1. Active and Passive Voice
A presentation
By
Dr. Nicholas Correa
Director, New Horizon

2. Voice
Voice is the form a verb which indicates
whether the subject of the verb performs or
receives the action.
“Voice” is a characteristic of a verb which
indicates the relation of the action of the verb to
its subject.

3. There are two types of voice:
1.Active voice
2.Passive voice.

4. In “active voice” subject acts upon object,
while in “passive voice” object is acted
upon by subject.
It can also be said, in “active voice”
subject does a work on object, while in
“passive voice” object is worked on by
subject.

5. The normal structure of an active voice
sentence is subject+verb+object .
But in passive the normal structure of
sentence is reversed according to certain
rules and becomes like
object+verb+subject.

6. The real meaning of a sentence does not
change if the sentence is expressed either
by active voice or by passive voice.
The active voice is mostly used in writing
because it gives a direct and more concise
meaning.

7. Passive voice is used sometimes due to the following
reasons.
When intentionally hiding the subject of sentence. For
example, a student who failed in exam might say, some
chapters were not studied.
Another example. Women were not treated as equals .
When passive voice better explain thought of sentence.
For example, to say, cloth is sold in yards, is more
meaningful than to say, Shop keepers sell cloth in yards.

8. When passive voice better emphasizes the main
though of the sentence. For example, a man who
is being teased by another person might say in
anger, “you will be beaten by me”
When subject is not exactly known. For example,
His watch was stolen. It is not known that who
stole his watch, the subject (thief) is not exactly
known so it is better to use passive voice for such
sentence.
There are certain rules for expressing a thought
in passive voice or for changing a sentence from
active voice to passive voice.

9. Fundamental Rules
for changing from active voice to
passive voice

10. Active Voice:
Active voice verbs are used when the
subject is acting in a sentence.
Example:
Raj climbed the tree.
“Climbed” is an active verb because it
allows the subject to undertake an action.

11. PASSIVE VOICE FOR ALL TENSES
RULES

12. Passive Voice:
“Passive voice” verbs are used when the
subject is being acted upon in a sentence.
Example:
Football is being played by boys.
“Is being played” is considered passive
because it indicates that the subject is
receiving an action.

13. Present Simple Tense (passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: am/is/are
Active voice: Passive voice:
He sings a song. A song is sung by him.
He does not sing a song. A song is not sung by him.
Does he sing a song? Is a song sung by him?

14. Present Continuous Tense (passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: am being/is being/are
being
Active voice: Passive voice:
I am writing a letter A letter is being written
by me.
I am not writing a letter. A letter is not being
written by me.
Am I writing a letter? Is a letter being written by
me?

15. Present Perfect Tense (passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: has been/have been
Active voice: Passive voice:
She has finished his work. His work has been
finished by her.
She has not finished his His work has not been
work. finished by her.
Has she finished his work? Has his work been
finished by her?

16. Past Simple Tense (passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: was/were
Active voice: Passive voice:
I killed a snake. A snake was killed by
me.
I did not kill a snake. A snake was not killed
by me.
Did I kill a snake? Was a snake killed by
me?

17. Past Continuous Tense (Passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: was being/were
being.
Active voice: Active voice:
He was driving a car. He was driving a car.
He was not driving a car. He was not driving a car.
Was he driving a car? Was he driving a car?

18. Past Perfect Tense (Passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: had been
Active voice: Passive voice:
They had completed the The assignment had been
assignment. completed by them.
They had not completed The assignment had not
the assignment. been complete by them.
Had they completed the Had the assignment been
assignment? completed by them?

19. Future Simple Tense (Passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: will be
Active voice: Passive voice:
She will buy a car. A car will be bought by
her.
She will not buy a car. A car will not be bought
by her.
Will she buy a car? Will a car be bought by
her?

20. Future Perfect Tense (passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: will have been
Active voice: Passive voice:
You will have started the The job will have been
job. started by you.
You will have not started The job will not have been
the job. started by you.
Will you have started the Will the job have been
job? started by you?

21. Fundamental Rules for changing
from active voice to passive voice

22. The places of subject and object are interchanged
i.e. the object shifts to the place of subject and
subject shifts to the place of object in passive voice.
Example.
Active voice: I write a letter.
Passive voice: I letter is written by me.
Subject (I) of sentence shifted to the place of object
(letter) and object (letter) shifted to the place of
subject (I) in passive voice.

23. Sometimes subject of sentence is not used in
passive voice.
Subject of sentence can be omitted in passive
voice, if without subject it can give enough
meaning in passive voice.
Examples.
Passive voice: cloth is sold in yards

24. 3rd form of verb (past participle) is always used as main
verb in sentences of passive voice for all tenses.
Base form of verb or present participle will be never used
in passive voice.
The word “by” is used before subject in sentences in
passive voice.
Example.
Active voice: He sings a song.
Passive voice: A song is sung by him.

25. The word “by” is not always used before subject
in passive voice.
Sometimes words “with, to, etc” may also be
used before subject in passive voice.
Examples.
Active voice: The water fills the tub.
Passive voice: The tub is filled with water.
Active voice: He knows me.
Passive voice: I am known to him.

26. Sentences which cannot be
changed into passive voice

27. Transitive and intransitive verb
A verb can be either transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb needs an
object (in sentence) to give complete meaning while intransitive verb
does need an object (in sentence) to give complete meaning.
For example,
Transitive verb.
He sent a letter.
(Send is a transitive verb and it needs an object i.e. letter to express full
meaning.)
Intransitive Verb.
He laughs.
(Laugh is an intransitive verb and it does not need object for
expressing full meaning.)
e.g. Sleep, go, reach, sit, die, are examples of intransitive verbs.

28. Intransitive verb cannot be changed into
passive voice
The sentences having intransitive verbs (belonging to any
tense) cannot be changed into passive voice. The reason is
that there is not any object in such sentences and without
object of sentence passive voice is not possible.
A sentence can be changed into passive voice if it has subject
and object. Sometimes subject may not be written in passive
voice but it does not mean that it has no subject. Such
sentences have subject but the subject is so common or
familiar or known that if even it is not written in passive
voice, it gives full meaning.
For example
Cloth is sold in yards.

29. The following tenses also cannot be
changed into passive voice.
Present perfect continuous tense
Past perfect continuous tense
Future continuous tense
Future perfect continuous tense