Passive = vorm van be + voltooid deelwoord. Het Engels gebruikt altijd be (Nederlands: worden én zijn).
| tijd | voorbeeld |
|---|---|
| present simple | English is spoken here. |
| present continuous | The road is being repaired. |
| past simple | The house was built in 1900. |
| present perfect | My bike has been stolen. |
| will | It will be finished tomorrow. |
| modaal | It can be done. |
De uitvoerder krijgt by: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
Nederlanders zeggen vaak I am born in 1995; het is I was born in 1995.