ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
What is Voice of Verb?
The voice of a verb is the verb that expresses whether the subject in the sentence has performed
or received the action. For example, in the sentence
1) Ram helps Hari.
In the first sentence, the form of the verb shows that the subject does something, that is, the subject
has performed or done something. So the verb helps is in said to be the active voice.
2) Hari is helped by Ram.
In the second sentence, the form of the verb shows that something is done to the subject or the
subject has received something. So the verb helped is said to be the passive voice.
Types of Voice of Verb
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Definition: A verb is in active voice when its Definition: A verb is said to be a passive voice
form shows that the person or thing denoted when its form shows that something is done to
by the subject does something or in other the person or thing denoted by the subject.
words, is the doer of the action. Hence in an Hence in passive voice, the subject is a passive
active voice, the subject is the doer. state, that is, suffers or receives some action.
Examples: Examples:
Sita loves Savitri. Savitri is loved by Sita.
The mason is building the pillar. The wall is being built by the mason.
The peon opened the gate. The gate was opened by the peon.
Some girls were helping the wounded The wounded man was being helped by
man. some boys.
Rules for Conversion of Active and Passive Voice
Rule1: First and foremost, identify the subject, verb, and object(S+ V+O) in the sentence to
convert to passive voice.
Rule2: Then interchange the object and subject with each other, that is, the object of the active
sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
Rule3: Change the base verb in the active sentence into the past participle(third form of the
verb) in a passive sentence.
Rule4: The word by will be used before the subject in passive voice.
Rule 5: The pronoun in the sentence will also be changed.
ACTIVE VOICE PRONOUN PASSIVE VOICE PRONOUN
I Me
We Us
He Him
She Her
They Them
You You
It It
Rule 6: While conversion use suitable auxiliary verbs.
Active and Passive Voice in Tenses form
TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Simple Present Tense Subject + Verb + Object Object + is/am/are + V3 + by
Subject
Example I eat mangoes Mangoes are eaten by me.
TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Present Continuous Tense Subject + is/am/are + verb + Object + is/am/are + being +
ing + Object V3 + by Subject
Example Ramesh is calling Neena. Neena is being called by
Ramesh
TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Present Perfect Tense Subject + have/has + V3 + Object + has/have + been + V3
Object + by Subject
Example I have made some cakes. Some cakes have been made
by me.
TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Simple Past Tense Subject + Verb(past tense/V2) Object + was/were + V3 + by
+ Object Subject
Example Preeti stole my clothes. My clothes were stolen by
Preeti
TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Past Continuous Tense Subject + was/were + Verb + Object + was/were + being +
ing+ Object V3 + by Subject
Example The postman was delivering The letters were being
the letters. delivered by the postman.
TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Past Perfect Tense Subject + had + V3 + Object Object + had been + V3 + by
subject
Example The girls had eaten all the All the muffins had been eaten
muffins. by girls.
TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Simple Future Tense Subject + shall /will +V1 + Object + shall/will + be +V3 +
Object by subject
Example We shall finish the whole The whole work will be
work by 6 pm. finished by us by 6 pm
TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Future Perfect Tense Subject + shall/will + have + Object + shall/will + have
V3 + Object been + V3 + by subject
Example They will have won the The football match will have
football match. been won by them.
An exception to the rule: No passive Voice formation for the following tenses can be formed,
that is, [Present Perfect Continuous Tense, Past Perfect Continuous Tense, Future Perfect
Continuous Tense, and Future Continuous Tense]
