Active and Passive Voice are essential concepts in English grammar, enabling us to emphasise different parts of a sentence. Mastering these voices not only enhances your sentence structure but also adds clarity to your writing. This tutorial, based on High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin, explains the rules for transforming sentences between active and passive voice.
- Why Do We Use Passive Voice?
- Active and Passive Voice: An Overview
- Rules for Converting Active to Passive Voice
- Special Cases
- Agent or Instrument in Passive Voice
- Active and Passive Transformations for all Tenses and Key Sentence Types:
- All Modal Verbs and their Transformations in Active and Passive Voice
- Exercises
- Conclusion
- Additional Resources on Passive Voice
Why Do We Use Passive Voice?
The passive voice is used in English to shift the focus of a sentence from the doer (subject) to the action or the receiver of the action. This is particularly useful in situations where:
- The Doer Is Unknown or Unimportant
Often, we do not know who performed the action or it is irrelevant to mention them. For example:- The window was broken.
- A new policy was introduced last month.
- To Emphasise the Action or Receiver
When the action itself is more important than the one performing it, the passive voice is preferred. For instance:- The cake was eaten before the guests arrived. (Focus is on the action: “eating the cake.”)
- The final decision will be announced soon.
- For Formal and Objective Tone
In formal communication, such as scientific writing, news reporting, or official documents, the passive voice lends a neutral and impersonal tone. Examples:- The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions.
- The report was submitted yesterday.
- To Avoid Blame or Responsibility
When the subject performing the action is unclear or intentionally omitted, the passive voice softens the tone. For example:- Mistakes were made during the process.
- The shipment was delayed.
- Politeness or Indirectness
The passive voice can make statements sound less direct, often used for requests or suggestions. For example:- You are requested to fill out the form.
- Guests are reminded to switch off their phones.
Day-to-Day Life Examples
Here are some everyday scenarios where the passive voice is commonly used:
- In Notices or Announcements:
- The office will be closed on Friday.
- Visitors are not allowed beyond this point.
- In Instructions or Guidelines:
- The form must be submitted by 5 PM.
- The medicine should be taken after meals.
- In Conversations:
- The parcel was delivered this morning.
- Dinner is being prepared right now.
The passive voice, when used appropriately, adds versatility to communication by placing emphasis where it is needed most. Understanding its purpose and applications ensures clear and effective expression.
Active and Passive Voice: An Overview
- Active Voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action.
Example: The boy kicked the ball. - Passive Voice: The subject of the sentence receives the action.
Example: The ball was kicked by the boy.
Rules for Converting Active to Passive Voice
- Identify the Object
The object in the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
Example:
Active: She sings a song.
Passive: A song is sung by her. - Change the Verb Form
Use the past participle form of the verb in the passive voice, along with the appropriate tense of the auxiliary verb “to be.” - Tense Conversion Rules
- Simple Present
Active: She writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by her. - Present Continuous
Active: He is painting the wall.
Passive: The wall is being painted by him. - Simple Past
Active: They completed the project.
Passive: The project was completed by them. - Past Continuous
Active: She was reading a book.
Passive: A book was being read by her. - Present Perfect
Active: He has finished the work.
Passive: The work has been finished by him. - Future Tense
Active: She will deliver the speech.
Passive: The speech will be delivered by her. - Note: For tenses like the Future Continuous and all Perfect Continuous tenses, passive voice is rarely used.
- Simple Present
- Imperative Sentences
For commands or requests:
Example:
Active: Open the door.
Passive: Let the door be opened. - Interrogative Sentences
Transforming questions involves adjusting auxiliary verbs.
Example:
Active: Who wrote this book?
Passive: By whom was this book written?
Special Cases
- Sentences without an Object: Only transitive verbs (verbs requiring an object) can be converted to the passive voice.
- Modals in Passive Voice: Use “be” with the modal verb and the past participle.
Example:
Active: She can solve the problem.
Passive: The problem can be solved by her.
Agent or Instrument in Passive Voice
In sentences written in the passive voice, the “agent” is the doer of the action, while the “instrument” is the tool or means through which the action is performed. Identifying whether the focus is on the agent or the instrument helps in understanding the structure of passive sentences.
Agent in Passive Voice
When we want to mention who performed the action, we use the preposition by. The focus is on the doer of the action.
- The painting was created by the artist.
- The cake was baked by my mother.
Instrument in Passive Voice
When the tool or means of performing the action is more important, we use the preposition with. The focus is on the instrument used.
- The window was broken with a stone.
- The letter was written with a pen.
Day-to-Day Life Examples
- Agent:
- The flowers were watered by the gardener. (Focus on who watered the flowers.)
- The decision was made by the manager. (Focus on who made the decision.)
- Instrument:
- The door was opened with a key. (Focus on the tool used to open the door.)
- The cake was cut with a knife. (Focus on the tool used to cut the cake.)
By understanding the difference between the agent and the instrument, we can choose how to construct passive sentences effectively, depending on whether the focus is on the person performing the action or the tool used in the process.
Active and Passive Transformations for all Tenses and Key Sentence Types:
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | She writes a letter. | A letter is written by her. |
| Present Continuous | He is painting the wall. | The wall is being painted by him. |
| Present Perfect | He has finished the work. | The work has been finished by him. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | She has been reading a book. (rarely used in passive) | Not applicable. (Passive form not used) |
| Past Simple | They completed the project. | The project was completed by them. |
| Past Continuous | She was reading a book. | A book was being read by her. |
| Past Perfect | He had solved the puzzle. | The puzzle had been solved by him. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | They had been building the house. (rarely used in passive) | Not applicable. (Passive form not used) |
| Future Simple | She will deliver the speech. | The speech will be delivered by her. |
| Future Continuous | He will be writing a report. (rarely used in passive) | Not applicable. (Passive form not used) |
| Future Perfect | They will have completed the task. | The task will have been completed by them. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | She will have been teaching the class. (rarely used in passive) | Not applicable. (Passive form not used) |
| Imperative | Close the door. | Let the door be closed. |
| Interrogative (Present Simple) | Who writes this book? | By whom is this book written? |
| Interrogative (Past Simple) | Did she complete the assignment? | Was the assignment completed by her? |
| Interrogative (Future Simple) | Will he play the match? | Will the match be played by him? |
| Modals | She can solve the problem. | The problem can be solved by her. |
All Modal Verbs and their Transformations in Active and Passive Voice
| Modal Verb | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Can | She can solve the problem. | The problem can be solved by her. |
| Could | He could complete the task. | The task could be completed by him. |
| May | They may announce the results. | The results may be announced by them. |
| Might | She might win the competition. | The competition might be won by her. |
| Shall | He shall deliver the speech. | The speech shall be delivered by him. |
| Should | We should follow the rules. | The rules should be followed by us. |
| Will | She will write the report. | The report will be written by her. |
| Would | He would buy the house. | The house would be bought by him. |
| Must | They must finish the project. | The project must be finished by them. |
| Ought to | She ought to respect the elders. | The elders ought to be respected by her. |
| Need to | You need to complete the homework. | The homework needs to be completed by you. |
| Have to | He has to clean the room. | The room has to be cleaned by him. |
| Had to | They had to repair the car. | The car had to be repaired by them. |
| Used to | She used to play the piano. | The piano used to be played by her. |
Exercises
MCQs on Active and Passive Voice (Including Modals, Imperatives, and Interrogatives)
- Which sentence is in passive voice?
- a) She writes a letter every day.
- b) A letter is written by her every day.
- c) She is writing a letter.
- d) She has written a letter.
- Convert the following sentence into passive voice: “You should complete the project by tomorrow.”
- a) The project should be completed by you by tomorrow.
- b) The project is completed by you by tomorrow.
- c) The project will complete by you by tomorrow.
- d) The project will be completed by you by tomorrow.
- Which sentence is in active voice?
- a) The book is being read by him.
- b) He reads the book.
- c) The book has been read by him.
- d) The book was read by him.
- Identify the passive voice sentence:
- a) She has sent the email.
- b) The email was sent by her.
- c) She will send the email.
- d) She is sending the email.
- Convert the following sentence into passive voice: “They must finish the task before noon.”
- a) The task must be finished by them before noon.
- b) The task must finish by them before noon.
- c) The task will be finished by them before noon.
- d) The task should be finished by them before noon.
- Which of the following is in the active voice?
- a) The letter was written by her.
- b) She writes the letter.
- c) The letter has been written by her.
- d) The letter is being written by her.
- Choose the correct passive form: “The teacher will explain the lesson.”
- a) The lesson will be explained by the teacher.
- b) The lesson is explained by the teacher.
- c) The lesson will explain by the teacher.
- d) The lesson is being explained by the teacher.
- Which sentence is in passive voice?
- a) Can the message be sent by you now?
- b) You can send the message now.
- c) The message can be sent by you now.
- d) The message is being sent by you now.
- Convert the following sentence into passive voice: “You must clean the room.”
- a) The room must be cleaned by you.
- b) The room must clean by you.
- c) The room has to be cleaned by you.
- d) The room is cleaned by you.
- Which of the following is in active voice?
- a) The homework will be completed by them.
- b) They will complete the homework.
- c) The homework was completed by them.
- d) The homework has been completed by them.
- Convert this imperative sentence into passive voice: “Write the report.”
- a) Let the report be written.
- b) The report is written.
- c) The report must be written.
- d) The report was written.
- Which sentence is in passive voice?
- a) Did they repair the car yesterday?
- b) The car was repaired by them yesterday.
- c) They repaired the car yesterday.
- d) The car will repair by them.
- Convert the following sentence into passive voice: “She is baking a cake.”
- a) A cake is being baked by her.
- b) A cake was baked by her.
- c) A cake is baked by her.
- d) A cake has been baked by her.
- Which of the following sentences is in the active voice?
- a) The house is being painted by them.
- b) They are painting the house.
- c) The house had been painted by them.
- d) The house will be painted by them.
- Convert the following sentence into passive voice: “He can solve the problem easily.”
- a) The problem can be solved easily by him.
- b) The problem can solve easily by him.
- c) The problem is solved easily by him.
- d) The problem will be solved easily by him.
- Which sentence is in passive voice?
- a) Is the door locked by him?
- b) He locks the door.
- c) The door is locked by him.
- d) He is locking the door.
- Convert the following sentence into passive voice: “You should invite her to the party.”
- a) She should be invited to the party by you.
- b) She should invite to the party by you.
- c) The party should be invited by you.
- d) The party should invite her.
- Which sentence is in active voice?
- a) The novel is being read by them.
- b) They read the novel.
- c) The novel is read by them.
- d) The novel has been read by them.
- Which sentence is in passive voice?
- a) She has written the letter.
- b) The letter is written by her.
- c) She writes the letter.
- d) She will write the letter.
- Convert this sentence into passive voice: “Please send the invitation.”
- a) Let the invitation be sent.
- b) The invitation is sent.
- c) The invitation must be sent.
- d) The invitation will be sent.
Answer Key
- b) A letter is written by her every day.
- a) The project should be completed by you by tomorrow.
- b) He reads the book.
- b) The email was sent by her.
- a) The task must be finished by them before noon.
- b) She writes the letter.
- a) The lesson will be explained by the teacher.
- c) The message can be sent by you now.
- a) The room must be cleaned by you.
- b) They will complete the homework.
- a) Let the report be written.
- b) The car was repaired by them yesterday.
- a) A cake is being baked by her.
- b) They are painting the house.
- a) The problem can be solved easily by him.
- c) The door is locked by him.
- a) She should be invited to the party by you.
- b) They read the novel.
- b) The letter is written by her.
- a) Let the invitation be sent.
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions on Active and Passive Voice
- The report __________ (write) by the committee members before the meeting started.
- By the time the police arrived, the thief __________ (catch) by the security guard.
- The letter __________ (send) to the manager tomorrow afternoon.
- A new policy __________ (introduce) at the conference next week.
- The book __________ (translate) into several languages by the end of the year.
- The house __________ (decorate) when we arrive at the party.
- A decision __________ (make) regarding the project by the board members next week.
- The application __________ (submit) before the deadline by the students.
- The cake __________ (bake) by the time we get home, so we need to be quick.
- The documents __________ (not, sign) by the manager yet, so we cannot proceed with the project.
Answer Key
- was written
The report was written by the committee members before the meeting started. - had been caught
By the time the police arrived, the thief had been caught by the security guard. - will be sent
The letter will be sent to the manager tomorrow afternoon. - will be introduced
A new policy will be introduced at the conference next week. - will have been translated
The book will have been translated into several languages by the end of the year. - will be decorated
The house will be decorated when we arrive at the party. - will be made
A decision will be made regarding the project by the board members next week. - was submitted
The application was submitted before the deadline by the students. - will have been baked
The cake will have been baked by the time we get home, so we need to be quick. - has not been signed
The documents have not been signed by the manager yet, so we cannot proceed with the project.
Find the Error: Active and Passive Voice
- The homework was completed by she before the class started.
- a) The homework
- b) was
- c) completed
- d) by she
- The meeting will be conducted by the manager on next Monday.
- a) The meeting
- b) will be
- c) conducted
- d) on next Monday
- The movie was being watched when the power had gone off.
- a) The movie
- b) was being
- c) watched
- d) had gone off
- By this time next year, the book had been written by him.
- a) By this time
- b) next year
- c) had been
- d) written
- The new product has been launched by them last week.
- a) The new product
- b) has been
- c) launched
- d) last week
- A decision will have been made by the committee when they arrive.
- a) A decision
- b) will have been
- c) made
- d) when
- The car is repairing by the mechanic right now.
- a) The car
- b) is
- c) repairing
- d) by the mechanic
- The office has been renovated before the staff returned from vacation.
- a) The office
- b) has been
- c) renovated
- d) before the staff returned
- The report will be submitting by the team tomorrow.
- a) The report
- b) will be
- c) submitting
- d) by the team
- The letters will have been delivered by the postman when we arrive.
- a) The letters
- b) will have been
- c) delivered
- d) when we arrive
Answer Key
- d) “by she” should be “by her”
Corrected sentence: The homework was completed by her before the class started. - d) “on next Monday” should be “next Monday” or “on Monday”
Corrected sentence: The meeting will be conducted by the manager next Monday. - d) “had gone off” should be “went off” to maintain tense consistency
Corrected sentence: The movie was being watched when the power went off. - c) “had been” should be “will have been” for future perfect tense
Corrected sentence: By this time next year, the book will have been written by him. - b) “has been” should be “was” for correct past tense
Corrected sentence: The new product was launched by them last week. - d) “when” should be “by the time” to match the future perfect structure
Corrected sentence: A decision will have been made by the committee by the time they arrive. - c) “repairing” should be “repaired” (passive form of verb)
Corrected sentence: The car is being repaired by the mechanic right now. - b) “has been” should be “had been” to indicate past perfect
Corrected sentence: The office had been renovated before the staff returned from vacation. - c) “submitting” should be “submitted” (passive form of verb)
Corrected sentence: The report will be submitted by the team tomorrow. - d) “when we arrive” should be “by the time we arrive” to indicate the future perfect
Corrected sentence: The letters will have been delivered by the postman by the time we arrive.
Conclusion
By following these rules from Wren and Martin’s timeless guide, you can confidently transform sentences between active and passive voice. Regular practice and attention to tense adjustments will make this concept second nature.
Additional Resources on Passive Voice
BBC Video on Passive Voice
Watch this video to understand the concept right from the horse’s mouth.