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What is Passive Voice Present Perfect?

Passive voice present perfect combines the passive form with the present perfect tense to show an action that started in the past and connects to the present moment. It emphasizes the result or current relevance of a completed action.

Short answer

Passive voice present perfect uses 'Subject + have/has + been + past participle (+ by agent)'. Singular: has been; plural: have been. Example: 'The report has been finished.'

Timeline: Present Perfect Passive

x: Time · y: Relevance to presentAction completed (past)Result still matters (now)

Step-by-step worked examples

Active: The company has built five new factories. Write in passive.

Subject: company, Aux: has, Verb: built (past participle), Object: factories
Passive: has + been + past participle
Factories become subject (plural → 'have been')
Passive: Five new factories have been built by the company.
Note: 'Have been' for plural; emphasizes the ongoing result

Active: She has completed the project. Convert to passive.

Subject: She, Aux: has, Verb: completed, Object: project (singular)
Passive form: has + been + completed
Subject: The project (singular → 'has been')
Passive: The project has been completed.
Note: No agent needed; focus on result, not who did it

Active: The doctor has examined three patients today. Passive?

Plural object (patients) becomes subject
Auxiliary: have + been (plural)
Past participle: examined
Passive: Three patients have been examined by the doctor today.
Note: Time phrase 'today' shows connection to present

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Convert to passive: 'They have written three books.'

Correct answer: A. Plural object (books) → plural auxiliary 'have been' + past participle 'written'. Agent 'by them' is optional.

Q2.Which is correct?

Correct answer: A. Singular subject 'letter' + 'has been' + past participle. 'Have' is for plural; 'has sent' is not passive.

Q3.Which shows the result is still important?

Correct answer: B. Present perfect 'has been completed' emphasizes the relevance of a past action to now.

Q4.Active: 'I have fixed the problem.' Passive?

Correct answer: A. Singular object (problem) + 'has been' + past participle 'fixed'. 'Fixing' is a participle, not passive.

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Common mistakes

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The buildings have built by the construction company. — Correct: The buildings have been built by the construction company. (Add 'been' for passive.)

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The work has been do since morning. — Correct: The work has been done since morning. (Use past participle 'done', not infinitive 'do'.)

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Three emails has been sent to you. — Correct: Three emails have been sent to you. (Plural 'emails' needs 'have', not 'has'.)

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The document has been completed for days. — Correct: The document has been completed for days. (Correct — use 'for' with duration.)

FAQ

What is passive voice present perfect?

A passive structure emphasizing a past action with current relevance — have/has been + past participle. Example: 'The task has been completed.'

How do you form passive voice present perfect?

Use 'has been' for singular subjects and 'have been' for plural subjects, followed by the past participle.

When would you use present perfect passive?

When you want to emphasize that a past action has results or importance that connect to the present moment.

Difference between 'was done' and 'has been done'?

'Was done' (past simple) just states an action. 'Has been done' (present perfect) emphasizes the current relevance of that action.