UNIT -4 –ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
What is Voice of a verb?
● The voice of a verb expresses whether the subject in the sentence has performed or
received the action. For example,
o The watchman opens the door.
o The door is opened by the watchman.
Types of Voices of Verb
Verbs have two voices (i) Active Voice (ii) Passive Voice
Active Voice
● When an action performed by the subject IE WHEN THE SUBJECT IS THE DOER
– THEN IT IS ACTIVE VOICE.
● Active voice is used when more straightforward relation and clarity is required between the
subject and the verb. For example,
o Hens lay eggs.
o Birds build nests.
Passive Voice
● When the action expressed by the verb is received by the subject, SUBJECT IS THE
PASSIVE RECEIVER it is passive voice.
● Passive voice is used when the doer of the action is not known and the focus of the
sentence
is on the action and not the subject. For example,
o Eggs are laid by hens.
o Nests are built by birds.
RULES OF CONVERSION
RULE 1
The object of the verb in the Active Voice becomes the subject of the verb in the passive
voice.
The subject of the verb in the Active voice becomes the object in the passive voice.
(generally preceded by the preposition “by‟ With, to, etc).)
RULE 2
The main verb is changed into the Past Participle form and it is preceded by the correct
form of the verb„to be‟ in passive voice.
Active voice: She knits sweater. (Subject – She, Verb – Knits, Object – Sweater)
Passive Voice: The sweater is knitted by her. (Object sweater is interchanged with the subject
She).
Active voice: She prepares dinner.
Passive voice: The dinner is prepared by her.
Active voice: She knows him.
Passive voice: He is known to her.
Active voice: Juice fills the jar.
Passive voice: The jar is filled with juice.
I do the work. The work is done by me. Lila writes a letter. A letteris written by Lila.
Rule #5
While conversion of Active voice sentence to Passive voice sentence, the pronoun used in the
sentence also changes in the following manner.
Active Voice Pronoun Passive Voice Pronoun
I -Me
We- Us
He- Him
She- Her
They - Them
You - You
It- It
Rule 6 – Changing imperative sentences
Imperative sentences are sentences that issue a command, make a request, or give
instructions.
To convert such sentences the word „Let‟ is usually placed at the beginning of the
Passive voice and be verb is placed before the Past Participle of the main verb.
Active : Shut the door – Imperitive sentences sometimes do not have subject
Passive : Let the door be shut
Active: Open the window
Passive: Let the window be open
Active : Tell him to go.
Passive Let the door be shut. Let him be told to go
Now in case the imperitve sentence begins with „Please‟ in Active voice, „then “you are
requested to” is used in the Passive voice or verb„should be‟. Are also commonly used
Please do not smoke. - You are requested not to smoke
Please go there. - You are requested to go there
Obey your teacher. - Your teacher should be obeyed.
. Keep your word - Your word should be kept
Rule 7
Changing Voice of Interrogative Sentence:
1) auxiliary verbs do, does or did does not appear in the passive form.
Do/does becomes am/ is /are -
If the interrogative sentence begins with the Auxiliary verb „Do‟, the process of
changing is convenient by changing it into Assertive first and then into
Interrogative.
For instance: 1) Active : Do you see the bird? Assertive : You see the bird. Passive
of Assertive: The bird is seen by you. Passive Voice of the interrogative sentence: Is
the bird seen by you – Does she cook the food – is the food cooked by her.
2) do you love him - is he loved by you
Did - was/were
Did he break the window - was the window broken by him
Active : Did you see the man? Passive: Was the man seen by you?
3) question words when, why, where, how or what does not change their position at
the beginning of the sentence when the active voice is changed into the passive voice.
Active voice: Have you finished work? Passive voice: Has the work been finished
by you
Active voice: When will they announce the results? Passive voice: When will the
results be announced
Why were you cheating me – why was I being cheated by you
What did you see – what was seen by you
4) If the question begins with The verbs has, have, had, will, shall, can, may etc., then
they also do not change their position at the beginning of the sentence when the active
voice is changed to the passive voice.
Ex. Active voice: Have you invited them?
Passive voice: Have they been invited by you?
Acyive: Will you help them
Passive: will they be helped by you
Even which remains same- which book do you want – which book is wanted by
you.
5) Lastly who changes to by whom and whom into who.
(Passive Voice) Whom did you invite? (Active Voice) Who was invited by you? (Passive
Voice)
Who taught you English? (Active) :
By whom were you taught English. (Passive):
6)
