Definition / Explanation
Continuous passive forms show that an action is in progress, but the focus stays on the thing affected by the action, not on the doer. The most common patterns are is being + past participle and was being + past participle. They are useful when the process matters more than the person doing it. This is common in news, reports, formal writing, and descriptions of ongoing work. Compared with the simple passive, the continuous passive makes the activity sound unfinished and in progress.
Key Rules
- Present continuous passive: am/is/are being + past participle.
- Past continuous passive: was/were being + past participle.
- Use it when the action is ongoing and the receiver of the action is the focus.
- It is often used when the agent is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
- Avoid it if a simpler active sentence is clearer and more natural.
Examples
- The road is being repaired.
- The report was being written when I arrived.
- New houses are being built near the station.
- The patient was being examined by a doctor.
- Our request is being checked now.
Common Mistakes
- ❌ The road is repaired now. -> ✅ The road is being repaired now.
- ❌ The report was being wrote. -> ✅ The report was being written.
- ❌ New houses are builded near the station. -> ✅ New houses are being built near the station.