Active & Passive Voices

Voice is a form of a verb that is used to show whether the subject is given more emphasis or the
action done by the subject is given more emphasis. The subject of the voice of a sentence is a
person, a thing, an action or a place whom the sentence is about.

Why Should I Care about Voice?

Voices are important topics of General English in Government Exams like banks and Insurance
exams including IBPS, PO, CLERK, SO and other exams like SSC, CDS, RRB, and Defence Exams.
There are several direct and indirect questions based on Voices. Voices are important for Essay
Writing, Report Writing in UPSC MAINS as they give emphasis to topics.

What is Active Voice in English Grammar?

When the sentence or the verb is in the Active Voice, the doer or the actor of the subject is given
more emphasis. It means the subject is active while his action is passive. Generally, when the
sentence is in the active voice, it starts with the subject.

Examples of Active Voice:

○ The lion roared. (Here the lion is the main highlight of the sentence.)
○ The cook prepared the meal (The cook is given emphasis.)
○ Greenhouse gases cause Global Warming. (Here Greenhouse is the subject and is given
emphasis.)

What is Passive Voice?

When the sentence is in the passive voice, the object of the verb or the action of the subject or
recipient of the action is given the main emphasis. It means that the doer of the action is passive
and the object of the verb or the action of the subject or recipient of the action is active.
Generally, when the sentence is in passive voice it starts with the object, action or receiver.

Examples of Passive Voice:

○ A roar was emitted by the lion. (Here the roar of the lion is the main topic of the
sentence.)
○ The meal was prepared by the cook. (The meal is active while the cook is passive)
○ Global Warming is caused by Greenhouse Gases. (Here more emphasis lies on Global
Warming)
Common Rules to Identify the Voice of a Sentence
1. Structure of the Sentence:
When the sentence is in the active voice, the structure of the sentence is Doer/
Actor+Verb+Object/ Action/Receiver

Example: Ram bought a bike.

○ Doer- Ram
○ Verb- bought
○ Object- a bike

When the sentence is in the passive voice, the structure of the sentence is Object/
Action/Receiver+Verb+Doer/ Actor

Example: A bike was bought by Ram

○ Doer- Ram
○ Verb- bought
○ Object- a bike

2. We always use past participle verb with a passive voice.

Past participles verbs have endings in -ed. Irregular past participle verb has endings in -en, -t, -d
or -n.

Example:

○ Active Voice: I am doing my work. (Here the sentence is in present continuous tense and
the verb is in -ing form)
○ Passive Voice: My homework is being done. (Here the sentence is in present continuous
tense and the verb is in past participle form)

3. We always use a helping verb in a passive sentence.

Example:

○ Active Voice: The magician performed a trick. (Here there is only one verb, i.e. main verb-
performed)
○ Passive Voice: A trick was performed by the magician. (Here there are two verbs, i.e. one
main verb- performed and one helping or supporting verb- was)
Points to Remember during the Conversion of Voices
When we convert the Voice the following things should be kept in mind:

○ Do not change the meaning of the sentence.

○ Do not change the form of the sentence (Imperative/ Interrogative)
○ Do not change the tense of the subject.

Special Case of Passive Voice:

Sometimes, the most obvious doer of the action is not mentioned in the sentence. In such cases,
we have to assume the doer of the action.

Example:

Passive Voice: A judgement has been passed in court. Here the doer of the action is obvious. It
will be the judge or the jury panel. Hence, it is not mentioned. So while converting into an active
voice the sentence will become.

Active Voice: The judge/ jury passed the judgement in the court.

How to change the Voice from Active to Passive?

○ The sentence must have objects (transitive verb). If there is no object then there must be
a question word who asks the object.
○ Object active sentences became the subject of passive sentences.
○ Subject or active sentences into passive sentences that preceded the object word ‘by’.

Rule 1:
The places of subject and object are interchanged i.e. the object shifts to the place of the subject
and the subject shifts to the place of the object in the passive voice.

Active Voice Passive Voice

S+V+O O+V+S

Example:
I write a letter. A letter is written by me.

“I” is a subject “Write” is a verb “A letter” is an object

Rule 2:
3rd form of the verb (past participle) is always used as the main verb in sentences of passive
voice for all tenses. The base form of the verb or present participle.

Active Voice Passive Voice

Sing Is singing Has sung Sung

Example:

He sings a song. A song is sung by him.

“By” is used while making passive voice

Example:

○ The painting was painted by the painter. Auxiliary verbs are used in passive voice
according to the tense of a sentence.
○ The assigned task has been completed. Auxiliary verbs are used in passive voice
according to the tense of a sentence.
○

Active Voice Passive Voice

I Me

We Us

You You
He Him

She Her

They Them

The Form of Active Voice and Passive Voice in Tenses

Active & Passive voice in Simple Present Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

V1 with ‘s’ or ‘es’ Is /am /are + V3

Example:

Ana does the homework. The homework is done by Ana.

They sell that house. That house is sold by them.

Active & Passive voice in Present Continuous Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

Is /am /are + V4 Is /am /are + being + V3

Example:
Ana is doing the homework. The homework is being done by Ana.

They are investigating that house. That house is being investigated by them.

Active & Passive in Present Perfect Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

has /have + V3 has been /have been + V3

Example:

Ana has completed the homework. The homework has been completed by Ana.

They have investigated that house. That house has been investigated by them.

Active & Passive voice in Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

has been/have been + V4 No passive voice

Active & Passive voice in Simple Past Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

V2 did + V1 was /were + V3

Example:
Ana completed the homework. The homework was completed by Ana.

They investigated that house. That house was investigated by them.

Active & Passive voice in past continuous Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

was /were + V4 was /were + being +V3

Example:

Ana was completing the homework. The homework was being completed by Ana.

They were investigating that house. That house was being investigated by them.

Active & Passive voice in Past Perfect Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

had + V3 had been +V3

Example:

Ana had completed the homework. The homework had been completed by Ana.

They had investigated that house. That house had been investigated by them.
Active & Passive voice in Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

had been + V3 No passive voice

Active & Passive voice in simple future Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

will /shall + V1 will be /shall be +V3

Example:

Ana will complete the homework. The homework will be completed by Ana.

They will investigate that house. That house will be investigated by them.

Active & Passive voice in future continuous Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

will be + V4 No passive voice

Active & Passive voice in Future Perfect Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

will have + V3 will have been + V3

Example:

Ana will have completed the homework. The homework will have been completed by Ana.

They will have investigated that house. That house will have been investigated by them.

Active & Passive voice in future Perfect continuous Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

will have been + V4 No passive voice

Active and Passive voice using Modals

Active Voice Passive Voice

S + Modal + V + O O + Modal + be + V3 + S

S + Modal + not + V + O O + Modal + not be + V3 + S

Modals are: can /could /shall /should /may /might /will/ would, etc.

Example:

She can sell the car every time. The car can be sold by her every time.
Can she play a violin? Can a violin be played by her?

You may read this book. This book may be read by you.

She would teach us today. We would be taught by her today.

We must help the poor. The poor must be helped by us.

We ought to respect our elders. Our elders ought to be respected by us.

Common Mistakes while Converting the Voice of a Sentence

Never change can into could, shall into should, may into might, as we are making active to
passive voice not direct to indirect.

Modal Usage with Present Perfect Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice

S + Modal + have + V + O O + Modal + + have been + V3 + S

S + Modal + not have + V + O O + Modal + not have been + V3 + S

Modals are: should /may /might /ought to

Example:
You may have availed the opportunity. The opportunity may have been availed by you.

He might have eaten the meal. The meal might have been eaten by him.

He might not have eaten the meal. The meal might not have been eaten by him.

You should have studied the book. The book should have been studied by you.

You should not have read the book. The book should not have been read by you.

You ought to have helped him. He ought to have been helped by you.

Characteristics of Voices of Imperative Sentences

Rule 1:
The object is generally missing in Imperative Sentences. The structure of such sentences in
Passive Voice is: Let + object + be/not be + V3

Active Voice Passive Voice

Do it. Let it be done.

Call in the doctor. Let the doctor be called in.

Rule 2:
In sentences that express request, advice, and/or order, such phrases as you are requested to
/advised to /ordered to are used. Word kindly /please are dropped.

Active Voice Passive Voice

Kindly lend me some money. You are requested to lend me some money.

Passive Voice in Infinitive Verbs

Active Voice Passive Voice

to + V1 to + be + V3

Example:

I have to do this work. This work has to be done.

Women like men to flatter them. Women like to be flattered by men.

I saw him cross the road. He was seen to cross the road (by me).

It is time to do this work. It is time for this work to be done.

Points to Remember while converting the Voice of a

sentence
If an indefinite pronoun(someone /somebody/nobody/anybody) is given in active voice as a
subject then in passive voice indefinite pronoun will never be used as an object.

Active Voice Passive Voice

Someone has stolen my My wallet has been stolen.—CORRECT My wallet has been stolen
wallet. by somebody.—WRONG
Passive Voice with Infinitives
An infinitive follows most verbs normally. However, the infinitive passive voice is used after the
modal verb.

Example:

● You have to be tested for Covid-19 to fly internationally.

● She wants to be titled Miss India.

Passive Voice with Gerunds

Prepositions are followed by gerunds. However, normally verbs are followed by a gerund.

Example:

● The students are excited about being taken to the water park for a picnic.
● The students are excited to be taken to the water park for a picnic.

Using “to be born”

When “to be born” is used in passive voice, it is generally used in the past tense. However, in
some cases, it is used in the present or future tense.

Example:

● The baby was supposed to be born at the early hours on Tuesday.