English Active and Passive Voice

English Active and Passive Voice

Voice is the property of verb which shows whether the subject is performing or
experiencing the action.
There are two kinds of voice:
Active voice: If the subject does the work himself or herself, it is in active voice.
Passive voice: If something is done for or to the subject, it is in passive voice.
General Rules:
Subject Verb Object
ahim teaches !ohsin. "ctive
!ohsin is taught by ahim #assive
$ollowing are the rules for changing active voice into passive voice:
%. &ubject of the active voice shall become the object of the passive voice.
I : 'by( me )e : 'by( us
*ou : 'by( you +e : 'by( him
&he : 'by( her It : 'by( it
They : 'by( them )ho : 'by( whom
,. -se the form of verb .to be/ 'is, are, etc.( between subject and object in the passive
voice.
0. Verb should be changed to past participle '0
rd
form(
1. -se .by/ before object.
2. 3bject of the active voice shall become subject of passive voice.
!e : I us : we
*ou : *ou him : he
+er : &he it : it
Them : they whom : who
Note:
%. #assive voice can be made only of transitive verb, i.e. if the verb is followed
by an object.
,. Voice is changed in the same sentence i.e., if the "ctive voice is in the
interrogative sentence. #assive will also be in interrogative sentence.
&tructure: &ubject 4 Verb be4 past participle 4 by 4 object 'noun or pronoun(.
Present Indefinite Tense
Active Passive
5&ubject 4 is6am6are4 0
rd
form
4by 4 object7
8arim teases him. +e is teased by him
&he beats her husband. +er husband is beaten by her.
Negative Sentence:
Active Passive
5&ubject4is6am6are4not40
rd

form4by4object7
&he does not listen to you. *ou are not listened to by her.
*ou do not favour her. &he is not favoured by you.
Interrogative Sentence:
Active Passive
5Is6"m6"re4subject 4 0
rd

form 4by 4 object7
9o you teach him: Is he taught by you:
9o you respect me: "m I respected by you:
If the sentence begins ith !hen"here"h#"ho"hat$ hel%ing verb
should be %ut i&&ediatel# after the&'
Active Passive
+ow do you prepare tea: +ow is tea prepared by you:
)hen do you see T.V.: )hen is T.V. seen by you:
)hat do you like: )hat is liked by you:
If the sentence begins ith !ho$ or !ho&$( change !ho$ into
!b# ho&$ and !ho&$ into !ho$ in the %assive voice'
Active Passive
)ho beats you: ;y whom are you beaten:
)hom do you love: )ho is loved by you:
Present )ontinuous Tense
Active Passive
5&ubject 4 was6were4 0
rd
form
4by 4 object7
I was revising the lesson )as the lesson being revised by
me.
)ere you reading the book: )as the book being read by
you:
)hat was ehman doing: )hat was being done by
ehman:
Past Perfect Tense
Active Passive
5&ubject 4 had 4 been 40
rd

form4by4object7
I learn the poem. The poem was learnt by me.
+ad she taken tea: +ad tea been taken by her:
+e had not ill<treated him +e had not been ill<treated by
him.
*uture Indefinite Tense
Active Passive
5&ubject4will6shall4be40
rd

form4by4object7
This man will do my work. !y work will be done by this
man.
)ill !ohsin help me: &hall I be helped by !ohsin:
)hat will Tari= do: )hat will be done by Tari=:
)ho will repair the window: ;y whom will the window be
repaired:
*uture Perfect Tense
Active Passive
5&ubject4will6shall4have4been40
rd
form 4by 4 object7
This man will have done my
work.
!y work will have been done by
this man.
+e will not have abused me. I shall not have been abused by
him.
The farmer will have watered
the field.
The field will have been watered by
the farmer.
+odal Verbs:
>an, may, must, shall, will, should, would, could and might are called modal
verbs.
Active Passive
5&ubject 4 modal verb4 be 4
0
rd
form 4by 4 object7
i?wan can win the pri?e. The pri?e can be won by
i?wan.
!ohsin must reward you. *ou must be rewarded by
!ohsin.
!ay I help you: !ay you be helped by me:
)ho will shut the door: ;y whom will the door be
shut.
I&%erative Sentence
Active Passive
&hut the door. @et the door be shut.
3pen the box. @et the box be opened.
>lose the door. @et the door be closed.
9o not starve the ox. @et the ox not be starved.
Inform the #olice. @et the police be informed.
)hange of voice of infinitives( verbs !to be$ and !to have$
Active Passive
There is no time to lose. There is not time to be lost.
+e is a man to admire. +e is a man to be admired.
I am to do this work. This work is to be done by me.
They are to sell the car. The car is to be sold by them.
"bdul was to do this work. This work was to be done by
"bdul.
I have to buy a book . " book has to be bought by
me.
"bdul had to do this work. This work had to be done by
"bdul.
Verbs ith to objects:
Active Passive
ida gave me a book I was given a book by ida.
3r
" book was given to me by
ida.
)e refused them admission. They were refused admission
by us. 3r
"dmission was refused to
them by us.
,here !b#$ is not used'
,ith the folloing verbs( !b#$ is not used in the %assive voice:
i. alarmed at ii. "nnoyed at
iii. contained in iv. 9isgusted with
v. displeased with vi. @ined with
vii. married to viii. &atisfied with
ix. surprised at x. pleased with
Active Passive
The result surprised me. I am surprised at the result.
The news pleased him. +e was pleased with the news.
The news alarmed him. +e was alarmed at the news.
The bottle contains ink. Ink is contained in the bottle.