ACTIVE/PASSIVE VOICE

What is Voice?

The voice of a verb tells whether the subject of the sentence performs or receives the action.

i) Birds build nests.

ii) Nests are built by birds.

Types of Voice:

Active Voice: the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.

Usage: when more clarity and straightforward relation is required between verb and subject.

Passive Voice: the subject receives the action expressed by the verb.

Usage: when the action is the focus, not the subject or when the doer is unknown.

Rules of Conversion from Active to Passive Voice:

1.     Identify the subject, the verb and the object: S+V+O

2.     Change the object into subject

3.     Put the suitable helping verb or auxiliary verb

4.     Change the verb into past participle of the verb

5.     Add the preposition "by“

6.     Change the subject into object

Example:

Active Voice: Sameer wrote a letter. (Subject) + (verb) + (object).

Passive Voice: A letter was written by Sameer. (Object) + (auxiliary verb) + (past participle) + (by subject).

Passive Voice for all tenses:

The rules for using Auxiliary verb for Passive Voice is different for each tense.

1.Simple Present Tense:

Active Voice: She writes a letter.

Passive Voice: A letter is written by her.

2.Present Progressive Tense:

Active Voice: They are eating oranges.

Passive Voice: Oranges are being eaten by them.

3.Present Perfect Tense:

Active Voice: Has she completed the work?

Passive Voice: Has the work been completed by her?

4.Simple Past Tense:

Active Voice: He did not buy a book.

Passive Voice: A book was not bought by him.

5.Past Progressive Tense:

Active Voice: She was washing a shirt.

Passive Voice: A shirt was being washed by her.

6.Past Perfect Tense:

Active Voice: They had won the match.

Passive Voice: The match had been won by them.

7.Simple Future Tense:

Active Voice: She will write a poem.

Passive Voice: A poem will be written by her.

8.Future Perfect Tense:

Active Voice: He will have received the letter.

Passive Voice: The letter will have been received by him.

**Note: Passive voice cannot be formed for active voice sentences in the

Present Perfect Continuous,

Past Perfect Continuous,

Future Continuous or Future Perfect Continuous.