Active and Passive Voice
Active Voice :When the subject of the sentence is the doer of the action.
Passive Voice :When the subject of the sentence is the receiver of the action.
Active Voice | Passive Voice | |
---|---|---|
1. | Sheena cleans the floor everyday. | The floor is cleaned by Sheena everyday. |
2. | The boy is rowing the boat. | The boat is being rowed by the boy. |
Always use 3rd form of the verb in passive.
Changes from active to passive voice- The subject in the active voice becomes the object in the passive voice.
- The object in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice.
- The meaning of the sentence does not change when the voice is changed.
- The time of action also does not change.
- The preposition by is used in the passive voice to give complete sense to the sentence.
Tense | Active verb forms | Passive Verb forms |
---|---|---|
Simple Present | take/takes | is/am/are + taken |
Simple Past | took | was/were + taken |
Simple future | will/shall take | will/shall + be + taken |
Present continuous | is/am/are + taking | is/am/are + being + taken |
Past continuous | was/were + taking | was/were + being + taken |
Present perfect | has/have + taken | has/have + been + taken |
Active Voice | Passive Voice | |
---|---|---|
1. | We keep our classroom tidy. | Our classroom is kept tidy by us. |
2. | He is making a card. | A card is being made by him. |
3. | I ate the cake. | The cake was eaten by me. |
4. | She will arrange all the books. | All the books will be arranged by her. |
5. | They will sing a hymm. | A hymm will be sung by them. |
6. | Robbers looted the bank yesterday. | The bank was looted yesterday (by robbers). |
- We use passive voice when the doer of the action is unknown.
For example :
- The wooden box was thrown into the river.
- We also use the passive voice when we do not want to mention the doer of the action.
For example :
- The lamp was broken.
- The flag was hoisted.
- When we change a command to passive voice, we use let in the passive voice.
For example :
- Shut the door. (active)
- Let the door be shut. (passive)
- When in the active voice a preposition follows the verb (break into, look after), the preposition comes immediately after the verb in the passive voice.
For example :
- Someone broke into the pet shop. (active)
- The pet shop was broken into. (passive)