🎯 Objective
To help learners master passive voice in future tenses - understanding how to form, use, and transform active future constructions into passive voice, including future simple, future continuous, future perfect, and "going to" future forms.
📖 What are Future Passive Forms?
Future passive forms shift focus from the doer (subject) to the receiver of the action (object) in future time contexts. They emphasize what will be done rather than who will do it, making them essential for formal writing, predictions, and scheduled events.
🕐 Future Simple
will be + past participle
General future actions📅 Going To Future
going to be + past participle
Planned/intended actions⏳ Future Continuous
will be being + past participle
Ongoing future actions✅ Future Perfect
will have been + past participle
Completed future actions| Future Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Usage Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Simple | will + base verb | will be + past participle | Predictions, promises, spontaneous decisions |
| Going To Future | going to + base verb | going to be + past participle | Plans, intentions, visible evidence |
| Future Continuous | will be + -ing form | will be being + past participle | Ongoing actions at future time |
| Future Perfect | will have + past participle | will have been + past participle | Completed before future point |
📚 Step-by-Step Guide: Mastering Future Passive Forms
Understanding the Purpose: Why Use Future Passive?
Key Concept: Future passive voice shifts focus from who performs an action to what action will be performed. This is crucial for:
- Formal announcements: "The conference will be held next month"
- Processes and procedures: "Applications will be reviewed within 48 hours"
- Unknown or unimportant agents: "New roads will be built"
- Scientific/academic writing: "The data will be analyzed using statistical methods"
Form 1: Future Simple Passive - General Predictions & Promises
📋 Formation Formula:
Subject + will be + past participle + (by agent)
🔵 Active:
The company will launch the product next year.
🟣 Passive:
The product will be launched next year (by the company).
🎯 When to Use Future Simple Passive:
- Predictions: "Electric cars will be used by everyone in 2040."
- Promises/Guarantees: "Your order will be delivered within 24 hours."
- Official announcements: "The winner will be announced tomorrow."
- General future facts: "English will be spoken by billions of people."
Context Examples:
- 🏢 Business: "The contract will be signed on Friday."
- 🎓 Education: "Grades will be posted online."
- 🌍 Environment: "Renewable energy will be adopted globally."
- 💻 Technology: "AI will be integrated into daily life."
Form 2: Going To Future Passive - Plans & Intentions
📋 Formation Formula:
Subject + am/is/are + going to be + past participle + (by agent)
🔵 Active:
They are going to renovate the building.
🟣 Passive:
The building is going to be renovated (by them).
🎯 Usage Patterns:
- Planned events: "The festival is going to be organized by volunteers."
- Intended actions: "The proposal is going to be submitted next week."
- Evidence-based predictions: "The project is going to be delayed (based on current progress)."
- Arranged activities: "The meeting is going to be held via video call."
Form 3: Future Continuous Passive - Ongoing Future Actions
📋 Formation Formula:
Subject + will be being + past participle + (by agent)
Note: This form is rarely used in everyday speech but appears in formal/academic contexts.
🔵 Active:
Engineers will be testing the system all day tomorrow.
🟣 Passive:
The system will be being tested all day tomorrow (by engineers).
🎯 Limited Usage Contexts:
- Formal reports: "The data will be being analyzed throughout the week."
- Technical processes: "The machine will be being calibrated during maintenance."
- Academic writing: "The samples will be being observed under controlled conditions."
💡 Alternative: Often replaced with future simple passive: "The system will be tested all day tomorrow."
Form 4: Future Perfect Passive - Completed Actions Before Future Point
📋 Formation Formula:
Subject + will have been + past participle + (by agent) + time expression
🔵 Active:
The team will have completed the project by December.
🟣 Passive:
The project will have been completed by December (by the team).
🎯 Usage with Time Expressions:
- Deadlines: "The report will have been submitted by 5 PM."
- Milestones: "100 units will have been produced by the end of the month."
- Progress indicators: "Half the work will have been finished by next Friday."
- Achievement statements: "The goal will have been achieved within two years."
Transformation Rules & Patterns
✅ Transformation Steps:
- Identify the object in the active sentence
- Move the object to subject position
- Change the verb to appropriate passive form
- Add "by + agent" if necessary/important
- Maintain the tense and time expressions
❌ Common Transformation Errors:
- Forgetting "be" in passive forms
- Using wrong past participle forms
- Changing the intended meaning
- Overusing "by" phrases when agent is unimportant
- Mixing different future forms
🔄 Quick Transformation Practice:
Active: "Scientists will discover new medicines."
Passive: "New medicines will be discovered (by scientists)."
Active: "The company is going to launch three products."
Passive: "Three products are going to be launched (by the company)."
Advanced Usage: When NOT to Use Passive
⚠️ Avoid Passive When:
- Agent is crucial: "Einstein will solve this problem" (not "This problem will be solved")
- Clarity suffers: Overly complex passive constructions
- Informal conversation: "I'll call you tomorrow" (not "You will be called")
- Action verbs need emphasis: "The athlete will run fast" (active shows ability)
🎯 Choosing Active vs. Passive:
Focus on the doer → Active: "Steve Jobs will design innovative products."
Focus on the action/result → Passive: "Innovative products will be designed."
Focus on the receiver → Passive: "Patients will be treated with new therapy."
🧩 Task: Transform Active to Passive & Correct Errors
Read the business proposal excerpt below and complete the transformation and error correction tasks.
📝 Business Proposal Text:
Our technology company will launch three revolutionary products next year. The research team is going to develop advanced AI algorithms, while our marketing department will promote these innovations globally. Engineers will be testing the prototypes throughout Q1 2025. By the end of next year, we will have sold over 100,000 units worldwide. The board of directors is going to approve the budget increase, and investors will fund the expansion project. Quality control specialists will be monitoring production processes continuously. By 2026, the technology will have transformed the entire industry landscape.
1. 🔄 Transform the first three sentences into passive voice, maintaining the same meaning and time reference.
2. ✅ Find and correct the passive form error in the fourth sentence. Explain what type of future passive should be used.
3. 🎯 Transform the sentence about budget approval and investor funding into passive voice. Consider whether to include 'by' phrases.
4. 🔍 Analyze the last sentence and explain why it might be better to keep it in active voice or transform it to passive. Provide both versions.
5. 💡 Rewrite the entire passage in passive voice where appropriate, maintaining professional tone and clarity. Some sentences may remain active.
✅ Answer Key & Detailed Explanations
1. 🔄 First Three Sentences - Active to Passive Transformations:
Original: "Our technology company will launch three revolutionary products next year."
Passive: "Three revolutionary products will be launched next year (by our technology company)."
Original: "The research team is going to develop advanced AI algorithms."
Passive: "Advanced AI algorithms are going to be developed (by the research team)."
Original: "Our marketing department will promote these innovations globally."
Passive: "These innovations will be promoted globally (by our marketing department)."
Key Points:
- ✅ Future simple: "will + base verb" → "will be + past participle"
- ✅ Going to future: "going to + base verb" → "going to be + past participle"
- ✅ Object becomes subject, maintains time expressions
- ✅ "By" phrases optional when agent is clear from context
2. ✅ Error Correction - Future Perfect Passive:
Error Found: "By the end of next year, we will have sold over 100,000 units worldwide."
Problem: This is future perfect active, but the task requires passive transformation
Correction: "By the end of next year, over 100,000 units will have been sold worldwide (by us)."
Future Perfect Passive Formula: will have been + past participle
Function: Shows completion before a future time point
Time marker: "By [future time]" indicates future perfect is needed
3. 🎯 Budget and Funding Transformations:
Original: "The board of directors is going to approve the budget increase"
Passive: "The budget increase is going to be approved by the board of directors."
Original: "investors will fund the expansion project"
Passive: "The expansion project will be funded by investors."
Note on "By" Phrases:
- ✅ Keep "by the board of directors" - specifies who has authority
- ✅ Keep "by investors" - identifies funding source
- 💡 In business contexts, agents are often important for accountability
4. 🔍 Analysis: Active vs. Passive Choice:
Original: "By 2026, the technology will have transformed the entire industry landscape."
📊 Analysis:
Active Version (Recommended): "By 2026, the technology will have transformed the entire industry landscape."
Passive Version: "By 2026, the entire industry landscape will have been transformed by the technology."
Why Active is Better Here:
- 🎯 Technology as agent: Emphasizes the technology's power to create change
- 📈 Dynamic action: "Transform" is stronger when technology is the subject
- 🏢 Business impact: Shows technology as the driving force
- 💪 Conciseness: Active voice is shorter and more direct
When Passive Might Work: If focusing on the industry changes rather than the technology's role
5. 💡 Complete Passage Rewrite - Strategic Passive Use:
Guideline: Use passive where it improves focus, formality, or clarity. Keep active where the agent is important or the action is more dynamic.
🏆 Model Response - Complete Passage Rewrite
📋 Strategically Rewritten Business Proposal:
Three revolutionary products will be launched next year by our technology company. Advanced AI algorithms are going to be developed by the research team, while these innovations will be promoted globally by our marketing department. The prototypes will be being tested by engineers throughout Q1 2025. By the end of next year, over 100,000 units will have been sold worldwide. The budget increase is going to be approved by the board of directors, and the expansion project will be funded by investors. Production processes will be monitored continuously by quality control specialists. By 2026, the technology will have transformed the entire industry landscape.
🎯 Passive Voice Analysis:
- ✅ "Three revolutionary products will be launched" - Focus on products, not company
- ✅ "Advanced AI algorithms are going to be developed" - Emphasizes the algorithms
- ✅ "These innovations will be promoted globally" - Focuses on global reach
- ⚠️ "The prototypes will be being tested" - Future continuous passive (formal but clunky)
- ✅ "100,000 units will have been sold" - Future perfect passive for achievement
- ✅ "The budget increase is going to be approved" - Formal business language
- ✅ "The expansion project will be funded" - Focus on project, not investors
- ✅ "Production processes will be monitored" - Emphasizes continuous oversight
- ✅ Kept active: "the technology will have transformed" - Technology as powerful agent
📊 Alternative Version (More Natural):
Three revolutionary products will be launched next year. Advanced AI algorithms are going to be developed by our research team, while these innovations will be promoted globally. The prototypes will be tested throughout Q1 2025 by our engineers. By the end of next year, over 100,000 units will have been sold worldwide. The budget increase is going to be approved, and the expansion project will be funded by investors. Production processes will be monitored continuously. By 2026, the technology will have transformed the entire industry landscape.
💡 Note: Replaced awkward future continuous passive with future simple passive for better readability.
🔵 When Active Was Maintained:
- "The technology will have transformed" - Technology as powerful change agent
- Could also maintain: "Engineers will test" (if emphasizing team expertise)
🟣 Why Passive Was Chosen:
- Professional, formal business tone
- Focus on products/processes rather than people
- Appropriate for proposals and official documents
- Emphasizes results and outcomes
🎖️ Mastery Checklist for Future Passive:
- ✅ Future Simple Passive: will be + past participle (general predictions)
- ✅ Going To Passive: going to be + past participle (plans/intentions)
- ✅ Future Perfect Passive: will have been + past participle (completion by future time)
- ✅ Strategic Choice: Use passive for focus on action/result, active for focus on agent
- ✅ Professional Context: Passive often preferred in formal business writing
- ✅ Natural Flow: Avoid overly complex forms when simpler alternatives exist