ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE

FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH (HUM111)

SEEMA PERVEEN
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
 ‘Voice’ is a term that is used to denote the form of the verb which shows if the
subject in a given sentence is the doer or receiver of the action.
 Active Voice _______ Subject is the doer of the action.

 Passive Voice _______ Subject is the receiver of the action.

 For example:

1. Rama helps Hari. (The verb ‘helps’ is said to be in active voice).

Subject + Verb +Object

2. Hari is helped by Rama. (The verb ‘helped’ is said to be in the Passive Voice).

Sub + Verb+ Obj

 Simple Present Tense

Auxiliary verbs used in passive voice: is /am /are

Active Voice Passive Voice

Meena does the housework. The housework is done by Meena.

She prepares dinner. The dinner is prepared by her.

Auxiliary verbs used in passive voice: is being /am being /are being

Active Voice Passive Voice

She is writing an essay. An essay is being written by her.

We are decorating the room. The room is being decorated by us.

You are disturbing me. I am being disturbed by you.

Auxiliary verbs used in passive voice: has been / have been

Active Voice Passive Voice

He has finished the work. The work has been finished by him.

I have not broken the cup. The cup has not been broken by me.

Has he finished the work? Has the work been finished by him?
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
 Simple Past Tense

Auxiliary verbs used in passive voice: was / were

Active Voice Passive Voice

He did not buy a car. A car was not bought by him.

The police officer stopped the red car. The red car was stopped by the police officer.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
 Past Continuous Tense

Auxiliary verbs used in passive voice: was being / were being

Active Voice Passive Voice

She was teaching the kids. The kids were being taught by her.

Was she washing dishes? Was the dishes being washed by her?

He was appreciating the students. The students were being appreciated by him.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
 Past Perfect Tense

Auxiliary verbs used in passive voice: had been

Active Voice Passive Voice

They had won the competition. The competition had been won by them.

He had resolved the issue. The issue had been resolved by him.

The thief had stolen the money. The money had been stolen by the thief.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
 Simple Future Tense

Auxiliary verbs used in passive voice: will be

Active Voice Passive Voice

He will study this book. This book will be studied by him.

Will he studied this book? Will this book be studied by him?

She will wear a new dress. A new dress will be worn by her.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
 Future Perfect Tense

Auxiliary verbs used in passive voice: will have been

Active Voice Passive Voice

He will have finished the task. The task will have been finished by him.

Will he have received the letter? Will the letter have been received by him?

They will have attended the meeting. The meeting will have been attended by him.
Interrogative Sentence into Passive Voice
Active Voice: Wh + Helping Verb (HV)+ Doer+ Main verb (MV)+ Object
Passive Voice: Wh+ HV+ Passive subject+ Auxiliary verb+ V3+ Preposition+ Doer+ ……..?
For Example:
1. Active: Why have you injured this puppy?
Passive: Why has the puppy been injured by you?
 If sentences start with Question word + do/does/did, then we use is/am/are/was/were as
helping verb in passive voice.
2. Active: Why did you hit her?
Passive: Why was she hit by you?
 Imperative Sentence into Passive Voice
 A sentence that expresses a request, an advice or an order.
 The subject is not clearly mentioned in imperative sentences.

 There are three rules for converting imperative sentences into passive voice.
1. The imperative sentence in passive always starts with word ‘Let’
2. The word ‘be’ is used as an auxiliary in the passive voice.
3. The 1st form of the verb is changed into 3rd form of verb (e.g. written).
Imperative Sentence into Passive Voice
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE

Close the door. Let the door be closed.

Do not waste the time. Let the time not be wasted.

Speak the truth. Let the truth be spoken.

Study this book for your exam. Let this book be studied for your exam.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
Note: The sentence of the following tenses cannot be converted into passive voice.
1. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
2. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
3. Future Continuous Tense
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
 Active Voice is used when the agent (i.e., doer of the action) is to be made prominent ;
 Passive voice, when the person or thing acted upon is to be made prominent.
 The Passive is generally preferred when the active form would involve the use of an
indefinite or vague pronoun or noun (somebody, they, people, we, etc.) as subject; when
we don’t know the agent or the agent is clear enough.
E.g. English is spoken all over the world.
My pen has been stolen.
I was asked my name.
I have been invited to the party.
In such cases the agent with by is usually avoided.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
Tense Active Voice Passive Voice

Simple Present Take / takes am taken / is taken

Present Continuous am taking/ are taking am being taken/ are being taken

Present Perfect Has taken / have taken has been taken/ have been taken

Simple Past took was taken / were taken

Past Continuous was taking/ were taking was being taken/ were being takn
 ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE
Tense ( or Modal +base) Active Voice Passive Voice

Past Perfect had taken had been taken

Simple Future will take will be taken

can/ may/ must etc. + base can take can be taken