4. Grammar: The Present Continuous/Progressive Active and Passive

Imagine such a tragedy has just happened. What do you think the Toyota company officials are now doing? Definitely, they are doing their best to prevent any lawsuits. Therefore:

 

The company officials are recalling more than ten million cars around the world.

Ten million cars are being recalled around the world.

They are informing thousands of their local agencies about the recall.

Local agencies are being informed about the recall.

They are placing adverts in newspapers.

Adverts are being placed in newspapers.

They are contacting drivers personally.

Drivers are being contacted personally.

They are working on fixing the problem.

The problem is being fixed.

The above is the Present Continuous Active:

Subject + to be + lexical verb + -ing

The above is the Present Continuous Passive:

Subject (originally an object in the active sentence) + to be in Present Continuous + Past Participle

(If you feel you need to revise the Present Continuous Active tense even further, click here.)

(If you feel you need to revise the Passive Voice even further, click here.)

 

Now practise this grammar point in this task by converting sentences from the active to passive voice.