Active and passive voice
voice
active passive
What subject does The focus is on the
action.
Active : Ram killed Ravan
Passive : Ravan was killed by Ram.
How to change from active to passive?
Look at this statement
Ram killed Ravan
Subject verb object
Ravan was killed by Ram.
object be verb verb 3 Subject
Active : Ram killed Ravan
Passive : Ravan was killed by Ram.
She helps him.
Passive = object + be+ v3 + by sub
He is helped by her.
Active = sub +v + ob
I am buying a pen.
A pen is being bought by me.
He has to teach us.
We have to be taught by him
Someone is following us.
We are being followed.
Very common rule is:
• Bring the object first object +
• Choose correct ‘be’ verb ‘be’ verb+
verb 3+
• Change verb into participle by +
• Add by + subject subject
She helps him.
He is helped by her.
Look, how subject and object change:
Subject Object
I Me
We Us
You You
They Them
He Him
She Her
Ram Ram
Book Book
If there are two objects:
She told us a story.
We were told a story by her.
A story was told to us by her
They appointed him an ambassador.
He was appointed an ambassador.
An ambassador was appointed to him.
The story has taught us a good lesson.
We have been taught a good lesson by the story.
A good lesson has been taught to us by the story.
has/ have/ had/ is/ am/ are/ was/ were +
to + v1
She has to help us.
We have to be helped by her.
We have to learn English.
English has to be learnt.
I had to wait the bus.
The bus had to e waited by me.
has, have, had to + v1 =
has, have, had + to be + v3
Modal auxiliary verbs
can, could, shall, should, may,
might, will, would, must
+ v1 = modal + be + v3
She can speak Chinese.
Chinese can be spoken by her.
We must preserve the tigers.
Tigers must be preserved .
must have , should have, could have,
might have, would have + v3 =
must have , should have, could have,
might have, would have + been + v3
He should have stolen my pen.
My pen should have been stolen by him.
They must have left any sign.
Any sign must have been left.
No need to add ‘by + sub’ if the
subject is :
we , they, someone, somebody,
none, nobody, everybody, people ect
They have stolen my pen.
My pen has been stolen.
They must have left any sign.
Any sign must have been left.
Negative sentences remain negative
They have not stolen my pen.
My pen has not been stolen.
They must not have left any sign.
Any sign must not have been left.
Nobody has done homework.
Homework has not been done.
Look at the table
Active Passive
simple present ( v1/ v5) ob+ is/ am/ are + v3
Present continuous ( is, am, are, ob + is/ am/ are + being + v3
v ing)
Present perfect ( has / have + ob + has/ have + been + v3
v3)
Present perfect ( has/ have + Not used commonly
been + v ing )
She is cooking rice.
She writes beautiful poems.
Rice is being cooked by her.
Beautiful
He has poems are written by her.
done homework.
Homework has been done by him.
Look at the table
Active Passive
simple past ( v2) ob+ was/ were + v3
Past continuous was/ were v ob + was/ were + being + v3
ing)
Past perfect ( had + v3) ob + had+ been + v3
Past perfect ( had + been + v ing Not used commonly
)
She was cooking rice.
She wrote beautiful poems.
Rice was being cooked by her.
Beautiful
He hadpoems were written by her.
done homework.
Homework had been done by him.
Look at the table
Active Passive
simple future ( will/ shall +v1) ob+ will/ shall + be + v3
Future continuous (will/ shall + not common in passive
be + v ing)
Future perfect ( will / shall + ob + will / shall + have been +
have + v3) v3)
Future perfect (will/ shall + Not used commonly
have + been + v ing )
She will write beautiful poems.
Beautiful poems will be written by her.
He will have done homework.
Homework will have been done by him.
Look at these examples
She will write poems beautifully.
Poems will be beautifully written by her.
beautifully adverb goes just before verb 3
He handled the load carefully.
The load was carefully handled by him.
Passive of ‘yes / No’ question
Can you speak English?
Can English be spoken by you?
Has he helped them?
Have they been helped by him?
Did you help him?
Was he helped by you?
Do/ does + sub+ v1+ ob=
Is/ am/ are + ob + v3
some example of yes/ no
Are they planting trees?
Are trees being planted ?
Did they tell anything?
Was anything told?
Didn’t he buy anything?
Wasn’t anything bought by him?
will he bring the book?
will the book be brought by him?
Passive of wh question
Why are they planting trees?
Why are trees being planted ? Similar to
yes /no
What did they tell you?
What were you told?
Who questions are changed in 2 ways.
Who opened the door?
Who was the door opened by?
By whom was the door opened ?
Passive of who question
Who opened the door?
Who was the door opened by?
By whom was the door opened ?
who + be + ob+ v3 + by?
By whom + be + ob + v3 ?
Passive of imperative / let
open the door?
Let the door be opened.
Let + object + be + verb 3
Let him open the door?
Let the door be opened by him.
Let + object + be + verb 3 + by + sub
Voice change : some examples
Did you teach us ?
Were we taught by you?
She has to prepare food.
Food has to be prepared by her.
Who told you about the accident?
By whom were you told about the accident?
People are destroying the jungle.
The jungle is being destroyed.
Presented by: Tika Subedi
Contact : 9842796906
[email protected] [email protected]Shree Jana Jagriti Higher Secondary School
Goldhap – Jhapa, Nepal.
