UNIT VII

Active and Passive Voice

There are two ways to express an action of a subject in

relation to its object
• Active voice
• Passive voice

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. 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. 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. 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
1. When passive voice better explain thought of sentence.
For example, to say, cloth is sold in yards, is more

65
 meaningful than to say, Shop keepers sell cloth in
yards.
2. 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”
3. 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.

Fundamental Rules for changing from active voice to passive

voice
1. 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.
2. 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

66
 passive voice. Examples.
Passive voice: cloth is sold in yards
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Auxiliary verbs are used passive voice according to the
tense of sentence.
Note: First 5 rules are usually same for all tenses in
passive voice. Rule No. 6 is about the use of auxiliary
verb in passive voice which differs for each tense. The
auxiliary verbs of passive voice are used according to
tense of sentence of its active voice form. The auxiliary
verb for each tense is given in the following table with
explanation and examples.

PASSIVE VOICE FOR ALL TENSES RULES

67
  The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-
changed in passive voice.
 3rd form of verb (past participle) will be used only (as
main verb) in passive voice.
 Auxiliary verbs for each tense are given below in the
table.

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.Does A song is not sung by him.
he sing a song? Is a song sung by him?

Present Continuous Tense (passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: am being/is being/are being
Active voice: Passive voice:
A letter is being written by
me.
I am writing a letter
A letter is not being written
I am not writing a letter.
by me.
Am I writing a letter?
Is a letter being written by
me?
Present Perfect Tense (passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: has been/have been
Active voice: Passive voice:
She has finished his work Her work has been finished
68
 by her.
Her work has not been
She has not finished her work.
finished by her.
Has she finished her work?
Has her work been finished
by her?
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?
Past Continuous Tense (Passive Voice)
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: was being/were being
Active voice: Passive voice:
A car was being driven by
him.
He was driving a car.
A car was not being driven
He was not driving a car.
by him.
Was he driving a car?
Was a car being driven by
him?

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 The assignment had not been
assignment. complete by them.
69
Had they completed the Had the assignment been
assignment? completed by them?
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?
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 started
job. 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 started
job? by you?
Note: The following tenses cannot be changed into passive
voice.
1. Present perfect continuous tense
2. Past perfect continuous tense
3. Future continuous tense
4. Future perfect continuous tense
5. Sentence having Intransitive verbs

Fundamental Rules
 The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-
changed in passive voice.
70
  3rd form of verb (past participle) will be used only (as
main verb) in passive voice.
 Auxiliary verbs for each tense are given below in the
table.

Passive voice for Present/Future Modals

“CAN, MAY, MIGHT, SHOULD, MUST, OUGHT TO”
 The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-
changed in passive voice.
 3rd form of verb (past participle) will be used only (as
main verb) in passive voice.
 To change sentences having present/future modal into
passive voice, auxiliary verb “be” is added after modal
in sentence.

Passive voice for Present/Future Modals

“CAN, MAY, MIGHT, SHOULD, MUST, OUGHT TO”
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: be
Active voice: CAN Passive voice: CAN BE
She can play a violin. A violin can be played by her.
She cannot play a violin. A violin cannot be played by
Can she play a violin? her.
Can a violin be played by her?
Active voice: MAY Active voice: MAY BE
I may buy the computer. The computer may be bought
I may not buy the computer. by me.
May I buy the computer? The computer may not be
bought by me.
71
 May the computer be bought
by me?
Active voice: MIGHT Active voice: MIGHT BE
Guests might play chess. Chess might be played by
Guests might not play chess. guests.
Chess might not be played
guests.
Active voice: SHOULD Active voice: SHOULD BE
Students should study all All lessons should be studied
lessons. by students.
Students should not study all All lessons should not be
lessons. studied by students.
Should students study all Should all lessons be studied
lessons? by students?
Active voice: MUST Active voice: MUST BE
You must learn the test-taking Test-taking strategies must be
strategies. learnt by you.
You must not learn the test- Test-taking strategies must
taking strategies. not be learned by you.
Active voice: OUGHT TO Active voice: OUGHT TO BE
They ought to take the The examination ought to be
examination. taken by them.

Passive voice for Past Modals

“MAY HAVE, MIGHT HAVE, SHOULD HAVE, MUST HAVE,
OUGHT TO HAVE”

72
  The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-
changed in passive voice.
 3rd form of verb (past participle) will be used only (as
main verb) in passive voice.
 To change sentences having past modal into passive
voice, auxiliary verb “been” is added after modal in
sentence.

Passive voice for Present/Future Modals

 “MAY HAVE, MIGHT HAVE, SHOULD HAVE, MUST
HAVE, OUGHT HAVE TO”
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: been
Active voice: MAY HAVE Active voice: MAY HAVE
BEEN
You may have availed the The opportunity may have
opportunity. been availed by you.
You may not have availed the The opportunity may not have
opportunity. been availed by you.
Active voice: MIGHT HAVE Active voice: MIGHT HAVE
BEEN
He might have eaten meal. Meal might have been eaten
He might not have eaten by him.
meal. Meal might not have been
eaten by him.
Active voice: SHOULD Active voice: SHOULD

73
 HAVE HAVE BEEN
You should have studied the The book should have been
book. studied by you.
You should not have studied The book should have not
the book. been studied by you.
Active voice: MUST HAVE Active voice: MUST HAVE
BEEN
He must have started job. Job must have been started
He must not have started job. by you.
Job must not have been
started by you.
Active voice: OUGHT TO Active voice: OUGHT TO
HAVE HAVE BEEN
You ought to have helped He ought to have been helped
him. by you

Passive voice of imperative sentences

 (command and request)
 A sentence which expresses command or request or advice is
called imperative sentence.
For example,
      Open the door.
      Turn off the television.
       Learn your lesson.
For changing these sentences in to passive voice, auxiliary
verb “be” is used. The word “Let” is added before sentence in
passive voice. Auxiliary verb “be” is added after object in
sentence in passive voice. Main verb (base form) of imperative
74
sentence is changed to 3rd form of verb (past participle) in
passive voice. For best understand read the following
examples.

Examples 
Passive voice of “Imperative Sentences”
Active Voice Passive Voice
Open the door. Let the door be opened.
Complete the work. Let the worked be completed.
Let the television be tuned
Turn off the television.
off.
Learn your lesson. Let your lesson be learnt.
Kill the snake. Let the snake be killed.
Punish him. Let him be punished.
Speak the truth. Let the truth be spoken.
Help the poor. Let the poor be helped.
Revise your book. Let your book be revised.
Clean your room. Let your room be cleaned.

Sentences which cannot be changed into passive voice

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,

75
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.

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.   
The following tenses can also not be changed into passive
voice.
1. Present perfect continuous tense
76
2. Past perfect continuous tense
3. Future continuous tense
4. Future perfect continuous tense

77