice: Structure: Subject + was / were + verb + ing + object


Ex: 1. Ram was writing a letter. 2. She was cleaning the room. 3. They were playing cricket.


Passive Voice: Structure: Object + was / were + being + verb (3rd form) + by + subject


Ex: 1. A letter was being written by Ram. 2. The room was being cleaned by her. 3. Cricket was being played by them.


 Change Process


Active: Ram was writing a letter.
Passive: A letter was being written by Ram.


1.      Make the object the subject. 2. Use was / were according to the new subject. 3. Add being (shows continuous action). 4. Change the verb to 3rd form (V³).


Helping Verb Rule: was being → singular object: The road was being repaired. were being → plural object: The roads were being repaired.


Note: Never remove being in continuous passive.


 Wrong: A letter was written at that time. Ok: A letter was being written at that time.


Tricks: Past Continuous Passive = was / were + being + V³ 


@@. Active Voice to Passive Voice : Past Perfect Tense


Active Voice: Structure: Subject + had + verb (3rd form) + object


Ex: 1. Ram had written a letter. 2. She had cleaned the room. 3. They had completed the work.


Passive Voice: Structure: Object + had + been + verb (3rd form) + by + subject


Ex: 1 A letter had been written by Ram. 2. The room had been cleaned by her. 3. The work had been completed by them.


Change Process: Active: Ram had written a letter Passive: A letter had been written by Ram


1.      Make the object the subject. 2. Use had. 3. Add been (shows perfect tense). 4. Verb stays in 3rd form (V³).


Helping Verb Rule: had been → singular object or plural object



  1. The doors had been closed.

  2. The letters had been posted.


Note: Do NOT forget been in past perfect passive.



  1. Wrong: A letter had written by Ram

  2. Ok:  A letter had been written by Ram


Tricks: Past Perfect Passive = had + been + V³