active and passive voice | active and passive voice examples with answers
active and passive voice
passive voice examples
active passive voice
active and passive voice examples with answers
active voice examples
active and passive voice examples
active and passive voice examples with answers in the chapter we read about active and passive voice with active and passive voice examples. We understand the concept of both active and passive. We find the different between them.
Active and 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.
Active and Passive Voice Examples
- I write a letter. (Active Voice)
A letter is written by me. (Passive Voice) - I am cooking food. (Active Voice)
Food is being cooked by me. (Passive Voice) - The dog ate the cat. (Active Voice)
The cat was eaten by the dog. (Passive Voice)
There are two special forms of verb. They are the following :
- Active Voice
- Passive Voice
The structure of same sentence changes when expressed as Active Voice or Passive Voice. The meaning of a sentence, either expressed as Active Voice or Passive Voice, remains the same.
Difference between Active Voice and Introduction Voice
- The meaning or main idea of sentence, either expressed as Active Voice or Passive Voice does not change.
- The structure of a same sentence changes for Active Voice and Passive Voice.
- We know that every sentence have a subject, a verb and an object. Subject is an agent who works on an object in a sentence.
To understand the difference in both voices, we should focus on the subject and the object of a sentence.
In Active Voice, the subject acts upon the object.
In Passive Voice, the object is acted upon by the subject.
The meaning remains the same in both Voice but the sequence of the words (subject & object) changes. The sequence, of subject and object as in Active Voice, is reversed when it is expressed in Passive Voice. Read the following example for better understanding this difference.
Active Voice
In active voice, the object receives the action of the verb.
Active Voice Examples
- I eat an apple.
- He bought a car.
Passive voice
In passive voice the subject receives the action of the verb.
Passive Voice Examples
- An apple is eaten by me.
- A car was bought by him.
We see that the sequence of the subject and the object of the sentence is reversed while converting the sentence from Active Voice to Passive Voice.
The structures of a same sentence, for both Voices, are as follows :
Active Voice: Subject + Verb + Object
Passive Voice: Object + Verb3 + Subject
Change in the Verb of a Sentence for changing Voice of a sentence.
Apart from reversing the sequence of subject and object, the form of the verb of sentence also changes in both Voices. In the above example, you can see the change in the main verb as well as auxiliary verb of same sentence in both Voices. The only form of verb used in Passive Voice is the 3rd form of Verb which is also called Past Participle. Hence, the rule for changing verb for converting a sentence from Active Voice into Passive Voice is to use only 3rd form of Verb in Passive Voice. For changing the auxiliary verb for converting a sentence from Active Voice into Passive Voice, there are rules varying for tenses.
Basic Rules For Changing Active Voices Into 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.
Active and Passive Voice Examples
Active Voice: He buys a camera.
Passive Voice: A camera is bought by him.
Rule No. 2. Only Past Participle Form or 3rd form of verb (e.g. cooked 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 тАЬbyтАЭ will be used before subject in the Passive voice.
Active and Passive Voice Examples
Active Voice: She drinks water.
Passive Voice: Water is drunk by her.
Rule No. 4. Other words such as тАШwithтАЩ or тАШtoтАЩ may also be used instead of word тАШbyтАЩ depending upon the subject of the sentence. These words are used in a very few cases. The word тАШbyтАЩ is used in the most cases.
Active and Passive Voice 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 with water.
Rule No. 5. The auxiliary verb will be changed in Passive Voice depending upon the tense of sentence in its Active Voice.
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. Read the following examples.
Passive Voice Examples
Women are not treated as equals. (with men)
Sugar is sold in kilograms. (by the shopkeeper)
Changes of Pronouns
| Active Voice | ┬а | Passive Voice |
| I | into | me |
| we | into | us |
| We | into | you |
| He | into | him |
| She | into | her |
| It | into | it |
| They | into | them |
| Who | into | by whom |
The Form of Active Voice and Passive Voice in Tenses
| Active Voice | ┬а | Passive Voice |
| Simple Present Tense Formula: Subject + M.V1 + s/es + Object |
into | Formula: Object + H.V. (is/am/are) + M.V3 + by + Subject |
| Present Continuous Tense Formula: Subject + H.V (is/am/are) + M.V1 + object |
into | Formula: Subject + H.V. (is/am/are) + being + M.V3 + by + Object |
| Present Perfect Tense Formula: Subject + H.V (has/have) + M.V3 + Object |
into | Formula: Subject + H.V (has/have) + been + M.V3 + Object |
| Present Perfect Continuous Tense | does not change in passive | ┬а |
| Simple Past Tense Formula: Subject + M.V2 + Object |
into | Formula: Subject + H.V (was/were) + M.V3 + Object |
|
Past Continuous Tense |
into | Formula: Subject + H.V (was/were) + being + M.V1 + Object |
|
Past Perfect Tense |
into | Formula: Subject + H.V (had) + been + M.V3 + Object |
| Present Perfect Continuous Tense | does not change in passive | ┬а |
| Simple Future Tense Formula: Subject + H.V (will/shall) + M.V1 + Object |
into | Formula: Subject + H.V (will/shall) + be + M.V1 + Object |
| Future Continuous Tense | does not change in passive | ┬а |
| Future Perfect Tense Formula: Subject + H.V (will have + shall have) + M.V3 + Object |
into | Formula: Subject + H.V (will have + shall have) + been + M.V3 + Object |
Changing Active Voice into Passive Voice with active and passive voice examples with answers
Simple Present Tense Change into Passive Voice
When we change simple present tense into passive voice, we use is/am/are helping verb.
Affirmative Sentence
Formula: Subject + H.V (is/am/are) + M.V3 + by + object.
Active and Passive Voice examples with Answers
Active: The lion kills the deer.
Passive: The deer is killed by the lion.
Active: John does the homework.
Passive: The homework is done by John.
Negative Sentence:
Formula: Subject + H.V (is/am/are) + not + M.V3 + by + object.
Example:
Active: The lion does not kill the deer.
Passive: The deer is not killed by the lion.
Active: He does not sell that car.
Passive: That car is not sold by them.
Interrogative Sentence:
Formula: Do/Does + subject + H.V (is/am/are) + M.V3 + by + object + ?
Example:
Active: Does the lion kill the deer?
Passive: Is the deer killed by the lion?
Active: Do they buy a book?
Passive: Does a book is bought by them?
Present Continuous Tense Change into Passive Voice
When we change present continuous tense into passive voice, we use is/am/are + being helping verb.
Affirmative Sentence
Formula: Subject + H.V (is/am/are) + being + M.V3 + by + object.
Active and Passive Voice examples with Answers
Active: The CBI officer is ordering the further investigation.
Passive: The further investigation is being ordered by the CBI officer.
Active: She is waiting for teacher.
Passive: The teacher is being waited by her.
Negative Sentence:
Formula: Subject + H.V (is/am/are) + not + being + M.V3 + by + object.
Example:
Active: Rama is not drawing a nice picture.
Passive: A nice picture is not being drawn by Rama.
Active: Teacher is not teaching us.
Passive: We are not being taught by teacher.┬а
Interrogative Sentence:
Formula: Is/Am/Are + subject + being + M.V3 + by + object + ?
Example:
Active: Is David writing the letter?
Passive: Is David being written by David?
Active: Are we giving the present?
Passive: Is the present being given by us?
Present Perfect Tense Change into Passive Voice
When we change present perfect tense into passive voice, we use has/have + been as helping verb.
Affirmative Sentence
Formula: Subject + H.V (has/have) + been + M.V3 + by + object.
Active and Passive Voice examples with Answers
Active: They have completed the H.W. work.
Passive: The H.W. work has been completed by them.
Active: She has written three letters.
Passive: Three letters have been written by her.
Negative Sentence:
Formula: Subject + H.V (has/have) + not + been + M.V3 + by + object.
Example:
Active: We have made some cakes.
Passive: Some cakes have been made by us.
Active: He has cooked food.
Passive: Food has been cooked by him.
Interrogative Sentence:
Formula: H.V (has/have) + subject + been + M.V3 + by + object + ?
Example:
Active: Has Meenu visited the Taj Mahal?
Passive: The Taj Mahal has been visited by Meenu?
Active: Have they won the cricket match?
Passive: The cricket match has been won by them?
Simple Past Tense Change into Passive Voice
When we change simple past tense into passive voice, we use was/were as helping verb.
Affirmative Sentence
Formula: Subject + H.V (was/were) + M.V3 + by + object.
Active and Passive Voice examples with Answers
Active: Mayank cleaned the house.
Passive: The house was cleaned by Mayank.
Active: He bought a new bus.
Passive: A new bus bought by him.
Negative Sentence:
Formula: Subject + H.V (was/were) + not + M.V3 + by + object.
Example:
Active: She did not saved his life.
Passive: His life was not saved by her.
Active: Aarti did not paid all her borrowings.
Passive: Her borrowings were not paid by Aarti.
Interrogative Sentence:
Formula: H.V (was/were) + subject + M.V3 + by + subject + ?
Example:
Active: Did the teacher called the students?
Passive: Were the students called by the teacher?
Active: Did she cleaned the kitchen?
Passive: Was the kitchen cleaned by her?
Past Continuous Tense Change into Passive Voice
When we change simple past tense into passive voice, we use was/were + being as helping verb.
Affirmative Sentence
Formula: Subject + H.V (was/were) + being + M.V3 + by + object.
Active and Passive Voice examples with Answers
Active: I was waiting for bus.
Passive: Bus was being waited by me.
Active: She was reading a book.
Passive: A book was being read by her.
Negative Sentence:
Formula: Subject + H.V (was/were) + not + being + M.V3 + by + object.
Example:
Active: The teacher was not delivering a speech.
Passive: A speech was not being delivered by the teacher.
Active: Mohan was playing cricket.
Passive: Cricket was played by Mohan.
Interrogative Sentence:
Formula: H.V (was/were) + subject + being + M.V3 + by + subject + ?
Example:
Active: Was students playing football?
Passive: Was football being played by students?
Active: Was the policeman arresting thief?
Passive: Was thief being arrested by the policeman?
Past Perfect Tense Change into Passive Voice
When we change past perfect tense into passive voice, we use had + been as helping verb.
Affirmative Sentence
Formula: Subject + H.V (had) + been + M.V3 + by + object.
Active and Passive Voice examples with Answers
Active: The farmer had ploughed the field.
Passive: The field had been ploughed by the farmer.
Active: He had left Jaipur.
Passive: Jaipur had been left by him.
Negative Sentence:
Formula: Subject + H.V (had) + not + been + M.V3 + by + object.
Example:
Active: We had finished our work.
Passive: Our work had been finished by us.
Active: Rahul had given the prize.
Passive: The prize had been given by Rahul.
Interrogative Sentence:
Formula: H.V (had) + subject + been + M.V3 + by + subject + ?
Example:
Active: Had you taught the students?
Passive: Had the students been taught by you?
Active: Had you made tea?
Passive: Had tea been made by you?
Simple Future Tense Change into Passive Voice
When we change simple future tense into passive voice, we use will/shall + be as helping verb.
Affirmative Sentence
Formula: Subject + H.V (will/shall) + be + M.V3 + by + object.
Active and Passive Voice examples with Answers
Active: We will play match.
Passive: Match will be played by us.
Active: I shall read a newspaper.
Passive: A newspaper will be read by me.
Negative Sentence:
Formula: Subject + H.V (will/shall) + not + be + M.V3 + by + object.
Example:
Active: We shall start this meeting.
Passive: This meeting will be started by us.
Active: They will pay the fine.
Passive: The fine will be paid by them.
Interrogative Sentence:
Formula: H.V (will/shall) + subject + be + M.V3 + by + subject + ?
Example:
Active: Will Rohan Buy a bicycle?
Passive: Will a bicycle be bought by Rohan?
Active: Shall I cook food?
Passive: Will food be cooked by me?
Future Perfect Tense Change into Passive Voice
When we change simple future tense into passive voice, we use will/shall + have been as helping verb.
Affirmative Sentence
Formula: Subject + H.V (will/shall) + have been + M.V3 + by + object.
Active and Passive Voice examples with Answers
Active: We will have provoked me.
Passive: I will have been provoked by him.
Active: He will have received the letter.
Passive: The letter will have been received by him.┬а
Negative Sentence:
Formula: Subject + H.V (will/shall) + not + have been + M.V3 + by + object.
Example:
Active: They will have watched movie.
Passive: The movie will have been watched by them.
Active: Will he have done the work.
Passive: Will the work have been done by him.
Interrogative Sentence:
Formula: H.V (will/shall) + subject + have been + M.V3 + by + subject + ?
Example:
Active: Will Madhu have bought a notebook?
Passive: Will a notebook have been bought by Madhu?
Active: Shall I have taught you?
Passive: Will you have been taught by you?
When to Use Active vs Passive
In academic writing, it is generally frowned upon to use passive voice, as active is considered more formal and absolute. This is especially true in the humanities. However, there are a few instances in which professors may want passive voice. Here are a few examples:
If the subject is unknown, irrelevant, or mysterious, passive voice can be used. For example: The woman was watched from the bushes.
Passive voice should also be used to place emphasis on the direct object. A common example of this would be to place emphasis on the victim of a crime or action. Example: He was robbed.
You should also use passive voice when writing for specific areas of the sciences. Lab reports are usually done completely in passive voice. For example: The beaker was filled with 10mL of water.
Well there you have it! Active and passive can get a little confusing, but learning the function of each can help make for stronger papers in the future. Good luck and happy writing!
