Passive Voice: Future & Imperfect
French: AQA A Level, topic 12.7.2
Future Passive Voice
To form the future passive, use the future tense of 'être' followed by a past participle. The passive is usually only used in the 'il/elle' and the 'ils/elles' forms.
Step 1 - future tense of 'etre'
- Je serai - I will.
- Tu seras - you (singular) will.
- Il/elle/on sera - he/she/one will.
- Nous serons - we will.
- Vous serez - you (plural/formal) will.
- Ils/elles seront - they will.
Step 2 - add past participle
- Le match sera joué - the match will be played.
- La nourriture sera mangée - the food will be eaten.
- Les tartes seront faites - the tartes will be made.
- Les lettres seront envoyées - the letters will be sent.
Examples of passive sentences
- Iron Man sera joué par Robert Downey Jnr.
- Iron Man will be played by Robert Downey Jnr.
- La nourriture sera mangée par nous.
- The food will be eaten by us.
- Les pâtisseries seront faites par le boulanger
- The pastries will be made by the baker.
- Les livres seront vendus par le magasin.
- The books will be sold by the shop.
Imperfect Passive Voice
To form the imperfect passive, use the imperfect tense of 'être' followed by a past participle. The passive is usually only used in the 'il/elle' and the 'ils/elles' forms.
Step 1 - imperfect tense of 'etre'
- J'étais - I was/used to be.
- Tu étais - you (singular) were/used to be.
- Il/elle/on était - he/she/one was/used to be.
- Nous étions - we were/used to be.
- Vous étiez - you (plural/formal) were/used to be.
- Ils/elles étaient - they were/used to be.
Step 2 - add past participle
- Le devoir était fait - the homework was being done.
- La plage était appréciée - the beach used to be well-liked.
- Les tartes étaient faites - the tartes were being made.
- Les lettres étaient écrites - the letters were being written.
Examples of passive sentences
- James Bond était joué par Sean Connery.
- James Bond was being played by Sean Connery.
- La viande était cuisinée par mon père.
- The meat was being cooked by my dad.
- Les tartes étaient détestées de tout le monde
- The tarts were being hated by everyone.
- Les gateaux étaient préparés par lui.
- The cakes were being prepared by him.
Test yourself on Passive Voice: Future & Imperfect
'La nourriture sera mangé par mon frère', ça veut dire quoi en anglais?
Which of these verbs are in the correct future perfect form?
'Les gâteaux étaient préparés par lui', ça veut dire quoi en anglais?
Which of these are not in the imperfect passive?