The Passive

Passive Voice
How verbs are put in
the
Past
of the change of forms of
verbs (Simple Present, simple
following examples
1. Read the
Tense) when they
are changed from active to passive voice
and Simple Future
I. Simple Present Tense
Form of the verb : is
/ anm/ are + past participle
Passive
Active
Fruit is sold by the fruit-seller.
The fruit-seller sells fruit. teacher.
1.
roll. The roll is called by the
2. The teacher calls the friends.
I am helped by my
My friends help the doctor.
me.
3 The patients are treated by
4. The doctor treats the patients. liked by children.
Sweets are
Children like sweets. him.
5. Poems are written by
6 H e writes poems.
The rising sun by everybody.
is worshipped
the rising sun.
7. Everybody worships This question is not
umderstood by me.
question.
8 I do not understand this His parents are not obeyed by
him.

9 He does not obey his parents.

II. Simple Past Tense
Form of the verb : was
/ were + past participle
Passive
Active
him.
A song was sung by
H e sang a song. friends.
I was helped by my
2/ My friends helped me.
Thesari was not liked by
her.
She did not like the sari. them.
Letters were written by
wrote letters. corrected by the teacher.
4. They notebooks. Out notebooks were

The teacher corrected our were cheered by a large crowd.

The players
6. A large crowd cheered the players.
III. Simple Future Tense
shall /will + be + past participle
Form of the verb :
Passive
Active teacher
lesson will be taught by the
new lesson A new

T h e teacher will teach

a

today. repaired by the

labourers.
today. the road. The road will be
The labourers will repair will be served by
us.
2.
Our country
We shall serve our country. We shall be helped
by her.
them.
will help us. disobeyed by
4She me.
not be
I shall
They will not disobey
64
B.Tech 2nd
Semester ..Sg
En The
2. Read the *******************
following examples of the change of forms of verbs (PresentiContinuous Te
when they are changed form active to
passive voice.
I. Present Continuous Tense
Form of the verb: is / am / are + being + past participle
Active Passive
They boy is flhying a kite. A kite is being flown by the boy.
2. You are reading this lesson. This lesson is being read by you.
We are not wasting our time. Our time is not being wasted by us.
The farmers are reaping the The crops are being reaped by the farmers
crops
5. The girls are drawing the The pictures are being drawn by the girls.
pictures. CC
6 He is deceiving me. I am being deceived by him.
II. Past Continuous Tense
Form of the verb : was/ were + being +
past participle
Active Passive

1. The grandmother was telling a story. A story was being told by the grandmother.
2. We were expecting good news. Good news was being expected by us.
3. The magician was showing tricks. Tricks were being shown by the magician.
4. The students were solving the sums. The sums were being solved by the students.

3. Read the following examples of the change of forms of verbs (Present Perfect, Past
Perfect and Future Perfect) when they are changed from active to passive voice.
I. Present Perfect Tense
Form of the verb: have / has + been + past participle
Active Passive
1. She has invited me. I have been invited by her.
2 He has insulled you. You have been insulted by him.
We have painted the doors.
3 The doors have been painted by us.
4. They have won the match. The match has been won by them.
5. The peon has posted the letter. The letter has been posted by the peon.

II. Past Perfect Tense

Form of the verb: had + been + past participle
Active Passive

T h e servant had already cooked food. Food had already been cooked by the servant.
2. He had not seen the Taj before. The Taj had not been seen by him before.
3 1 had sold the old newspapers. The old newspapers had been sold by me.
4. They had prepared many plans. Many plans had been prepared by them.
5. I had never seen such a lovely sight Such a lovely sight had never been seen by me
before. before.
 The Passive 65
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II. Future Perfcct Tense

Form of the verb: will/ shall + have been past purticiple
Mctive Passive
He will have closed his shop by His shop will have heen closed by him by

S o'clock 8 o'clock.
They will have finislhed the paper by The paper will have been finished by them
2
1lo'clock. by 1 o'clock.
Enough money wil have been saved by
me
3. 1 shall have saved enough money to
to buy a house by 2009. to buy house by 2009.
a

I shall have been advised by him.

advised
4. He will have me.
future continuous and future perfect,
Note: Present perfect continuous, past perfect continuous,
continuous tenses have n0 passive forms.
Auxiliaries
Passive Voice with Modal

Form of the verb: auriliary + be + past participle +

I. modal
have been past participle
modal auxiliary followed
II. voice.)
(when the modal is by "have' in the active
auxiliaries
of passive voice with modal
4. Read the following examples
Passive
Active
be helped by him.
You can
the child.
L 1. He can help
you.
The treecould not be climbed by
could not climb the tree. next week.
2. The child The book may be returned by you
book next week.
3. You may return the The match by them.
might be won

win the match. by us.

4. They might Our parents should be obeyed
We should obey our parents. made by him.
5.
5. No promise would be
6. He would make no promise. Your duty must be done by you.
our teachers.
7. We ought to respect Your duty must be done by you.
You must do your duty. solved by you.
8. The could have been
sum
him.
solved the have been helped by
sum.
II. 1. You could have His friend should
his friend. attended by
He should have helped would have been
2. The meeting
attended the meeting the rain.
3. I would have me but for father
must heve
been taken away by
but for the rain. The purse
Father mmust have taken away the purse.
4. Sentences
Passive of Imperative
verb : le1
+ be + past participle :
Form of the
sentences
in inperative
the passive voice
from the active to
Note the change Passive

Active be posted
Let this letter
n e v e r be
old.
Post this letter. Let a lie
told to go.
Never tell a lie. Let him be
2/ not be plucked.
Tell him to go. Let lowers to your
cloth.
be cut according
flowers. coat
not pluck Let your
Do to your
cloth.
be sung by him.
coat according Let a song
/ C u t your
6Let him sing a song.
 66 B.Tech 2nd Semester : Englis,
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When the sentence has no object, the passive form is You are requested / udvised /ordered
t base form of the verb
Active Passive
to shut the door.
lease shut the door You are requested
requested to grunt mc leave.
Aind gant me lecave. You are
You are requested to hurry up.
Hurr please. advised to work hard.
Work hard You are

Do not smoke. You are advised not to smoke.

You are ordered to stand up on the bench.
Samd up on the bench.
Let me play now.
You are requested to let me play now.
Passive of Interrogative Sentences
The form of the verb in the interrogative sentences in the active vOIce is Changed in the
passine voice in the same way as that in the assertive sentences. The sentence in the passive

10ICe Is also interrogat1ve.

Notice that if the question begins with 'do/does/did' in the active voice, theform ofthe verb
in the passive voice is.-Is / a m /are / was were + past participle.

Read the following examples

Active Pussive
I. Do they like their teacher. Are their teacher liked by them ?
Does this shopkeeper sell grocery ? grocery sold by this shopkeeper?
Did they win the match ? Was the match won by them ?
Did you grow vegetables ? Were vegetables grown by you ?
Is he runming a race ? Is a race being run by him ?
Were they singing songs ? Were songs being sung by them ?
What does this word mean ? What is meant by this word.
Nhy do you blame us ? Why are we blamed by you ?
Who teaches you English ? By whom are you taught English ?
II. . Can you solve this sum ? Can this sum be solved by you ?
Should we not obey our parents ? Should our parents not be obeyed by us?
3. Must I help him ? Must he be helped by me ?
ow can I serve my country ? How can my country be served
ould you have done it ?
by me ?
Could it have been done by you ?
III lave you finished the assignment ? Has the assignment been
,2 Has he finished by you ?
returned the hooks? Have the books been returnei
by him ?
3 Had he obtained leave ?
Had leave been obtained by him?
4. Will you have read the book
by Will the book have been read by
you by
tomorrow ?
5. tomorrow?
What have you drawn ?
What has been drnwn
6. Who hus broken the bottle ? by you ?
By whom has the bottle been broken ?
Verbs Having Two
8. When a transitive verb has two Objects
subject objects in the
of the sentence in the passive voice active voice, either of them may become tne
e Passive 67

Active Passive
.Mr. Sharma leaches us Sanskrit. We are taught Sanskrit by Mr. Sharma. (OR)
Sanskrit is taughi to us by Mr. Sharma.
2 My uncle sent me a present. T was senl a present by my uncle. (OR)
A present was sent me by my uncle. (OR)
A present was sent to me by my uncle.

Verbs of Incomplete Predication

9. Read the following examples:
Active Passive
The students elected him perfect. He was elected perfect by the students.
2. I consider him a fool. He is considered a fool by me.
3. We proved her wrong. She was proved wrong by us.
4The result made her sad. She was made sad by the result
Prepositional Verbs
verb in the active voice is followed the is retained in he
10. If a by a preposition, preposition
passive voice.

Active Passive
1. The children listened to the story The story was listened to by the children.
2 The boys laughed at the joker. The joker was laughed at by the boys.
S h e did not agree to the proposal. The proposal was not agreed to by her.
4 They laid out a small garden. A small garden was laid out by them.
5. The mother looks after the child. The child is looked after by the mother.
Prepositions other than 'by'
11. In the passive voice certain verbs take a preposition other than "by'
Active Passive
This bottle contains milk. Milk is contained in this bottle.
I know his father. His father is known to me.
3. The report alarmed us. We were alarmed at the report.
4 My progress satisfied my teachers. My teachers were satisfied with my progress.
You cannot please everybody. Everybody cannot be pBeased-with you.
6. Satish married Kavita. Kavita was married to Satish. K
7. Her failure surprised (or astonished We were surprised (or astonished or amazed)
at her failure.
/or amazed or amazed) us.
8/Stamp collecting interested the boy. The boy was interested in stamp-collecting.
We were shocked at his death.
AHis death shocked us. He has been offended with his servant.
10A His servant has offended him.
Passive Infinitives
2 Ro the following examples of the active and the the passive infinitive
Mctive Passive

house. I want a house to be bought.

I want to buy a
Women like to be flattered by men.
Women like men to flatter them.
j is time to take tea. It is time for tea to be taken.
4.At is now time to close the shop. It is now time for the shop 1o be closed.
S./He ran fast to win the race. He ran fast for the race to be won.
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B.Tech 2nd Semester;
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Miscellancous Sentences
A3. Read the T.
following examples:
Active Passive
1.
Honey tastes sweet. sweet when (il is) tasted,
Honey is
The rose smells sweet. The rose is sweet when (i7 is) smelt
3. He t is hoped that
he will win a prize,
hopes to win a
prize.
4 Thank God. God be thanked.
live long
May you live long! It is prayed that you may
Rice is taken all over
the world.
6. People take rice all over the world.
7. Promises should be kept.
One should keep one's promises.
What cannot be cured me be endured
S. One must endure what one cannot cure.
Those who help themselves are helped byc
9.God help those who help themselves. Stones should not be thrown at others by
10
Those who live in glass houses should houses.
who live in glass
not throw stones at others.
Passive to Active Voice :
change from
How to
14. Read the following examples
Passive
a Active Ach -

1. The plants are vwatered by the gardener.

The gardener is watering the plants.
2. He is not hated by me. I do not hate him.
Did he consult you. ?
Were you consulted by him?
Your kindness will never be forgotten by me. I shall never forget your kindness.
5. The room is being swept by the sweeper. The sweeper is sweeping the room.
6. Good news was being expected by us. We were expecting good news.
7. We have been insulted by her She has insulted us.
8. The clerk had been brided by them. They had bribed the clerk.
9. Will the lesson have been taught by the Will the teacher have taught the lesson ?
teacher?
10. The poor must be helped by the rich. The rich must help the poor.
11. Let the poor not be teased. Do not tease the poor.
12. He was offered a good job by the The management offered him a good job.
management.
13. The matter is being looked into by the judge The judge is looking into the matter.
14. The minister was heing waited for by the The people were
waiting for the minister.
people.
e were shocked at the news of his death. The news of his death shocked us.
B y whom were you insulted ? Who insulted you ?
Passive Voice without Agent
15. When the agent is not expressed in the passive voice, it must be supplied in the açtive voice
Active Passive
M y pocket has been picked. Someone has picked my pocket.
2. Ahe thief was arrested. The police arrested the thief.
Duty must be done. One must do one's duty.
4. It is said that honesty is the best policy. They say that honesty is the best policy.
5. The ship was wrecked. The storm wrecked the ship.
6. He was compelled to resign the post. Circumstances compelled him to resign the pos.
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