Comsats University Islamabad,

Abbottabad Campus

Subject: English

Assignment#: 3

Submitted to: Salman Qureshi

Submitted by: Shahzad Ali

Registration#: FA18-BSE-043

Passive and Active Voice

Assignment
A c t iv e a n d Passive Voice:

An action of a subject, in relation to an object, is expressed in two ways. These two ways of
expressing action of a subject are known as Voices.

1. Active Voice
2. Passive Voice

Active Voice: it is used when the subject performs the action stated by the verb.
In this subject comes 1 st and then object.And simple verb forms are used.

Example:

I read a book. (Active Voice)

Passive Voice: It is used when the subject is acted upon by the verb.
In this 3rd form is used. And 1st object comes and then subject.

A book is read by me. (Passive Voice)

Why do we make passive voice?

The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action rather than the person or
object that performs the action. In other words, the most important thing or person becomes the subject of the
sentence.

Two Basic Rules For Converting Active to Passive Voice:

1: The places of the subject and object will be interchanged.

2: Only 3rd form of verb will be used in passive voice.

Other Rules F o r Changing A c ti v e Voices I n t o Passive Voices

Rule No. 1. The places of the Subject and the object will interchange. The subject will shift to the place of
Object and the object will take the place of Subject in Passive Voice.

Example:
Active Voice: He plays hockey.
Passive Voice: The hockey is played by him.

Rule No. 2. Only Past Participle Form o r 3rd f o r m of verb (e.g. eaten etc) will always be used
as main verb in Passive voices for all tenses. No other form of verb will be used as main verb.
It can be seen in all the examples given on this page.

Rule No. 3. The word “by” will be used before subject in the Passive voice.

Example:
Active Voice: She drinks water.
Passive Voice: Water is drunk by her.
Rule No. 4. Other words such as ‘w i t h ’ or ‘to’ may also be used instead of word ‘by’ depending
upon the subject of the sentence. These words are used in a very few cases. The word ‘by’ is
used in the most cases.
Examples:
Active Voice:: I know him.
Passive Voice: He is known to me.
Active Voice: Water fills a tub.
Passive Voice: A tub is filled w i t h water.

Rule No. 5. When verb that takes both a direct and an indirect object in the active voice are changed to the
passive,either object may become the subject of the passive verb , while other is retained.

Examples:
Active voice:: Who taught you French?
Passive voice:: By whom were you taught fench? Or Who were you taught French by?
Rule No. 6. Subject may not be always mentioned in Passive Voice. A passive voice sentence
Can be written without having subject, if it gives clear idea about the subject.
Examples:
Active Voice: Women are not treated as equals.
Passive Voice: Sugar is sold in kilograms.
Rule No. 7. There are a few transitive verbs which, even in an Active form, are sometimes used in Passive sense.
Only transitive verbs are used in Passive voice because an intransitive verb has no object.

Examples:
These Mangoes taste sour. (i.e. are sour when they are tasted.)
Those rose smell sweet. (i.e. sweet when it is smelt.)
Rule No. 8. A very simple rule is to be followed when you make imperative passive sentences:
Let + Object + be + past participle verb

Active: Keep it there.

Passive: Let it be kept there.

Active: Take it home.

Passive: let it be taken home.

Active: Please help me.

Passive: Let I be helped.

Active: Do not touch it.

Passive: Let it not be touched.

Active: Do not beat the dog.

Passive: Let the dog not be beaten.

Active: Let me do it.

Passive: Let it be done by me.
Passive Voice for All Tenses