Advanced passive

5 Advanced passive

5.1

Passive Voice in Various Tenses

The passive voice can be used in any tense—simply change the form of be, which is always followed by a past participle.

Tense	Passive Structure
Present Simple	am / is / are + past participle
Past Simple	was / were + past participle
Present Perfect	has / have been + past participle
Future	will be + past participle
Modal	can / must be + past participle

（冠词）The 桥bridge （完成）has （被动）been 修理repaired.

This bridge has already been repaired. (Present Perfect Passive)

（冠词）The 工作work 将will （被动）be 完成done 很快soon.

The work will soon be completed. (Future Passive)

Note: Regardless of the tense, the core of the passive structure is always be (changing) + past participle (unchanged).

5.2

When reporting general opinions or rumors without specifying who said it, we often use the passive reporting structure:

（形式主语）It （被动）is 说said （连词）that 他he 是is 非常very 富有rich.

He is said to be very rich.

他He （被动）is 说said （不定式）to 是be 非常very 富有rich.

It is said that he is very rich. (Same meaning, subject moved forward)

Note: Such structures are common in news and formal writing, allowing for objective reporting of unverified information.

Common Errors

❌ ~~The bridge has repaired.~~ → ✓ The bridge has been repaired. — In the perfect passive, been is easily omitted; without been, it means "the bridge repaired something else".
❌ ~~The problem must be solve.~~ → ✓ The problem must be solved. — Modal passive = modal verb + be + past participle.
❌ ~~He is said that he is rich.~~ → ✓ It is said that he is rich. / He is said to be rich. — The two "said" structures cannot be combined.
Additional: There is also a continuous passive — am / is / are being + past participle: The road is being repaired. (The road is currently being repaired.)