Present continuous tense

In the passive
 S + (be) + being + past participle
This tense is confusing because the verb
"be" appears twice. This example uses the verb
"tell" as the main verb:
tell / told / told
Singular Plural
I am being told We are being told
You are being told You are being told
He is being told
She is being told They are being told
It is being told
1. The book is
being read by the
boy. (passive
voice)
The boy is reading
the book. (active
voice)
2. Pancakes are being made in the
kitchen.
(Who's making them? I don't need to
say, but from the picture you can see
it's the man.)
He's making pancakes. (active voice)
3. Flowers are being grown in
this garden. (passive voice)
I'm growing the flowers.
(active voice)
4. This man is being kept in prison
because he did something very bad.
The state is keeping him in prison.
5. Penguins living in the Antarctic are being
threatened by global climate change.
Global climate change is threatening many
species worldwide.
6. She's being hugged by her
brother. (passive voice)
Her brother is hugging her. (active
voice)
Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.
1. Sheila is drinking a cup of tea. A cup
of tea is being drunk by Sheila.
2. My father is washing the car.
3. Farmer Joe is milking the cows.
4. She is taking a picture of him.
5. I am writing a poem.
6. We are not playing football.
7. He is not wearing a tie.
8. Is she preparing the party?
9. Are they talking about the meeting?
10.Is she watering the flowers?
1. They are building a new town hall in our town.
2. They are repairing this car.
3. The family is waiting for you now.
4. They are mending my piano at the moment.
5. They are just doing their homework.
6. What books are people reading this year?
7. Are they sending for you?
8. Mrs Brown is making the beds.
9. The robot is washing the clothes.
10.We are doing an exercise.
 Present Simple Passive vs Present Continuous Passive

Gap-fill exercise
1. They discuss profits every Monday.
Profits ________________every Monday.
2. They are discussing profits now.
Profits ____________________________now.
3. She asks this student twice a week.
This student ________________twice a week.
4. She is asking this student now.
This student _______________________now.
5. They renovate this building once a decade.
This building ______________once a decade.
6. They are renovating this building now. This
building ___________________ now.
7. Somebody is looking at me.
I _______________________________at.
8. She washes her sons' sweatshirts twice a week.
Her sons' sweatshirts _______twice a week.
9. They are counting the money.
The money__________________________.
10. Someone is painting the walls.
The walls __________________________ .
Present continuous tense
In the passive
S + (be: was or were) + being +
past participle
Singular Plural

I was being taught We were being taught

You were being taught You were being taught

He was being taught

She was being taught They were being taught

It was being taught

1. The book was being read by the boy.
(passive voice)
The boy was reading the book. (past
continuous tense, active voice)
2. Pancakes were being made in
the kitchen.
He was being helped by his wife.
3. Flowers were being grown in this garden.
(passive voice)
I was growing the flowers last year.
(active voice)
4. This man was being held in a
prison because he did something
very bad.
5. She was being hugged by her brother.
(passive voice)
Her brother was hugging her.
(active voice)
Rewrite the sentences in passive voice
1. We were talking about Francis.
Francis was being talked about by us.
2. He was playing the guitar.
3. She was watching a film.
4. I was repairing their bikes.
5. They were not eating dinner.
6. We were not painting the gate.
7. You were not driving him home.
8.He was not feeding the dogs.
9. Was she reading these lines?
10.Were they carrying bags?
Put the following sentences into
passive voice.
1. They were expecting a guest.
2. The chef wasn't cooking the meat.
3. The women were cleaning all the blinds.
4. They were watching the newest videos.
5. Who was taking care of the baby?
6. Why were they picking the flowers?
7. Were they painting the room when the accident
happened?
 Complete each sentences in the past continuous tense,
passive voice. The main verb is in parentheses.

1. Too many children_________ by that dog, so

the owners got rid of it. (bite)
2. Our mail ___________ to the wrong address.
(deliver)
3. A lot of money ________ by that company
before the economic crisis. (make)
4. ___ they ______ the truth? (tell/negative)
5. __ you _______________ overtime for all those
extra hours of work last month? (pay)
6. The building ______ with oil before it
switched over to natural gas. (heat)
7. Why ______ she _____ for an illness she
didn't have? (treat)
8. The animals ______ on that farm.
(mistreat)
9. The oil in this car ______ regularly before
I bought it. (change--negative)
10. The U.S. Capitol ________ when we
visited Washington. (renovate)
 Thank you for
paying attention