In active sentences, the subject is active or the subject performs the actions.
For example: The cow (Subject) is eating (Verb) grass (Object).-Active Voice
Active Passive Voice
In passive sentences, the subject is no longer active or the subject is acted upon by the verb.
For example : Grass (Subject) is being eaten (Verb) by the cow(Object).—Passive Voice
In some sentences, passive voice can be perfectly acceptable. You might use it in the following cases:
1. The actor is unknown:
Eg: The cave paintings of Ajanta & Ellora were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. [We don’t know who made
them.]
2. The actor is irrelevant:
Eg: An experimental solar nuclear plant will be built in the Australian desert. [We are not interested in who is building it.]
3. You are talking about a general truth:
Eg: Rules are made to be broken. [By whomever, whenever.]
4. You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic:
Eg: Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment
available for diabetes.
5. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section:
Eg: The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid.
Rules of transformation – Active voice to Passive voice:
Active Voice Passive Voice
I prepare for IELTS exam. IELTS exam is prepared by me.
• Find subject, object and the main verb.
• Convert the object into subject.
• Use the suitable helping verb or auxiliary verb according to the tense.
If helping verb is given, use verb as it is. But note that the helping verb used should be according to the
object.
• Convert the verb into past participle.
• Use the preposition ‘by’(in some sentences the use of ‘by’ is not
required when the doer is not mentioned in the sentence).
• Convert the subject into object.
Simple Present Tense – Structure: is, am, are + Past Participle
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| He lights the candle. | The candle is lighted by him. |
| He does not light the candle. | The candle is not lighted by him. |
| Do you eat chocolate? | Is chocolate eaten by you? |
Present Continuous Tense – Structure: is, am, are + being + Past Participle
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| I am driving a car. | A car is being driven by me. |
| I am not driving a car. | A car is not being driven by me. |
| Am I driving a car? | Is a car being driven by me? |
Present Perfect Tense
Structure: has/have + been + Past Participle
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| She has stolen my book. | My book has been stolen by her. |
| She has not stolen my book. | My book 1) by her. |
| Has she stolen my book? | Has my book 2) by her? |
Simple Past Tense
Structure: was, were + Past Participle
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| She finished the work. | The work was finished by her. |
| She didn’t finish the work. | The work 3) by her. |
| Did she finish the work? | Was the work 4) by her? |
Past Continuous Tense
Structure: was/were + being + Past Participle
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| He was revising his books. | His books were being revised by him. |
| He was not revising his books. | His books 1) by him. |
| Was he revising his books? | 2) his books 3) by him? |
Past Perfect Tense
Structure: had + been + Past Participle
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| I had completed the assignment. | Assignment 4) by me. |
| I had not completed the assignment. | The assignment had not been completed for me. |
| Had I completed the assignment? | Had assignment 5) by m |
Simple Future Tense
Structure: will/shall + be + Past Participle
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| My uncle will pay my tuition fee. | My tuition fee 1) by my uncle |
| My uncle will not pay my tuition fee. | My tuition fee 2) by my uncle. |
| Will my uncle pay my tuition fee? | Will my tuition fee 3) by my uncle? |
Future Perfect Tense
Structure: will/shall + have been + Past Participle
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| We shall have done our homework. | Our homework shall have been done by us. |
| We shall not have done our homework. | Our homework 4) by us. |
| Shall we have done our homework? | our homework 5) by us? |
In the following, tenses cannot be changed into the passive form:
- Present perfect continuous tense
- Past perfect continuous tense
- Future perfect continuous tense
- Future perfect tense
we use the same sentence in passive voice.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Can/Could + be + Past Participle | |
| I can solve these sums. | These sums can be solved by me. |
| Has to/ Have to be + Past Participle | |
| He has to complete his assignment. | His assignment 1) by him. |
| Must + be + Past Participle | |
| You must learn this book. | This book 2) by you. |
Active And Passive Voice With Modal Auxiliary Verbs
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Might + be + Past Participle | |
| They 1) chess. | Chess might be played by them. |
| Should + be + Past Participle? | |
| Students should learn all lessons. | All lessons 2) by students. |
These are the sentences in which we express our feeling and emotions like command, order, advice, and request.
Rules :
- Lets + new object + be/Not be +past
- For sentences containing, Request, advice and order, we will use you are Requested to, advised to and
ordered to.
Note: Always remove please and be kind if they are given in the sentence.
|
Active and Passive voice with Imperative Sentences
These are the sentences in which we express our feeling and emotions like command, order, advice, and request.
Rules :
- Lets + new object + be/Not be +past participle or 3rd
- For sentences containing, Request, advice and order, we will use you are Requested to, advised to and
ordered to.
Note: Always remove please and be kind if they are given in the sentence.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| 1) your room. | Let your room be cleaned. |
| Learn your lesson. | Let your lesson 2). |
| 3) me a favor tonight. | You are requested to do me a favor tonight. |
| Get out of my house. | 4) to get out of my house. 3) Pleas |
| Kindly do not smoke in public places. | You 5) not to smoke in a public place. 4) You are |
Fill in the blanks with an active or passive verb form.
1) The message……………………………… delivered.
a)has
b)has been
c)had
2) The messenger ……………………………the message
a)has been delivered
b)has delivered
c)is delivered
3) They …………………………the parcel in the morning
a)sent
b)have sent
c)have been sent
4. He to leave…………
a)told
b)was told
c)has told
5. The culprit ……………………………
Please select 2 correct answers
a) has caught
b) has been caught
c) was caught
6. The suspect …………………………… to the crime.
a) has confessed
b) was confessed
c) has been confessed
7. I …………………………….. the invite.
a)have been received
b)have received
c)had received
8. The invites …………………………….
a)have sent
b)have been sent
c)had sent
9. The kitten ……………………………. home yesterday.
a)has brought
b)was brought
c)has been brought
10. I ……………………….. a cake for my daughter’s birthday.
Please select 2 correct answers
a)baked
b)was baked
c)have baked