B2Lesson 3: Passive Constructions & Alternatives
The ter + sido + participle construction creates perfect passive voice in Portuguese, showing that something has been done to the subject over time, combining the perfective aspect of ter with the passive voice to express completed actions with ongoing relevance.
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The ter + sido + participle passive is like a three-layer cake of grammar:
Think of it as Portuguese's way of saying "has/have been [verb]ed" in English, but with a twist – the participle must agree with the subject!
Let's break down "O projeto tem sido desenvolvido" (The project has been developed):
| Subject | Present Perfect Passive | English |
|---|---|---|
| O documento | tem sido aprovado | has been approved |
| A proposta | tem sido aprovada | has been approved |