Past Perfect Passive Voice

When to use the past perfect passive voice?

You need to use the past perfect passive voice to describe situations that were completed before other situations in the past, and you need to focus on the object (result), not the subject.

If you have any questions about the use of the past perfect tense, I recommend clicking on this post as I explained everything you need to know and also, click here to find about other related English grammar topics.

Besides, the main difference between the active voice and passive voice is the focus of the message:

Active voice focuses on the subject.

Passive Voice focuses on the object (result).

For more detailed explanation related to the differences between active and passive voice, click here to learn about them and you may even click here to read about other related passive and active topics, like, the present passive, past passive, etc.

So, how to form sentences using the past perfect passive voice?

let’s have a look at the past perfect passive voice rules to learn more about it:

Subject + had + been + past participle

*You need to use (had) with all the subjects, unlike the present perfect passive voice where you need to use either (have or has).

Example:

Active voice: The team had reviewed the documents.

Passive voice: The documents had been reviewed.

Example:

Active voice: The manager had cancelled the meeting

Passive voice: The meeting had been cancelled.

Example:

Active voice: The team had sent the letters.

Passive voice: The letters had been sent.

Explanation:

You need to use the object in every (active voice sentence) as a subject in the (passive voice sentences) followed by (had been). You don’t need to mention the subject again in the (active voice statements), unless it’s relevant or important to highlight.

How to form questions using the past perfect passive voice? 

with (yes/ no answers), follow this structure:

Had + subject + been + past participle?

With (detailed answers), follow this structure:

Wh-question word + had + subject + been + past participle?

Examples: 

Had the emails been sent? – (yes/ no answer)

Had the invitations been delivered? – (yes/ no answer)

Had the report been completed? – (yes/ no answer)

When had the emails been sent? – (detailed answer)

What had been done before the meeting? – (detailed answer)

Who had been informed about the event? – (detailed answer)

How to form negative sentences using the past perfect passive voice?

You need to add (not) after (had) as shown below:

Subject + had + not + been + past participle

Examples:

The project had not been completed before the deadline.

The documents had not been reviewed.

The emails had not been sent.

So, I hope you find this English grammar lesson useful, let me know if you have any questions related to the use of the past perfect passive voice or if you have any suggestions for the upcoming topics. Yesterday, I explained other English grammar topics here so feel free to check it Also, if you need a private discussion or lessons, email me

Have a great day & take care!