Present perfect continuous passive voice is rarely used because it tends to sound awkward. However, if you need to construct it, the general formula would be:
Table of Contents
Active Voice
Let’s learn about both the active voice and passive voice formulas for the present perfect continuous.
Subject + have/has been + verb (present participle) + object
Passive Voice
Object + have/has been + being + verb (past participle) + by + subject
But keep in mind that this construction is uncommon and often considered awkward. For example:
- Active Voice: “She has been reading the book.”
- Passive Voice: “The book has been being read by her.”
In most cases, it’s better to rephrase the sentence to avoid this structure.
Rules
- Replace subject with object and object with the subject by changing their types like subject pronouns or objective pronouns.
- Use ‘has been have been’ as it is.
- Add ‘being’ right after been.
- Convert 4th form (ing) to 3rd.
- Use ‘by’ right after 3rd form of the verb as we do in all types.
Affirmative Sentences
Here’s a table with 10 examples of sentences in the present perfect continuous tense in active voice, along with their corresponding passive voice forms.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| 1. They have been building the house. | The house has been being built by them. |
| 2. She has been writing the report. | The report has been being written by her. |
| 3. We have been discussing the project. | The project has been being discussed by us. |
| 4. He has been repairing the car. | The car has been being repaired by him. |
| 5. The students have been learning the lesson. | The lesson has been being learned by the students. |
| 6. I have been organizing the event. | The event has been being organized by me. |
| 7. The team has been planning the trip. | The trip has been being planned by the team. |
| 8. They have been cleaning the room. | The room has been being cleaned by them. |
| 9. She has been teaching the class. | The class has been being taught by her. |
| 10. We have been preparing the presentation. | The presentation has been being prepared by us. |
Again, note that while these passive forms are grammatically correct, they are awkward and uncommon in English. It’s usually preferable to keep such sentences in the active voice.
Negative Sentences
Here’s a table with 10 important negative sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense, along with their passive voice conversions:
| Active Voice (Negative) | Passive Voice (Negative) |
|---|---|
| 1. She has not been teaching the students. | The students have not been being taught by her. |
| 2. They have not been painting the house. | The house has not been being painted by them. |
| 3. He has not been repairing the car. | The car has not been being repaired by him. |
| 4. We have not been organizing the event. | The event has not been being organized by us. |
| 5. I have not been writing the report. | The report has not been being written by me. |
| 6. She has not been cooking dinner. | Dinner has not been being cooked by her. |
| 7. They have not been cleaning the room. | The room has not been being cleaned by them. |
| 8. He has not been watering the plants. | The plants have not been being watered by him. |
| 9. We have not been discussing the issue. | The issue has not been being discussed by us. |
| 10. I have not been reading the newspaper. | The newspaper has not been being read by me. |
As previously mentioned, the passive voice for the present perfect continuous tense is rarely used and often sounds awkward. These sentences are technically correct but not typically used in everyday English.
Interrogative Sentences
Here’s a table with interrogative sentences in the present perfect continuous tense, along with their conversion to passive voice.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| 1. Have you been reading this book? | Has this book been being read by you? |
| 2. Has she been painting the house? | Has the house been being painted by her? |
| 3. Have they been watching the movie? | Has the movie been being watched by them? |
| 4. Has he been writing the report? | Has the report been being written by him? |
| 5. Have we been organizing the event? | Has the event been being organized by us? |
| 6. Have you been cleaning the room? | Has the room been being cleaned by you? |
| 7. Has the chef been preparing the meal? | Has the meal been being prepared by the chef? |
| 8. Have the students been completing the assignment? | Has the assignment been being completed by the students? |
| 9. Has the team been playing the match? | Has the match been being played by the team? |
| 10. Have you been solving the problem? | Has the problem been being solved by you? |
Interro-Negative Sentences
Sure! Here’s a table with examples of interrogative-negative sentences in the present perfect continuous tense along with their answers in the affirmative and negative forms:
| Active Voice (Interrogative-Negative) | Passive Voice (Affirmative) | Passive Voice (Negative) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Has he not been studying English? | Has English been being studied by him? | Has English not been being studied by him? |
| 2. Have they not been working on the project? | Has the project been being worked on by them? | Has the project not been being worked on by them? |
| 3. Has she not been practicing piano? | Has the piano been being practiced by her? | Has the piano not been being practiced by her? |
| 4. Have we not been exploring new methods? | Have new methods been being explored by us? | Have new methods not been being explored by us? |
| 5. Has John not been preparing the report? | Has the report been being prepared by John? | Has the report not been being prepared by John? |
| 6. Have you not been updating the software? | Has the software been being updated by you? | Has the software not been being updated by you? |
| 7. Has the team not been rehearsing for the play? | Has the play been being rehearsed by the team? | Has the play not been being rehearsed by the team? |
| 8. Have they not been renovating the house? | Has the house been being renovated by them? | Has the house not been being renovated by them? |
| 9. Has she not been attending the meetings? | Have the meetings been being attended by her? | Have the meetings not been being attended by her? |
| 10. Have you not been reviewing the documents? | Have the documents been being reviewed by you? | Have the documents not been being reviewed by you? |
This table should help illustrate how to convert interrogative-negative sentences in the present perfect continuous tense to their passive voice forms.
FAQs
Why is there no passive voice for the perfect continuous tense?
The passive voice is generally not used for continuous tenses, including the perfect continuous tense, for several reasons:
- Complexity and Awkwardness: The passive voice for continuous tenses becomes unwieldy and awkward. The structure involves multiple auxiliary verbs and can become cumbersome, making it less practical for everyday use.
- Focus on Action vs. State: Continuous tenses emphasize ongoing actions or processes. The passive voice typically focuses on the recipient of the action rather than the action itself. This shift in focus makes passive constructions in continuous tenses less meaningful and less commonly used.
- Clarity: Passive voice constructions in continuous tenses can be confusing or unclear. The more complex the structure, the harder it is for listeners or readers to understand who is performing the action and who is receiving it.
For these reasons, English speakers usually prefer to use active voice or other tenses whereas passive voice is more straightforward and effective. In many cases, rephrasing the sentence to avoid the passive voice is a better solution.
What is the difference between present continuous and present perfect continuous?
Time Focus
Present Continuous: Focuses on the current moment or temporary actions.
Present Perfect Continuous: Focuses on the duration or continuity of an action from the past up to the present.
Duration and Completion
Present Continuous: Doesn’t typically emphasize how long the action has been happening.
Present Perfect Continuous: Emphasizes the duration of the action or how long it has been occurring up to now.
Examples in Context
Present Continuous: “She is cooking dinner now.” (Emphasizes that she is cooking at this exact moment.)
Present Perfect Continuous: “She has been cooking dinner for two hours.” (Emphasizes that she started cooking two hours ago and is still cooking or has just finished.)