Active Voice & Passive Voice

➢ Only Transitive Verbs can be changed in Active

Voice to Passive Voice.
➢ We use the Active Voice to say what the subject
does.
➢ We use the Passive Voice to say what happened
to the subject.
➢ The Passive Voice is used when the subject of the
Active Voice is unknown, unimportant or vague.

➢Active Voice-
The children saw a rainbow in
the sky.
➢Passive Voice-
A rainbow in the sky was seen
by the children.
➢Five Golden Rules to change
Active Voice into Passive Voice-
1. Object becomes the Subject. Object +
2. Choose the correct form of verb ‘be’ verb ‘be’ +
3. Use Past Participle Form of the Verb V3 +
4. Add ‘by’ by +
5. Subject becomes the Object. Subject.

She helps him.

He is helped by her.
 PRESENT TENSE
1. Simple Present Tense
A V- S+V1+O
P V- O+is/am/are+V3+by+S

Active Voice- Tom chases Jerry.

Passive Voice- Jerry is chased by Tom.
Active Form :
Children love animals.

Passive Form :
Animals are loved by the
children.
2. Present Continuous Tense
A V- S+is/am/are+V4+O
P V- O+is/am/are+being+V3+by+S
Active Form:
The farmer is ploughing the field.
Passive Form:
The field is being ploughed by the
farmer.

Active Form :
They are picking some flowers.
Passive Form :
Some flowers are being picked by
them.
3. Present Perfect Tense
A V- S+has/have+V3+O
P V- O+has/have+been+V3+by+S

Active Form:
Ashok has written a letter.
Passive Form:
A letter has been written by Ashok.

Active Form:
Children have eaten all the cakes.
Passive Form:
All the cakes have been eaten by
the children.
 PAST TENSE
1. Simple Past Tense
A V- S+V2+O
P V- O+was/were+V3+by+S

Active Voice- Tom chased Jerry.

Passive Voice- Jerry was chased by Tom.
2. Past Continuous Tense
A V- S+was/were+V4+O
P V- O+was/were+being+V3+by+S
Active Form:
The farmer was ploughing the field.
Passive Form:
The field was being ploughed by the
farmer.

Active Form :
They were picking some flowers.
Passive Form :
Some flowers were being picked by
them.
3. Past Perfect Tense
A V- S+had+V3+O
P V- O+had+been+V3+by+S

Active Form:
Ashok had written a letter.
Passive Form:
A letter had been written by Ashok.

Active Form:
Children had eaten all the cakes.
Passive Form:
All the cakes had been eaten by
the children.
 FUTURE TENSE
1. Simple Future Tense
A V- S+ shall/will+V1+O
P V- O+ shall/will+be+V3+by+S

Active Voice- Tom will chase Jerry.

Passive Voice- Jerry will be chased by Tom.
Active Form:
My parents will take us to the park.

Passive Form :
We shall be taken to the park by our
parents.

Active Form:
He will do his homework.

Passive Form :
Homework will be done by him.
3. Future Perfect Tense
A V- S+ shall/will+have+V3+O
P V- O+ shall/will+have+been+V3+by+S

Active Form:
Ashok will have written a letter.
Passive Form:
A letter will have been written by
Ashok.

Active Form:
Children will have eaten all the
cakes.
Passive Form:
All the cakes will have been eaten
by the children.
Sentences with two objects
Active Form:
He gave me a book.

Passive Form:
➢ A book was given to me by him.
➢ I was given a book by him.

Active Form:
I told them a story.

Passive Form:
➢ A story was told to them by me.
➢ They were told a story by me.
 Some Intransitive Verbs with
Prepositions used as Transitive
Verbs, have the Passive Voice
Active Form:
All laughed at her.

Passive Form:
She was laughed at by all.

Active Form:
He agreed to my proposal.

Passive Form:
My proposal was agreed to by
him.
 Imperative Sentences are
changed in the following way
Let+ object + be + V3
A V- Open the door.
P V- Let the door be opened.

Let+ object + be + V3 + by +subject

A V- Let him open the door.
P V- Let the door be opened by him.

Active Voice Passive Voice

Help me. Let me be helped.
Sing a song. Let a song be sung.
Don’t eat this fruit. Let not this fruit be eaten
Interrogative Sentences are
changed in the following way
Active Form:
When did you write this letter?

Passive Form:
When was this letter written by you?

Active Form:
How did you do this sum?

Passive Form:
How was this sum done by you?
Passives without ‘by’
Active Form:
We call the dog Spot.

Passive Form:
The dog is called Spot.

Active Form:
They elected him king.

Passive Form:
He was elected king.
Change from Passive into Active

Passive Form:
By whom was this book written?

Active Form:
Who wrote this book?

Passive Form:
My watch has been stolen.

Active Form:
Someone has stolen my watch.
Auxiliaries are used in Passive Voice
Active Form:
Can you ignore his mistake?
Passive Form:
Can his mistake be ignored by you?

Active Form:
May you be successful!
Passive Form:
May you be blessed with success!

Active Form:
You ought to obey your elders.
Passive Form:
Elders ought to be obeyed by you.