An easy and clear description on how to change active voice into passive voice.

1. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE
VOICE
Dr. Nevil Stephen S.

2. WHAT IS ACTIVE VOICE?
 The active voice describes a sentence where the
subject (doer of the action) performs the action
stated by the verb. It follows a clear pattern, that is
subject + verb + object which is easy to read. In an
active sentence the subject, also known as the
“doer”, is given importance. Let’s take a sentence in
active voice.
Eg: Raju ate an apple
(subject) (verb) (direct object)
 Here the subject Raju performs the action described
by ate and the sentence follows the subject + verb +
object pattern.

3. HOW IS PASSIVE VOICE DIFFERENT FROM
ACTIVE VOICE?
 In the passive voice, the subject no longer performs the
action of the verb. Rather, it is a recipient of a verb’s
action that is significant. In another way, the subject of a
sentence in the passive voice is no longer the "doer" of the
action, but the recipient of the action. Meanwhile, what
was the subject of a sentence in the active voice becomes
the "agent" in the equivalent passive voice sentence.
An apple was eaten by Raju
(subject) (be auxiliary) (verb) (prepositional phrase)
 The passive sentence consists of an apple (object) + was
eaten (a form of to be + the past participle eaten)
+ by (preposition) + Raju (subject). The sentence is made
passive by flipping the structure and necessitated by the
preposition “by”.
 The passive voice is formed with the suitable tense of the
verb be followed by the past participle.

4. Tense (or Modal) +
base
Active Voice Passive Voice
Simple present
write
writes
am written
is written
are written
Present Continuous
am writing
is writing
are writing
am being written
is being written
are being written
Present Perfect
has written
have written
has been written
have been written
Simple Past wrote
was written
were written
Past Continuous
was writing
were writing
was being written
were being written
Past Perfect had written had been written
Simple Future
will write
shall write
will be written
shall be written
Can/ may/ must etc +
base
can write
must write
can be written
must be written

5. POINTS TO BE NOTED
1. All verbs cannot be turned into the passive form. Only
transitive verbs can be turned into passive.
Intransitive and linking verbs cannot be passivised.
 He is speaking loudly. (speaking is intransitive and
hence cannot be turned to passive)
 Ravi is an architect. (be is a linking verb)
2. The verb in the passive sentence is always in the
past participle, irrespective of the tense or person.
 She was given the keys to the room.
 The gift is covered with red paper.

6. 3. All modals such as would, must, et cetera are followed
by be + past participle in passive structures.
 They must be given some answers.
4. In passive sentences, we use by +... In order to
indicate the person/thing that does or causes an action.
 The toy was taken away by the child.
 The car was washed by a machine.
5. When a verb is followed by a preposition + object, the
object may disappear in the passive, but the
preposition doesn't. It must be placed after the verb.
 We must not make fun of him.
 He must not be made fun of
6. Verbal phrases that have a preposition or adverb too
are treated similarly.
 The police brought in the culprit.
 The culprit was brought in.

7. 7. In imperative sentences with a tone of command, the verb
“must be” is used in the passive.
 Close the roads immediately.
 The roads must be closed immediately.
8. If it has a tone of request, “should be” or “may be” are
used.
 Please help him with this problem.
 He may be helped with this problem.
9. The word “let” is often introduced to change imperative
sentences.
 Close the door.
 Let the door be closed.
Active sentences beginning with let are often transformed
using may be, allowed to or should be.

8.  Here are some examples:
 Active Voice: I am drinking tea.
Passive Voice: Tea is being drunk by me.
 Active Voice: He played cricket.
Passive Voice: Cricket was played by him.
 Active Voice: They will help you.
Passive Voice: You will be helped by them.
 Active Voice: The children have broken the window pane.
Passive Voice: The window pane has been broken by the children
 Active Voice: The student copied the new vocabulary into her notebook.
Passive Voice: The new vocabulary was copied into her notebook (by the
student).

9.  Active Voice: The salesperson talked Ravi into buying a
new car.
Passive Voice: Ravi was talked into buying a new car (by
the salesman).
 Active Voice: The chef chopped the onions and grated the
ginger.
Passive Voice: The onions were chopped and the ginger
was grated (by the chef).
 Active Voice: The crow ate all of the cherries on the tree.
Passive Voice: All of the cherries on the tree were eaten
by the crow.