La voz pasiva siempre se forma de la misma manera: una forma de be + el participio pasado. La pasiva en present simple y past simple (is made, was built) suele ser lo primero que aprende la mayoría de los estudiantes — pero el mismo patrón se extiende a la mayoría de los demás tiempos, y también a los verbos modales. En cuanto la idea de be + participio pasado resulta natural, el resto consiste simplemente en combinar la forma correcta de be con el tiempo verbal que ya conoces.

Fórmula rápida: el tiempo verbal o el verbo modal solo cambia la parte de be — el participio pasado nunca cambia. Los tiempos continuous añaden being: is being built. Los tiempos perfect añaden been: has been built. La pasiva modal simple usa la forma base be: must be built. La pasiva modal perfecta usa have been: could have been broken.

El panorama completo

Así queda en pasiva la misma idea —alguien construye/construyó/construirá la casa— en los principales tiempos verbales:

Tiempo Activa Pasiva
Present simple They build houses here. Houses are built here.
Present continuous They are building a house. A house is being built.
Present perfect They have built the house. The house has been built.
Past simple They built the house. The house was built.
Past continuous They were building the house. The house was being built.
Past perfect They had built the house before we arrived. The house had been built before we arrived.
Futuro (will) They will build a house. A house will be built.
Future perfect They will have built the house by June. The house will have been built by June.
Going to They are going to build a house. A house is going to be built.
Modal They must build it safely. It must be built safely.

El present simple y el past simple están tratados en detalle en La pasiva: present y past — este artículo se centra en el resto de la tabla. (Algunas formas pasivas —perfect continuous como has been being repaired, o future continuous como will be being repaired— existen técnicamente, pero suenan tan forzadas que casi siempre se reformulan de otra manera. Aquí se dejan fuera a propósito.)

Tiempos continuous: presente y pasado

Pasiva en present continuous: am / is / are + being + participio pasado. Se usa para una acción en curso ahora mismo o durante un periodo actual, con el foco en aquello que recibe la acción.

  • The road is being repaired this week.
  • Our order is being prepared.
  • These issues are being investigated.

Pasiva en past continuous: was / were + being + participio pasado. Se usa para una acción que estaba en curso en un momento concreto del pasado.

  • The house was being painted when the storm hit.
  • New rules were being discussed at the time.

En español, una pasiva refleja con se puede dejar más margen al contexto: se construye la casa podría entenderse como un proceso en ciertos contextos, aunque para marcar claramente que está en curso solemos decir se está construyendo la casa. En inglés, es justamente being lo que marca ese proceso: is being built frente a is built.

✅ is being built (present continuous pasiva) es una frase distinta de ✅ is built (present simple pasiva) — el being señala una acción en curso ahora o durante un periodo temporal actual, no un hecho general o una rutina repetida: ❌ This bridge is being built every year no tiene sentido, porque «every year» exige la forma simple: ✅ This bridge is inspected every year.

Tiempos perfect: presente y pasado

Pasiva en present perfect: have / has + been + participio pasado. Se usa para una acción completada con un resultado o relevancia en el presente, igual que el present perfect activo.

  • The report has been finished.
  • All the documents have been signed.
  • Has the package been delivered yet?

Pasiva en past perfect: had + been + participio pasado. Se usa para una acción completada antes de otro momento del pasado.

  • The guests had already been seated when the band arrived.
  • The building had been demolished before anyone could stop it.

Fíjate en el patrón: have/has/had/will have + been + participio pasado. El auxiliar de los tiempos perfectos (have, has, had) se combina con el participio pasado de be, que es been — y a been le sigue el propio participio pasado del verbo principal (built, signed, delivered).

Futuro: will, future perfect y going to

Pasiva en future simple: will + be + participio pasado.

  • The results will be announced tomorrow.
  • A decision will be made by Friday.

Pasiva en future perfect: will have + been + participio pasado — para una acción que se habrá completado antes de un momento concreto del futuro.

  • The renovation will have been finished by the time you visit.
  • All the seats will have been sold before doors open.

Pasiva con going to: am / is / are going to + be + participio pasado — para una acción futura planificada o prevista, la versión pasiva de las formas de futuro con going to.

  • The old cinema is going to be demolished next year.
  • New safety rules are going to be introduced.

La pasiva con verbos modales

Los verbos modales como can, could, must, should, may, might, will y would forman la pasiva de manera parecida a la activa: el verbo modal sigue yendo en primer lugar, pero en vez del verbo en forma base lleva be + participio pasado:

Activa Pasiva
You must submit the form by Friday. The form must be submitted by Friday.
Someone can see the mountains from here. The mountains can be seen from here.
They should fix the bug soon. The bug should be fixed soon.
We might change the schedule. The schedule might be changed.

Para hablar de una posibilidad u obligación en el pasado, se usa modal + have been + participio pasado:

  • The window could have been broken by the wind. (una posible explicación de algo pasado — consulta los modales de deducción para la versión en presente de este patrón)
  • The report should have been finished yesterday. (una obligación que no se cumplió)
  • The mistake must have been noticed by someone.

✅ must be checked (una obligación presente/futura) es distinto de ✅ must have been checked (una deducción sobre el pasado) — confundirlos cambia el significado por completo: ❌ The parcel must have been delivered tomorrow mezcla una forma de deducción sobre el pasado con una expresión de tiempo futuro, y esa combinación no funciona.

Errores frecuentes

  • ❌ Houses are build here. → ✅ Houses are built here. (participio pasado, no la forma base)
  • ❌ The road is repairing this week. → ✅ The road is being repaired this week. (la pasiva en continuous necesita being, no solo -ing)
  • ❌ The documents have signed already. → ✅ The documents have been signed already. (la pasiva del present perfect necesita been, no solo el participio pasado)
  • ❌ It must been fixed by tomorrow. → ✅ It must be fixed by tomorrow. (después de un modal se usa be, no been, para una obligación presente/futura)
  • ❌ The window must be broken by the wind last night. → ✅ The window must have been broken by the wind last night. (una deducción sobre el pasado necesita have been, no solo be)
  • ❌ The results will announced tomorrow. → ✅ The results will be announced tomorrow. (will por sí solo no basta para formar la pasiva — sigue necesitando be)

Comprobación rápida

Elige la forma pasiva correcta:

  1. Right now, the kitchen ____ (renovate). (pasiva en present continuous)
  2. By 6 p.m., all the food ____ (eat). (pasiva en future perfect)
  3. When the new road ____ (add), the bridge ____ (already / build). (past simple + past perfect pasiva)
  4. The results ____ (should / announce) by Friday.
  5. That noise we can hear right now ____ (must / cause) by the wind — it's really strong tonight.
Ver respuestas
  1. The kitchen is being renovated.
  2. By 6 p.m., all the food will have been eaten.
  3. When the new road was added, the bridge had already been built.
  4. The results should be announced by Friday.
  5. That noise we can hear right now must be caused by the wind — una causa presente para algo que está pasando ahora mismo, así que es must be, no must have been (eso describiría un suceso del pasado).

Conclusiones clave

  • Toda forma pasiva se construye sobre be + participio pasado — el tiempo verbal o el modal solo cambian la parte de be.
  • Las pasivas continuous añaden being: is being built, was being built.
  • Las pasivas perfect añaden been: has been built, had been built, will have been built.
  • La pasiva de futuro usa will o going to: will be built, is going to be built.
  • Los modales van seguidos de be + participio pasado para un sentido presente/futuro (must be fixed), y de have been + participio pasado para un sentido pasado (must have been fixed).
  • El participio pasado en sí nunca cambia — solo cambian los auxiliares y los verbos modales que lo acompañan.