12.7.1

Passive Voice: Present & Perfect

Test yourself

Present Passive Voice

To form the present passive, use the present tense of 'être' followed by a past participle. The passive is usually only used in the 'il/elle' and the 'ils/elles' forms.

Illustrative background for 1) Present tense of 'être'Illustrative background for 1) Present tense of 'être' ?? "content

1) Present tense of 'être'

  • This tense is only usually used with the il/elle/on or ils/elles form of 'être'.
    • Il/elle/on est - he/she/one is
    • Ils/elles sont - they are
Illustrative background for 2) Add past participleIllustrative background for 2) Add past participle ?? "content

2) Add past participle

  • Le foot est joué - Football is played.
  • La police est avertie - The police are warned.
  • Les livres sont lus - The books are read.
  • Les tartes sont faites - The tarts are made.
Illustrative background for Examples of passive sentencesIllustrative background for Examples of passive sentences ?? "content

Examples of passive sentences

  • Le livre est lu par de nombreuses personnes.
    • The book is read by many people.
  • La tarte aux pommes est mangée par moi.
    • The apple pie is eaten by me.
  • Les touristes sont vus comme une source d'espoir pour la population locale.
    • Tourists are seen as a source of hope by the local people.
  • Les pièces sont écrites par William Shakespeare.
    • The plays are written by William Shakespeare.

Perfect Passive Voice

To form the perfect passive, use the pefect tense of 'être' followed by a past participle. The passive is usually only used in the 'il/elle' and the 'ils/elles' forms.

Illustrative background for Step 1 - perfect tense of 'etre'Illustrative background for Step 1 - perfect tense of 'etre' ?? "content

Step 1 - perfect tense of 'etre'

  • J'ai été - I was.
  • Tu as été - you (singular) were.
  • Il/elle/on a été - he/she/one was.
  • Nous avons été - we were.
  • Vous avez été - you (plural/formal) were.
  • Ils/elles ont été - they were.
Illustrative background for Step 2 - add past participleIllustrative background for Step 2 - add past participle ?? "content

Step 2 - add past participle

  • Le pain a été acheté - the bread was bought.
  • La porte a été ouverte - the door was opened.
  • Les chaussures ont été perdues - the shoes were lost.
  • Ces coûts ont été pris en compte - these costs were taken into account.
Illustrative background for Examples of passive sentencesIllustrative background for Examples of passive sentences ?? "content

Examples of passive sentences

  • Le match a été gagné par mon équipe.
    • The match was won by my team.
  • La voiture a été vendue à perte.
    • The car was sold at a loss.
  • Les tartes ont été faites par le boulanger.
    • The tarts were made by the baker.
  • Les livres ont été écrits par Charles Dickens.
    • The books were written by Charles Dickens.

Jump to other topics

1The Changing Nature of Family

2The 'cyber-society'

3The Place of Voluntary Work

4Diverse Society

5The Marginalised

6How Criminals Are Treated

7A Culture Proud of its Heritage

8Cinema: the 7th Art Form

9Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?

10Politics & Immigration

11Conjugation & Use of Tenses

11.1Present Tense

11.2Perfect Tense

11.3Imperfect Tense

11.4Future Tense

11.5Conditional Tense

11.6Future Perfect Tense

11.7Conditional Perfect Tense

11.8Pluperfect Tense

12Extra Grammar

Go student ad image

Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring

  • Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home

  • Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs

  • 30+ school subjects covered

Book a free trial lesson