Passive Voice in Past Tenses:

Passive voice in past tenses is a valuable grammatical structure that shifts the focus from the doer of the action to the action or its recipient. This article explains how passive voice is formed in various past tenses, provides examples, outlines common mistakes with corrections, and offers exercises for practice.

What Is Passive Voice in Past Tenses?

Passive voice in past tenses emphasizes the object of the action rather than the subject. The actor (or agent) is either omitted or mentioned later with “by” if necessary. This structure is especially useful when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.

Basic Structure:

Object + Auxiliary Verb (in the past tense) + Past Participle (+ by + Agent [optional])

Passive Voice in Different Past Tenses:

1. Past Simple Passive

• Structure: Object + was/were + past participle

• Examples:

  • Active: The team built the bridge in 1990.

  • Passive: The bridge was built in 1990.

  • Active: The author wrote the book.

  • Passive: The book was written by the author.

2. Past Continuous Passive

• Structure: Object + was/were + being + past participle

• Examples:

  • Active: They were repairing the road.

  • Passive: The road was being repaired by the workers.

  • Active: The kids were playing the game.

  • Passive: The game was being played during recess.

3. Past Perfect Passive

• Structure: Object + had been + past participle

• Examples:

  • Active: She had completed the assignment before noon.

  • Passive: The assignment had been completed before noon.

  • Active: They had canceled the event.

  • Passive: The event had been canceled by the organizers.

Common Mistakes:

❌ Mistake 1: Incorrect Auxiliary Verb Form

• Incorrect: The song was sing by the band.

• Correct: The song was sung by the band.

• Explanation: Always use the correct past participle ("sung"), not the base or simple past form.

❌ Mistake 2: Omitting the Auxiliary "Was/Were"

• Incorrect: The letter written by her yesterday.

• Correct: The letter was written by her yesterday.

• Explanation: The auxiliary “was” must precede the past participle to form the passive structure.

❌ Mistake 3: Misplacing “By” or Omitting It When Necessary

• Incorrect: The report was prepared the team.

• Correct: The report was prepared by the team.

• Explanation: Include “by” before the agent if specifying who performed the action.

❌ Mistake 4: Using Passive Voice in a Context Where Active Voice is Clearer

• Incorrect: A cake was baked by Sarah every week.

• Better (Active): Sarah baked a cake every week.

• Explanation: Use passive voice only when the object or result is more important than the doer.

Exercises:

✔ Exercise 1: Convert Active to Passive (Past Simple)

1. The artist painted a mural.

2. The chef cooked a special dinner.

3. The technicians fixed the computer.

4. The team won the championship.

✔ Exercise 2: Convert Active to Passive (Past Continuous)

1. The workers were repairing the road.

2. The children were playing a game.

3. He was writing a report.

4. They were cleaning the park.

✔ Exercise 3: Convert Active to Passive (Past Perfect)

1. She had completed the project.

2. The manager had approved the proposal.

3. They had canceled the meeting.

4. The author had published the novel.

✔ Exercise 4: Identify the Errors and Correct Them

1. The movie was watch by millions. → Correct it: __________

2. The letter had write by him. → Correct it: __________

3. The building was being construct by the engineers. → Correct it: __________

4. The door was open by the wind. → Correct it: __________