All questions of Active and Passive Voice for Class 11 Exam

Active Voice and Passive Voice:
Active voice and passive voice are two different ways to construct sentences. In active voice, the subject is performing the action, while in passive voice, the subject is receiving the action.

Distinguishing Active and Passive Voice:
To determine whether a sentence is in active or passive voice, we can look for a few key indicators:
- Active voice: The subject is performing the action.
- Passive voice: The subject is receiving the action, and the verb includes a form of "to be" (e.g., is, was, were) followed by a past participle.

Explanation of the Sentences:
Let's analyze each of the given sentences to identify the active voice sentence:

a) Jane Austen wrote the novel.
- This sentence is in the active voice as Jane Austen (the subject) is performing the action (wrote).

b) The novel was written by Jane Austen.
- This sentence is in the passive voice as the subject (the novel) is receiving the action (was written).

c) The novel is being written by Jane Austen.
- This sentence is also in the passive voice as the subject (the novel) is receiving the action (is being written).

d) Jane Austen will write a new novel soon.
- This sentence is in the active voice as Jane Austen (the subject) is performing the action (will write).

Conclusion:
Based on the analysis, it is clear that sentence a) "Jane Austen wrote the novel" is in the active voice, as the subject is performing the action. The other options, b), c), and d), are in the passive voice as the subjects are receiving the actions.

Sentence in the Passive Voice:
The sentence "I was offered a job by the company" is an example of a sentence in the passive voice.

Explanation:
To understand why the sentence is in the passive voice, let's first define what passive voice is. In English grammar, the passive voice is a construction in which the subject of a sentence is the receiver of the action rather than the doer. In other words, the focus is on the recipient or the object of the action rather than the person or thing performing the action.

Here is a breakdown of the sentence:

Subject: I
Verb: was offered
Object: a job
Agent: by the company

The subject of the sentence is "I," but it is not performing the action. Instead, it is receiving the action of being offered a job. The verb "was offered" is in the passive voice because it emphasizes the action on the subject rather than the subject performing the action.

Importance of Passive Voice:
The passive voice is often used to shift the focus of the sentence from the doer of the action to the recipient or to emphasize the object of the action. This can be useful in various contexts, such as:

1. When the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant: The passive voice allows us to focus on what happened rather than who did it. In this case, the company offering the job is not as important as the fact that the job was offered.

2. When the doer of the action is obvious or implied: Sometimes, it is unnecessary to mention who performed the action because it is already clear from the context. In the sentence, it is implied that the company offered the job, so there is no need to explicitly state it.

3. When the writer wants to be more formal or objective: The passive voice can lend a more formal or objective tone to a sentence. In certain contexts, such as academic or scientific writing, this can be preferred.

In Summary:
The sentence "I was offered a job by the company" is an example of a sentence in the passive voice because the subject is the receiver of the action rather than the doer. The passive voice is used to shift the focus onto the object of the action or when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

Explanation:

Active Voice: In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. The active voice is generally preferred in writing as it is more direct and concise.

The correct answer is option 'B', "My grandmother baked the cake." This sentence is an example of the active voice because the subject ("my grandmother") performs the action ("baked the cake").

Examples:

To further understand the concept of active voice, let's look at the examples provided:

a) The cake was baked by my grandmother. - Passive Voice
- In this sentence, the subject ("cake") is being acted upon ("was baked") by the grandmother. The sentence is in the passive voice.

b) My grandmother baked the cake. - Active Voice
- In this sentence, the subject ("my grandmother") performs the action ("baked") directly. The sentence is in the active voice.

c) The cake is being baked by my grandmother. - Passive Voice
- In this sentence, the subject ("cake") is being acted upon ("is being baked") by the grandmother. The sentence is in the passive voice.

d) My grandmother will bake the cake. - Active Voice
- In this sentence, the subject ("my grandmother") will perform the action ("bake") in the future. The sentence is in the active voice.

Benefits of Active Voice:
- Provides clarity and directness in writing.
- Emphasizes the doer of the action, making the sentence more engaging.
- Creates a more concise and efficient sentence structure.

Conclusion:
In summary, the sentence "My grandmother baked the cake" is an example of the active voice because the subject ("my grandmother") performs the action ("baked"). The active voice is preferred in writing as it is more direct and concise.

Explanation:

The passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence is the recipient of the action rather than the doer of the action. In passive voice sentences, the focus is on the object or the receiver of the action.

Active voice: The subject performs the action.
Passive voice: The subject receives the action.

Let's analyze each sentence to identify the passive voice:

a) The chef cooked a delicious meal.
- This sentence is in the active voice as the subject "chef" is performing the action "cooked".

b) The chef will prepare a new menu next week.
- This sentence is in the active voice as the subject "chef" is performing the action "will prepare".

c) The diners enjoyed the meal.
- This sentence is in the active voice as the subject "diners" is performing the action "enjoyed".

d) A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
- This sentence is in the passive voice as the subject "meal" is receiving the action "was cooked" and the doer of the action "chef" is mentioned using the preposition "by".

Therefore, the sentence in the passive voice is option 'D': "A delicious meal was cooked by the chef."

Explanation:

Identifying the Passive Voice Sentence:
- In a passive voice sentence, the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing the action.
- The passive voice is formed using a form of "to be" (e.g., was, were) along with the past participle of the main verb.

Analysis of Options:
a) The doctor prescribed a new medicine for the patient - This sentence is in the active voice as the subject "the doctor" is performing the action of prescribing.
b) A new medicine was prescribed for the patient by the doctor - This sentence is in the passive voice as the subject "a new medicine" is receiving the action of being prescribed by the doctor.
c) The patient followed the doctor's instructions - This sentence is in the active voice as the subject "the patient" is performing the action of following.
d) The doctor will see the patient again next week - This sentence is in the active voice as the subject "the doctor" is performing the action of seeing.

Conclusion:
The sentence "A new medicine was prescribed for the patient by the doctor" is an example of a sentence in the passive voice because the subject of the sentence is receiving the action rather than performing it.

Explanation:


The active voice is used when the subject of the sentence performs the action. In an active sentence, the subject is the doer of the action, and the object is the receiver of the action. Let's analyze each option to determine which one is in the active voice.

a) The bike was stolen from the garage last night.


This sentence is in the passive voice because the bike is the receiver of the action (being stolen), and the subject (the doer of the action) is not mentioned. The sentence focuses on the bike being stolen rather than who stole it.

b) The police were called to investigate the theft.


This sentence is also in the passive voice because the police were the ones called to investigate the theft. The subject (the doer of the action) is not mentioned, and the focus is on the police being called.

c) Someone stole the bike from the garage last night.


This sentence is in the active voice because the subject (someone) performs the action (stole) on the object (the bike). The sentence clearly states who performed the action and what action was taken.

d) The owner of the bike will file an insurance claim.


This sentence is in the active voice because the subject (the owner of the bike) performs the action (will file) on the object (an insurance claim). The sentence clearly states who will perform the action and what action will be taken.

Conclusion:


Option C, "Someone stole the bike from the garage last night," is an example of a sentence in the active voice because the subject (someone) performs the action (stole) on the object (the bike). The sentence clearly identifies who performed the action and what action was taken.