ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

VERBS

TRANSITIVE VERBS INTRANSITIVE VERBS

(Action passes over from subject to object) (Action does not pass over from
subject to object)
E.g.: 1. A boy kicked the ball. E.g.: 1. The boy jumps with joy.
2. Rama solved the sums. 2. Rama smiles.

Note: Change the Voice is only possible in case of sentences with Transitive Verbs.

E.g.: The police chased the thief. (Subject is the does – Active Voice)
The thief was chased by the police. (Subject is the receiver – Passive Voice)
 RULES FOR CHANGING FROM ACTIVE TO PASSIVE

1. Swap the Subject and the Object.

2. Add the ‘To Be’ form of the verb.

(Remember: do not change the tense of the To Be verb)

3. Write the past participle of the given verb. (V3 form of verb)

4. Add a preposition. (Mostly ‘by’)

 Remember
1. Forms of ‘To Be’:
Present Tense am / is / are
Past Tense was / were
Future Tense be
Past Participle been
Present Participle being
2. Change in Pronoun:

SUBJECT OBJECT SUBJECT OBJECT

I Me He Him
We Us She Her
They Them it it
You You
 TENSE ACTIVE PASSIVE
1. Simple Present I write a letter. A letter is written by me.
2. Simple Past I wrote a letter. A letter was written by me.
3. Simple Future I will write a letter. A letter will be written by me.
4. Present Perfect I have written a letter. A letter has been written by me.
5. Past Perfect I had written a letter. A letter had been written by
me.
6. Future Perfect I will have written a letter. A letter will have been written
by me.
7. Present Continuous I am writing a letter. A letter is being written by me.
8. Past Continuous I was writing a letter. A letter was being written by
me.
9. Future Continuous I will be writing a letter. NO CHANGE
10. Present Perfect Cont. I have been writing a letter. NO CHANGE
11. Past Perfect Cont. I had been writing a letter. NO CHANGE
12. Future Perfect Cont. I will have been writing a letter. NO CHANGE
 Examples
ACTIVE PASSIVE
1. He helps me whenever I need. 1. I am helped by him whenever I need.
2. Mr. Raghav teaches us English. 2. English is taught to us by Mr. Raghav.
OR
We are taught English by Mr. Raghav.
3. They built a bridge across the river. 3. A bridge was built across the river by them.
4. Rama ate three apples yesterday. 4. Three apples were eaten by Rama yesterday.
5. Shyam will do his work today. 5. Shyam’s work will be done by him today.
6. I am answering everyone. 6. Everyone is being answered by me.
7. They were painting the walls green. 7. The walls were being painted green by them.
8. I have sold my bike in the last week. 8. My bike has been sold by me in the last week.
9. Riya had studied poetry in her college days. 9. Poetry had been studied by Riya in her college
days.
10. The king will have captured the fort. 10. The fort will have been captured by the king.
 REMEMBER
❖ Imperative Sentences: use let + object +
be + V3.
E.g.: 1. Open the windows.
Ans: Let the windows be opened.
2. Take your book from the desk.
Ans: Let your book be taken from the desk.

❖ Interrogative Sentences: Let the answer Note: The Wh words such as when, where,
also be interrogative. why, how, or what do not change from
E.g.: 1. Do you know the answer? active to passive. Who changes to ‘By
Whom’
Ans: Is the answer known to you?
E.g.: Who could have done that?
2. Will you help her when she needs?
Ans: By whom could that have been done?
Ans: Will she be helped by you when she
needs?
❖ Prepositional Verbs: If the question contains a verb followed by a preposition, the
answer must also have the same preposition.
E.g.: 1. He spoke to the principal.
Ans: The principal was spoken to by him.
2. I replied to her.
Ans: She was replied to by me.

❖ Modal Auxiliaries: If the question contains a modal aux., the answer must also have the
same modal aux..
E.g.: 1. They may win the match.
Ans: The match may be won by them.
2. I can create my own happiness.
Ans: My own happiness can be created by me.
❖ Two objects: When you have two object in the same sentence, you can change by
using any one object at a time, but also retain the second object.
E.g.: 1. He gave me a watch.
Ans: a. A watch was given to me by him.
b. I was given a watch by him.
2. He gifted a camera to me.
Ans: a. I was gifted a camera by him
b. A camera was gifted to me by him.
 EXERCISE

1. The slamming of the door had alerted the 11. The cup contains tea.
mother.
12. Water fills a tub.
2. We all heard a creaking in the attic.
13. He bought a car for her.
3. Raj could not afford a computer with his
earnings. 14. The human ear picks up vibrations of the sound.
4. The high temperature changes the taste to a 15. Try it again the next day.
more pleasant impression. 16. Who invited you to the party?
5. My sister and I were scolded by our parents. 17. Seven days make a week.
6. Politicians don’t really catch my attention. 18. Friendship requires special nourishment.
7. They extended the contract for another six 19. Enlighten the world.
months.
20. Who had kept the keys in the box?
8. The laptop helped me with the presentation.
21. He would break the laptop.
9. The new tenants trusted the landlords
completely. 22. She must have called you.
10. Who ate the entire cake?
 RULES FOR CHANGING FROM PASSIVE TO ACTIVE
1. Swap the Subject and the Object.

2. Remove the ‘To Be’ form of the verb.

(Give the verb its original tense)

3. Remove the past participle of the given verb.

(V3 form of verb)

4. Remove the preposition.

E.g.: A letter is written by me.
Ans: I write a letter.
 EXAMPLES – PASSIVE TO ACTIVE

1. The butter is kept in the fridge by me.

Ans: I keep the butter in the fridge.
2. My house was cleaned by Sarah.
Ans: Sarah cleaned my house.
3. A dog was brought in by Maya.
Ans: Maya brought in a dog.
4. A seat was being kept for you by them.
Ans: They were keeping a seat for you.
5. The horse will be kept safely in the stable by him.
Ans: he will keep the horse safely in the stable.
 TENSE PASSIVE ACTIVE

1. Simple Present An apple is eaten by me. I eat an apple.

2. Simple Past An apple was eaten by me. I ate an apple.

3. Simple Future An apple will be eaten by I will eat an apple.

me.
4. Present Perfect An apple has been eaten I have eaten an apple.
by me.
5. Past Perfect An apple had been eaten I had eaten an apple.
by me.
6. Future Perfect An apple will have been I will have eaten an apple.
eaten by me.
7. Present Continuous An apple is being eaten by I am eating an apple.
me.
8. Past Continuous An apple was being eaten I was eating an apple.
by me.
 EXERCISE
1. The work has been done by me.
2. The cat is being chased by the dog.
3. The fair would have been wrapped up by them tomorrow.
4. The chair was moved to the corner by Sarah.
5. The school bell is being rung by the helper.
6. Let the door be closed.
7. Vibrations of the sound are picked up by human ears.
8. His proposal was objected to by me.
9. The truth must always be spoken by us.
10. The book ‘Fault in our Stars’ was written by John Green.
11. You were just thanked by her.
12. By whom was the opening done?