TENSE FORM USE EXAMPLES

Present am/is/are + Something is done ACTIVE

Simple past by someone Once a week, Tom cleans the
participle regularly, house.
everyday…
PASSIVE
Once a week, the house is cleaned
by Tom.

Present am/is/are + Something is being ACTIVE

Continuous being + past done by someone at The postman is delivering the mail.
participle the moment.
PASSIVE
The mail is being delivered by the
postman.

Present have/has + Something has been ACTIVE

Perfect been + past done by someone at They have cleaned the clinic.
participle sometime up to now.
PASSIVE
The clinic has been cleaned by
them.

Past Simple was/were + Something was ACTIVE

past done by someone at The teacher corrected the mistakes.
participle sometime in the
past. PASSIVE
The mistakes were corrected by the
teacher.

Past was/were + Something was ACTIVE

Continuous being + past done by someone at The boy was throwing the stone.
participle sometime in the past
for a while. PASSIVE
The stone was being thrown by the
boy.

Past Perfect had + been Something was ACTIVE

+ past done by someone The little girl had broken the
participle before sometime in window.
the past.
PASSIVE
The window had been broken by
the little girl.

Future will be + past Something be done ACTIVE

Simple participle by someone in the We will take the horses to the
future. stable.

PASSIVE
The horses will be taken to the
stable.
Future will have Something that will ACTIVE
Perfect been + past be completed before You will have started the job
Simple participle a specific time in the
future. PASSIVE
The job will have been started by
you.

Going to going to be + Something is going ACTIVE

past to be done by The police are going to investigate
participle someone in the the case.
future.
PASSIVE
The case is going to be investigated
by the police.

Modals may, must, Something must / ACTIVE

can, could, can / should… be Thomas has written many books.
ought to, done by someone at
should + be sometime. PASSIVE
+ past Many books have been written by
participle Thomas.

Semi-Modals Semi Modal Something that it ACTIVE

+ be + past has to be done. She has to send the letter to her
participle uncle.

PASSIVE
The letter has to be sent by her to
her uncle.

Modal Modal To express ACTIVE

Perfect Perfect + situations or action He should have cleaned the carpet.
have + been in the past with the
+ past purpose of criticizing PASSIVE
participle them or saying how The carpet should have been
they could be cleaned by him
different.