A Simple Guide to Active Voice / Passive Voice

A sentence in active voice focuses on the person or thing doing the action.

A sentence in passive voice focuses on the person or thing affected by the action.

Example:

The idol was destroyed. (Active voice)
Someone destroyed the idol. (Passive voice)

Transformation of Voice
-  Voice and Tense are closely associated with each other.
-  Tense plays an important role while transforming the voice.

On the basis of following rules, voice can be transformed from active to passive voice.

The Present Indefinite Tense
Active voice: Subject + V1 + Object
Passive voice: Subject + is, am, are + V3 + by + Object

1. Active voice: He sings sweet songs.
Passive voice: Sweet songs are sung by him.

2. Active voice: She does not cause any hindrance in my work.
Passive voice: No hindrance in my work is caused by her.

3. Active voice: Do they love their country?
Passive voice: Is their country loved by them?

The Present Continuous Tense
Active voice: Subject + is/am/are + V1 + ing + Object.
Passive voice: Subject + is/am/are + being + V3 + by
+ Object.
1. Active voice: She is cooking food.
Passive voice: Food is being cooked by her.
2. Active voice: Rita is not knitting a sweater.
Passive voice: A sweater is not being knitted by Rita.
3. Active voice: Is Meena baking a cake?
Passive voice: Is a cake being baked by Meena?

The Present Perfect Tense
Active voice: Subject + has/have + V3 + Object.
Passive voice: Subject + has/have + been + V3 + by +
Object.

1. Active voice: I have written an essay.
Passive voice: An essay has been written by me.
2. Active voice: They have not whitewashed the fence.
Passive voice: Th e fence has no t been whitewashed by them.
3. Active voice: Have you cut the cake?
Passive voice: Has the cake been cut by you?

The Past Indefinite Tense
Active voice: Subject + V2 + Object
Passive voice: Subject + was/were + V3 + by + Object
1. Active voice: He composed a new song.
Passive voice: A new song was composed by him.
2. Active voice: He did not operate the computer.
Passive voice: The computer was not operated by him.
3. Active voice: Did she catch a fish?
Passive voice: Was a fish caught by her?

The Past Continuous Tense
Active voice: Subject + was/were + V1 + ing + Object
Passive voice: Subject + was/were + being + V3 + by
+ Object

1. Active voice: The farmers were ploughing the fields.
Passive voice: The fields were being ploughed by the farmers.
2. Active voice: He was not administering the new drug to the patient.
Passive voice: The new drug was not being administered to the patient by him.
3. Active voice: Was she sewing a dress?
Passive voice: Was a dress being sewn by her?

The Past Perfect Tense
Active voice: Subject + had + V3 + Object.
Passive voice: Subject + had + been + V3 + by +
Object
Voice

1. Active voice: He had issued me an import licence.
Passive voice: I had been issued an import licence.
2. Active voice: We had not visited the Taj.
Passive voice: The Taj had not been visited by us.
3. Active voice: Who had taught you English?
Passive voice: By whom had you been taught English?

The Future Indefinite Tense
Active voice: Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object.
Passive voice: Subject + will/shall + be + V3 + by +
Object.
1. Active voice: He will remove the dust from the shelf.
Passive voice: The dust from the shelf will be removed by him.
2. Active voice: He will not open the main gate.
Passive voice: The main gate will not be opened by him.
3. Active voice: Will you help us?
Passive voice: Shall we be helped by you?

The Future Perfect Tense
Active voice: Subject + will/shall + have + V3 + Object.
Passive voice: Subject + will/shall + have + been + V3

+ by + Object.
1. Active voice: They will have sold their house by then.
Passive voice: Their house will have been sold by them by then.
2. Active voice: He will not have informed the police about it.
Passive voice: The police will not have been informed about it by him.
3. Active voice: Will they have accepted the deal?
Passive voice: Will the deal have been accepted by them?

Imperative Sentences
1. Active voice: Open the window.
Passive voice: You are ordered to open the window.
Or
Let the window be opened.
2. Active voice: Please/kindly open the window.
Passive voice: You are requested to open the window.
3. Active voice: Never make a noise.
Passive voice: A noise should never be made.

Infinitives
1. Active voice: It is time to open the shop.
Passive voice: It is time for the shop to be opened.
2. Active voice: He begged the officer to forgive him.
Passive voice: He begged the officer to be forgiven.
3. Active voice: He has to break the door.
Passive voice: The door has to be broken by him.

Prepositional Verb
1. Active voice: She laughed at the beggar.
Passive voice: The beggar was laughed at by her.
2. Active voice: He listened to the news.
Passive voice: The news was listened to by him.
3. Active voice: They called in the doctor.
Passive voice: The doctor was called in by them.

Double Object
1. Active voice: He gave me a pen.
Passive voice: A pen was given to me by him.
Or
I was given a pen by him.
2. Active voice: She told us a story.
Passive voice: A story was told (to) us by her.
Or
We were told a story by her. Use of Preposition other than 'by'
1. Active voice: The jug contains juice.
Passive voice: Juice is contained in the jug.
2. Active voice: The audience thronged the hall.
Passive voice: The hall was thronged with the audience.
3. Active voice: I know her.
Passive voice: She is known to me.

Quasi Passive Verbs
1. Active voice: Quinine tastes bitter.
Passive voice: Quinine is bitter when tasted.
Or
Quinine is bitter when it is tasted.
2. Active voice: Sugar is sweet (to taste).
Passive voice: Sugar is sweet when tasted.
Or
Sugar is sweet when it is tasted.

Implied Sentences
1. Active voice: The driver drove the bus.
Passive voice: The bus was driven.
2. Active voice: Someone read the news.
Passive voice: The news was read.
3. Active voice: They say work is worship.
Passive voice: It is said that work is worship.