Is “have been” passive voice?
"Have been" + a past participle is passive ("The claims have been reviewed"); "have been" + an adjective or -ing verb is active ("We have been patient," "They have been waiting"). It is the same test as "has been," with a plural or first- or second-person subject.
“Have been” goes with I, you, we, they and plural nouns. The next word decides the voice:
- “The claims have been reviewed by counsel.” — passive, with the agent named.
- “We have been here before.” — active; “here” is an adverb.
- “They have been working on it.” — active; present perfect progressive.
In formal writing, “have been” passives pile up in status and compliance language (“All findings have been addressed”). Readers rarely object to one; a paragraph of them hides who is responsible for anything.
Three sentences, checked
Each example below was run through our engine (v1.0.0). Amber marks the passive construction; a dotted underline marks a “be + participle” that is an adjective, not a passive.
Related forms
- Is “was” passive?
- Is “is” passive?
- Is “has been” passive?
- Is “had been” passive?
- Is “will be” passive?
- Is “can be” passive?
- Is “could be” passive?
- Is “must be” passive?
See the full list of passive voice verbs and passive voice in all twelve tenses.
Questions people ask
- What is the difference between "has been" and "have been" in passive voice?
- Only subject agreement. "Has been" goes with he, she, it and singular nouns; "have been" with I, you, we, they and plurals. Both are present perfect passive when a past participle follows.
- Is "have been" passive in "I have been to Paris"?
- No. "Been" there is the main verb meaning "gone," and nothing follows it. The sentence is active.