Scribd
Upload
4K views

Active and Passive Voice

The document defines and compares active and passive voice. It states that active voice has the subject performing the action of the sentence, while passive voice has the subject receiving the action. It provides characteristics of each voice and how to change sentences between the two voices by changing subjects and verbs. Examples are given of changing active sentences to their passive equivalents and vice versa.

Uploaded by

Iezma
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
4K views

Active and Passive Voice

The document defines and compares active and passive voice. It states that active voice has the subject performing the action of the sentence, while passive voice has the subject receiving the action. It provides characteristics of each voice and how to change sentences between the two voices by changing subjects and verbs. Examples are given of changing active sentences to their passive equivalents and vice versa.

Uploaded by

Iezma
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

A. Definition

Definition of Active Voice:


The verb form or voice in which the subject of the sentence performs or causes the action
expressed by the verb. Contrast with passive voice.
Definition of Active Voice:
A verb form or voice in which the grammatical subject receives the verb’s action. Contrast
with active voice.

B. Characteristic

The characteristics of active voice are:

1. The subject of an active sentence in front of sentence.


2. After subject usually followed by “to be”, verb, object and adverb.

The characteristics of passive voice are:

1. The object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
2. Intransitive (don’t use object) verbs like happen, seem, etc can’t be used in the passive
voice.

C. Pattern
The pattern of active voice is:
Subject + Verb + Object
The pattern of passive voice is:
Subject + to be + Past participle (Verb 3) + by phrase + Object
D. How To Use Active And Passive Voice
Use active voice:
Think in short stories (scenarios).
 Write in terms of "who does what to whom."
 Use active voice, personal pronouns, and action verbs.

Use passive voice:


 There are times when the passive voice is preferred, however. For example, the passive
voice is necessary when the person who acted is unknown.
 The passive voice is also a good choice when the doer of the action is unimportant.
 Moreover, the passive voice is appropriate when you want the emphasis of the sentence
to be on the action, rather than on the person who performed the action. To shift the
emphasis to the person acting, we use a prepositional phrase beginning with by.
 The passive voice is useful when you want the doer of the action to remain anonymous.

E. Change active voice to passive voice


The rulers are:
1. Object in the active turns to be subject in the passive voice.
2. Decide the tense used in active voice.
3. Add “to be” after subject.
4. Change the verb in active voice to past participle (V3) in passive voice.
a. If tense in active voice is simple present, so to be use is, am and are.
b. If tense in active voice is present progressive, so to be use “is being”.
c. If tense in active voice is present perfect, so to be use is been, put after auxiliary
have or has so be “has been” or “have been”.
d. If tense in active voice is simple past, so to be use was or were.
e. If tense in active voice is past progressive, so to be use is being. “Was being” or
“were being”.
f. If tense in active voice is past perfect, so to be use is been. Put after auxiliary had,
so be “had been”
g. If tense in active voice is simple future, so to be use is be. “Will be”. If “be going
to” be “is going to be”
h. If tense in active voice is future perfect, so to be use is been, “will have” be “will
have been”.
i. And so on.
5. Add “by phrase” if necessary.
6. Subject in active voice to be object in passive voice.

F. Examples

 Active    : He meets them everyday.


 Passive  : They are met by him everyday.

 Active    : She waters this plant every two days.


 Passive  : This plant is watered by her every two days.

 Active    : He met them yesterday


 Passive  : They were met by him yesterday

 Active    : She watered this plant this morning


 Passive  : This plant was watered by her this morning

 Active    : He has met them


 Passive  : They have been met by him

 Active    : She has watered this plant for 5 minutes.


 Passive  : This plant has been watered by her for 5 minutes.

 Active    : He has met them


 Passive  : They have been met by him

 Active    : She has watered this plant for 5 minutes.

 Passive  : This plant has been watered by her for 5 minutes.


 Active    : He will meet them tomorrow.
 Passive  : They will be met by him tomorrow.

 Active    : She will water this plant this afternoon.


 Passive  : This plant will be watered by her this afternoon.

 Active    : The farmers are going to harvest the crops next week
 Passive  : The crops are going to be harvested by the farmers next week.

 Active    : He will have met them before I get there tomorrow.


 Passive  : They will have been met by him before I get there tomorrow.

 Active   : She will have watered this plant before I get here this afternoon.
 Passive  : This plant will have been watered by her before I get here this afternoon.

 Active    : He would have met them.


 Passive  : They would have been met by him.

 Active    : She would have watered this plant.


 Passive  : This plant would have been watered by her.

 Active    : He is meeting them now.


 Passive  : They are being met by him now.

 Active    : She is watering this plant now.


 Passive  : This plant is being watered by her now.

 Active    : He was meeting them.


 Passive  : They were being met by him.

 Active    : She was watering this plant.


 Passive  : This plant was being watered by her.
 Active    : He has been meeting them.
 Passive  : They have been being met by him.

 Active    : She has been watering this plant.


 Passive  : This plant has been being watered by her.

 Active    : He had been meeting them.


 Passive  : They had been being met by him.

 Active    : She had been watering this plant.


 Passive  : This plant had been being watered by her.

 Active    : He will be meeting them.


 Passive  : They will be being met by him.

 Active    : She will be watering this plant.


 Passive  : This plant will be being watered by her.

 Active    : He would be meeting them.


 Passive  : They would be being met by him.

 Active    : She would be watering this plant.


 Passive   : This plant would be being watered by her.

 Active    : He will have been meeting them.


 Passive  : They will have been being met by him.

 Active    : She will have been watering this plant.


 Passive  : This plant will have been being watered by her.

 Active    : He would be meeting them.


 Passive  : They would be being met by him.
 Active    : She would be watering this plant.
 Passive  : This plant would be being watered by her.

References:
http://swarabhaskara.com/miscellaneous/active-and-passive-voice/
http://www.rhlschool.com/request.php3?page=eng3n28.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/hadrians-wall
http://wartawarga.gunadarma.ac.id/2010/04/active-and-passive-voice-sentences/
http://grammar.about.com/
http://dindasmart.com/2009/05/english-lesson-passive-voice/

You might also like