Present Continuous Passive: How to Use + Example Sentences

Aug 17, 2023
10 min read

Updated: Jun 8

✅ What is the Present Continuous Passive Form?

- Present Continuous Passive form: ['be' + being + past participle + by]

e.g. >> am being told, is being made, are being taken, etc.

👉 Complete Guide to English Passive Voice with Examples & Practice

👀 Watch and Learn! For English grammar story video lessons that bring this content to life, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Person painting a statue in a bright art studio. Text: "Learn Grammar Through Stories," "The Art Exhibition," and "Present Continuous Passive." — Learn The Present Continuous Passive

✅ When to use the Present Continuous Passive - Example

✔️We use the Passive form to focus on the result of an action and (not the person/thing doing the action),

Example: Dinner is being made by my husband.

✔️We do not know who did the action,

Example: The air conditioning is being fixed at the moment.

✔️ we do not need to or not necessary to mention the person doing the action,

Example: The children are being put to bed.

Below is a short story using the Present Continuous Passive.

Look out for examples of this tense and see how many you can spot.

📚Present Continuous Passive Story : 🖼️The Art Exhibition

The annual art exhibition is happening at the local gallery. Everyone is excited because the works of many talented artists are being displayed.

As the doors open, the gallery is being filled with people eager to see the artwork. A guide at the entrance says, "Please note that the final touches are being added to some of the paintings, so certain areas are being temporarily closed."

Inside, a group of artists is being interviewed by a local news channel. The reporter asks, "How does it feel to have your work being admired by so many people?"

In the next room, a large sculpture is being carefully positioned in the centre.

"This sculpture is being moved here from another gallery," says the curator. "We want to make sure it is being placed perfectly under the lights."

As the event progresses, an art workshop is being conducted in one corner of the gallery. Participants' techniques are being observed by an instructor who provides feedback.

At the end of the day, the gallery director announces, "I hope you enjoyed the exhibition. Right now, the final preparations are being made for tomorrow’s exclusive viewing."

The visitors leave, impressed by what was being done to showcase such wonderful art.

Examples of the Present Continuous Passive

are being displayed
is being filled
are being added
are being (temporarily) closed
is being interviewed
is being (carefully) positioned
is being moved
is being placed
is being conducted
are being observed
are being made

🎯Grammar Check!

We use the Present Continuous tense for actions in progress.

👉 The Present Continuous - 3 Uses & Examples

Present Continuous vs Present Continuous Passive

i) Present Continuous (active)

- Form = ['be' + verb-ing]

e.g. Mel is making cookies.

(Subject) (object)

ii) Present Continuous Passive

- Form: ['be' + being + past participle + by]

e.g. Cookies are being made by Mel.

| |

(subject) (object)

🎯 Grammar Point!

✔️The meaning of both active & passive sentences are the same.

✔️Passive form is common in news articles and academic writing.

✅ How do we use the Present Continuous Passive form?

Example Sentence:

Dinner is being prepared by the chef.
This book is being used for the course.
That building is being decorated for the festive season.
Desserts are being served at the moment.
Apartments are being built in the new town.

6. How to form the Present Continuous Passive - Example

Form 🟰 [is, am, are + being + Past Participle + [by]

e.g. help → helped

Need to review?

What is the Past Participle: How to Use & Examples

✔️ Present Continuous Passive Form - (Positive) + short form

- I am /'m + being + helped + (by)

- you / we / they are /'re + being + helped + (by)

- he/ she / it is /'s + being + helped + (by)

✔️Present Continuous Passive - (Negative) + short form

- I am not /'m not being + helped + (by)

- you / we / they are not /'re not / aren't being + helped + (by)

- he/ she / it is not /'s not / isn't being + helped + (by)

✔️ Present Continuous Passive - Yes/No Question

- Am I being + helped + (by)...?

- Are you / we / they being + helped + (by)...?

- Is he/ she / it being + helped + (by)...?

✔️Short answers (positive)

- Yes, I am.

- Yes, you / we / they are.

- Yes, he/ she / it is.

✔️Short answers (negative) + short form.

- No, I am not /'m not.

- No, you / we / they are not /'re not / aren't.

- No, he/ she / it is not /'s not / isn't.

🎯Grammar Point!

✔️Regular verbs

e.g.

Present Past Past Participle

- allow → allowed → allowed

- clean → cleaned → cleaned

✔️Irregular verbs

e.g.

Present Past Past Participle

buy → bought → bought steal → stole → stolen

🔗 For more on Past Participle regular / irregular verbs:

👉 What is Past Participle? Uses + Example Sentences

7. 📋Let's recap! - Present Continuous Passive

i. We use the Passive Form when:

✔️ our focus is result of the action (Note: we use 'by" + 'person' who did the

action)

✔️ we do not know who did the action

✔️ we do not need to mention who / not necessary

✅ Uses of the Passive form - More Example Sentences

Situation 1:

✔️ We want to focus on the result - not the person who did the action.

Present Continuous (Passive)

Form = [is, am, are + being+ Past Participle + [by]

e.g. An *eyewitness is being questioned by the police.

- question → questioned

✏️Vocabulary Check!

- *the person who saw something happened e.g. crime etc.

Compare: Present Continuous

[The police are questioning an eyewitness.]

Situation 2:

✔️We do not know who caused the action

- clear → cleared

e.g. The rubbish is being cleared from the site.

Compare: Present Continuous

[Someone is clearing the rubbish from the site.]

Situation 3:

✔️We do not need to mention the person or thing causing the action (not necessary)

- tell → told

e.g. Students are being told about some changes to the school rules.

(*not necessary to say 'by the principal)

Compare > Present Continuous

[The principal is telling the students about some changes to the school rules]

🗣️Example Sentence:

1. Tables are being delivered to the new office. (passive)

> They are delivering tables to the new office. (active)

2. The room is being vacuumed. (passive)

> The housekeeper is vacuuming the room.(active)

3. What is being done about the problem? (passive)

> What are they doing about the problem? (active)

💡Grammar Learning Tip!

✔️ We use the Passive Form quite a lot in real life as we may want to focus on different things or which fact is more important - the person or the action.

✔️Or it's not necessary to mention the person doing the action.

Let's change the following sentences into the Passive Form.

🎯 Vocabulary Check!

*suspect (noun) - a person who is believed to have committed a crime, etc

👫Two *suspects, a man and a woman at an apartment are being watched by detectives from the rooftop of the opposite building. 🏢

The following actions (numbers 1-9 ) by the suspects are being observed by the 🕵️‍♀️🕵🏻‍♂️ 2 detectives...

1️⃣ The man is opening the kitchen door.

🚪The kitchen door is being opened (by the man).

2️⃣ The woman is using a hairdryer.

💈 A hairdryer is being used (by the woman).

3️⃣ The man is making an omelette and a salad.

🥗 An omelette and a salad are being made (by the man).

4️⃣ He's also filling up a kettle and putting it to boil.

A kettle is being filled up and being put to boil (by him).

5️⃣ She is doing her makeup and styling her hair.

💆🏻‍♀️ Her hair is being styled and her makeup is being done.

6️⃣ The man is pouring wine into 2 glasses.

🍷🍾Wine is being poured into 2 glasses.

7️⃣ Suddenly, 2 police officers are kicking the front door open.

🏠 Suddenly, the front door is being kicked open (by 2 police officers).

8️⃣ The police officers are arresting the 2 suspects.

👫 The 2 suspects are being arrested (by the police officers).

9️⃣ The officers are leading the suspects to the police car.

🚔 👫The suspects are being led to the police car.

🎯 English Speaking Tip!

Practise speaking using the short forms - 's / 're not, aren't, isn't, etc. as much as you can. You'll sound more natural.

👉 The Past Continuous Passive - The Missing Necklace

8. 🎉 Time for your practice.

🎬Let's Review!

We use the Present Continuous (Passive) for these situations:

we want to focus on the result - not the person who did the action,
we do not know who caused the action,
we do not need to or not necessary to mention the person doing the action.

✏️ Exercise (A)

Change the following active sentences into the passive form.

🎯Grammar Point!

Present Continuous Form ('be' + verb-ing)

e.g. A man is feeding ducks in the park.

Present Continuous Passive - ['be' + being + past participle]

e.g. Ducks in the park are being fed by a man.

1. Mum's putting flowers in the vase.