Active and Passive

What is active/passive voice?

To know whether you are writing in the active or passive voice, identify the subject of the sentence and decide whether the subject is doing the action or being acted upon.

Passive Voice: the subject is the receiver of the action.

The tax return (subject) was completed (action) before the April 15 deadline by Mr. Doe.

Active Voice: the subject does an action to an object.

Mr. Doe (subject) completed (action) the tax return (object) before the April 15 deadline.

Simple present tense Verb form: first form of the verb

Examples
They speak English here.
He speaks English.

Verb form: is / am / are + past participle form of the verb

Examples
English is spoken here.
English is spoken by him.


Present continuous tense Verb form: is/am/are + -ing form of the verb

Examples
She is writing a letter.
I am learning my lessons.

You are making a cake.

Verb form: is/am/are + being + past participle form of the verb

Examples
A letter is being written by her.
My lessons are being learnt by me.
A cake is being made by you.


Present perfect tense

Verb form: has/have + past participle form of the verb

Examples:
I have written a novel.
She has finished the job.
You have written letters.

Verb form: has/have + been + past participle form of the verb

Examples:
A novel has been written by me.
The job has been finished by her.
Letters have been written by you.

Simple past

Verb form: past tense form of the verb

Examples:
I wrote a letter.
Ram broke a glass.
You missed the chance.

Verb form: was/were + past participle form of the verb

Examples:
A letter was written by me.
A glass was broken by Ram.
The chance was missed by you.


Past continuous tense

Verb form: was/were + -ing form of the verb

Examples
I was learning my lessons.
She was writing a report.
They were making toys.

Verb form: was/were + being + past participle form of the verb

Examples
My lessons were being learnt by me.
A report was being written by her.
Toys were being made by them.


Past perfect tense

Verb form: had + past participle form of the verb

Examples
I had finished the project.
She had learned her lessons.

Verb form: had + been + past participle form of the verb

Examples:
The project had been finished by me.
Her lessons had been learned by her.

Source:

http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/quickreference/dash/dashactive.cfm

https://www.englishgrammar.org/active-passive-voice-overview-chart/