Active and Passive Voice Rules | Basic Grammar for IELTS PDF Download

Active and Passive Voice Rules for Competitive Exams

Active & Passive Voice

Active and Passive voice is a crucial grammatical structure in English. Understanding their usage rules is vital for effective communication. This article will cover the basics of active and passive voice, including their usage, rules, and conversion. Proficiency in the English language is crucial for competitive exams, emphasizing the importance of mastering the Voice section.

Explanation of Active and Passive Voice

• Active voice is when the subject of a sentence performs the action.
• Passive voice is when the subject receives the action.
• Active voice is more direct and concise.
• Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action, not the doer.

Examples of Active and Passive Voice

• Active voice: "The dog bit the man."
• Passive voice: "The man was bitten by the dog."
• Active voice: "She wrote a novel."
• Passive voice: "The novel was written by her."

Rules for Using Active and Passive Voice

• Use active voice for clarity and directness.
• Passive voice is used when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.
• Avoid overusing passive voice to maintain readability.
• Active voice is preferred in most writing situations.

Importance of Active and Passive Voice in Competitive Exams

• Understanding active and passive voice is crucial for grammar-related questions.
• Knowing when to use each voice can enhance your writing skills.
• Mastering active and passive voice can improve clarity and precision in communication.
• Proficiency in both voices is essential for success in competitive exams.

Table of Content

• Voice of a verb
• Active and Passive Voice Rules Chart
• Active And Passive Voice Rules For Conversion
• Active and Passive Voice Rules For All Tenses
• FAQs on Active and Passive Voice Rules

Voice of a verb

• The voice of a verb indicates whether the subject performs the action or receives the action.
• In English, there are two types of voices: Active voice and Passive voice.

Active and Passive Voice Rules Chart

• Active Voice
• Passive Voice

Active And Passive Voice Rules For Conversion

• Active Voice: Subject performs the action.
• Passive Voice: Subject receives the action.
• Conversion involves changing the voice of a sentence without changing its meaning.

Active and Passive Voice Rules For All Tenses

• Active Voice: Subject acts on the verb.
• Passive Voice: Subject receives the action.
• Rules apply to all English tenses for voice transformation.

FAQs on Active and Passive Voice Rules

• What is Active Voice?
• When the subject performs the action, it's Active Voice. For example, "Nisha ate the apple" - Nisha is the subject performing the action.

Understanding Active and Passive Voice

• Active Voice is when the subject of the sentence performs the action described by the verb.
• For instance, consider the sentence: "Nisha ate the apple." Here, "Nisha" is the subject carrying out the action "ate."

What is Passive Voice?

• Passive Voice occurs when the subject of the sentence receives the action conveyed by the verb or is acted upon.
• For example, in the sentence: "The apple was eaten by Nisha," "The apple" is the subject receiving the action "was eaten."

• Passive Voice is used when the subject of the sentence receives the action expressed by the verb or is acted upon.
• For example, in the sentence: "The apple was eaten by Nisha," "The apple" is the subject receiving the action "was eaten."

• "Active voice implies that the subject is performing the action, while the passive voice indicates that the subject is being acted upon."

Active and Passive Voice Rules Chart

Active and Passive voices are important in English grammar. Here are some examples to help you understand:

• In Active voice: "The cat chased the mouse." - Here, the subject (the cat) performs the action.
• In Passive voice: "The mouse was chased by the cat." - Here, the subject (the mouse) receives the action.
• Active and Passive voices can change the focus of a sentence.
• Active voice is often preferred for clarity and directness.

Active And Passive Voice Rules For Conversion :

• The subject of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
• The active verb changes to the passive verb, and the object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb.
• The finite form of the verb is transformed into the past participle or V3 form in the passive voice.
• The preposition "by" is utilized before the passive object to indicate the doer of the action.

Explanation:

• When converting from active to passive voice, the subject of the active sentence retains its role in the passive sentence. For instance:
  • Active: "The dog chased the cat."
  • Passive: "The cat was chased by the dog."
• In passive voice construction, the active verb is transformed into the passive verb, and the object of the active verb becomes the new subject of the passive verb. For example:
  • Active: "She wrote a novel."
  • Passive: "A novel was written by her."
• The finite form of the verb in the active voice is converted into the past participle or V3 form in the passive voice. For instance:
  • Active: "They are building a new house."
  • Passive: "A new house is being built by them."
• When using the passive voice, the preposition "by" is added before the passive object to indicate who is performing the action. For example:
  • Active: "He painted the picture."
  • Passive: "The picture was painted by him."

Active and Passive Voice Rules For All Tenses:

1. Simple Present/ Past/ Future Tense

• Active Voice:
• Subject performs the action with the base form of the verb in the present, past, or future tense.
• Example: John writes a letter.
• Passive Voice:
• The object of the active sentence becomes the focus, followed by a form of "to be" and the past participle of the main verb, then "by" and the subject.
• Example: A letter is written by John.

2. Present/ Past Continuous Tense

• Active Voice:
• Subject is in the process of carrying out an action with the present or past continuous tense.
• Example: They are watching a movie.
• Passive Voice:
• The object is emphasized, followed by a form of "to be" and "being," then the past participle of the main verb, and finally "by" and the subject.
• Example: A movie is being watched by them.

3. Present/ Past/ Future Perfect Tense

• Active Voice:
• Subject has completed an action with the present, past, or future perfect tense.
• Example: She has finished her work.
• Passive Voice:
• The object is made the focus, followed by a form of "to have" and "been," then the past participle of the main verb, and finally "by" and the subject.
• Example: Her work has been finished by her.

NOTE: Voice generally remains unchanged in sentences using Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Continuous, or Future Perfect Continuous tenses.

4. Interrogative Sentences

• Structure 1:Questioning in Present and Past Tense
  • Active: Pose questions using 'Do/does/did' followed by subject, base verb (V1), and object. Example: Do you like ice cream?
  • Passive: Construct questions with 'Is/are/am/was/were' followed by object, past participle (V3), and 'by' then subject. Example: Is the cake baked by him?
• Structure 2:Formulating Queries in Continuous Tenses
  • Active: Express questions using 'Is/are/a/was/were' followed by subject, 'be' verb in -ing form, and object. Example: Is she eating lunch?
  • Passive: Frame questions with 'Is/are/am/was/were' followed by object, 'being,' past participle (III form), and 'by' then subject. Example: Is the report being reviewed by the team?
• Structure 3:Creating Questions with Perfect Tenses
  • Active: Form questions using 'Has/have/had' followed by subject, past participle (IIIrd form), and object. Example: Have you finished your homework?
  • Passive: Craft questions with 'Has/have/had' followed by object, 'been,' past participle (IIIrd form), and 'by' then subject. Example: Has the book been read by you?
• Structure 4:Questioning Involving 'Who' in Active and Passive Voice
  • Active: Use 'Who' followed by verb in 's/es' or second form and object. Example: Who wrote this book?
  • Passive: Reconstruct questions using 'By whom,' 'is/are/am/was/were,' object, past participle (IIIrd form). Example: By whom was the letter written?
• Structure 5:Interrogatives with Question Words
  • Active: Frame questions with question words followed by 'do/does/did,' subject, base verb (I form), and object. Example: What do you want?
  • Passive: Construct questions using question words, 'Is/are/am/was/were,' object, past participle (III form), and 'by' then subject. Example: What is being done by them?

Future Tense

• Structure 1: Active and Passive voice
• Structure 2: Active and Passive voice with 'have'
• Structure 3: Active and Passive voice with 'Who'
• Structure 4: Active and Passive voice with 'Wh-question word'

Future tense in English grammar deals with actions that will happen in the future. It is formed using modal auxiliary verbs like 'shall' and 'will'.

Structure 1: Active and Passive voice

• Active: Shall/will + subject + verb (Ist form) + object...?
• Passive: Is/are/am Shall/will + object + be + verb (IIIrd form) + by + subject...?

In active voice, the subject performs the action, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action.

Structure 2: Active and Passive voice with 'have'

• Active: Shall/will + subject + have + verb (IIIrd form) + object...
• Passive: Shall/will + object + have + been + verb (IIIrd form) + by + subject...

This structure is used when emphasizing the completion of an action by a certain time in the future.

Structure 3: Active and Passive voice with 'Who'

• Active: Who + Shall/will + V1 + object...?
• Passive: By whom Shall/will + object + be + verb (IIIrd form)?

Here, the focus is on the person performing the action in the active voice and the receiver of the action in the passive voice.

Structure 4: Active and Passive voice with 'Wh-question word'

• Active: Wh-question word + Shall/will + subject + verb (Ist form) + object...?
• Passive: Wh-question word + Shall/will + object + be + verb (IIIrd form) + by + subject...?

Questions starting with 'Wh' are common in English and are used to gather specific information.

Imperative Sentences

• Positive Imperative Sentences: In positive imperative sentences, the active voice involves a verb followed by an object. In passive voice structure, you can use "Let + object + be + past participle" or "You are requested/ordered/suggested + to + verb (1st form) + object." For instance, Active: Close the door. Passive: Let the door be closed.
• Negative Imperative Sentences: Negative imperative sentences in the active voice start with "Do not" followed by a verb and an object. In the passive voice, you can use "Let + object + not + be + past participle" or "You are requested/ordered/suggested + not + to + verb (1st form) + object." For example, Active: Do not disturb him. Passive: Let him not be disturbed.

"To be" Sentences

• Active "To be" Sentences: These sentences involve a subject followed by "Is/Are/Am/Was/Were/Has/Have/Had" and then "To" before a verb in its 1st form and an object. For example, She is to complete the task.
• Passive "To be" Sentences: In passive "to be" sentences, the object is followed by "Is/Are/Am/Was/Were/Has/Have/Had" and then "To Be" before a verb in its 3rd form and "By" followed by the subject. For instance, The task is to be completed by her.

Verb Preposition Object

• Active Verb Preposition Object: These sentences contain a subject followed by a verb, a preposition, and an object. For example, She looked at the painting.
• Passive Verb Preposition Object: In passive sentences, the object is followed by "to be," then a verb in its 3rd form, the preposition, and finally "by" followed by the subject. For instance, The painting was looked at by her.

NOTE: When converting such sentences into passive voice, the verb is always followed by the particular preposition.

Grammar Concepts Summary

Modal Verbs

• Modal verbs are used in active voice in the form: Subject + modal verb + (V1) + object...
• In passive voice, the structure changes to: Object + modal verb + be + V3 + by + subject...

Di-Transitive Verbs

• Some verbs can take two objects, as seen in sentences like: "Samdish gave the beggar an old t-shirt."
• In passive voice, these sentences can be structured as:
  1. An old t-shirt was given to the beggar by Samdish.
  2. The beggar was given an old t-shirt by Samdish.

Sentences with the Intransitive Verb

These sentences, also known as Mid-voice or Quasi-Passive voice, appear in active voice but convey a passive meaning. They involve intransitive verbs without a direct object.

• For instance, in the sentence "Honey tastes sweet," the active form can be transformed into passive as: "Honey is sweet when it is tasted."

TENSES: Active Voice and Passive Voice

• Active: Honey tastes sweet.
• Passive: Honey is sweet when it is tasted.

TENSE

• Future Perfect Continuous

  • I will have been writing a letter.
  • A letter will have been being written by me.

• Examples of Active and Passive Voice

  • Active Voice

    • I gave him a book for his Birthday
    • The Hunter killed the Lion

  • Passive Voice

    • He was given a book for his Birthday.
    • The Lion was killed by Hunter.

• Usage of Passive Voice

  • When the main subject performing the action is unknown, passive voice can be used.

• Identification of Active-Passive Voice Sentences

  • When the subject performs the action, it is in active voice. When the subject receives the action, it is in passive voice.

• Examples of Passive Voice

  • 1. Active Voice: She writes a book.

    Passive Voice: A book is written by her.

  • 2. Active Voice: They will complete the project.

    Passive Voice: The project will be completed by them.

  • 3. Active Voice: He repaired the car.

    Passive Voice: The car was repaired by him.

  • In passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the verb is changed, often with the addition of "by" to indicate the doer of the action.

Passive Voice Exercises

Exercise 1: Convert the active voice sentences into passive voice:

• The teacher teaches the students.
• They built a new house.
• She will sing a song.
• The chef cooked a delicious meal.
• The company has developed a new product.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentences in passive voice:

• The cat chased the mouse.
• He has completed the assignment.
• They are repairing the car.
• The gardener is planting flowers.
• She will bake a cake.

Exercise 3: Determine active or passive voice:

• The letter was written by Mary.
• They are watching a movie.
• The door was opened by John.
• She will be awarded a prize.
• He fixed the computer.

Passive Voice Tenses

Passive voice is employed in various tenses to indicate the timing of an action:

• Present Simple Passive: Happens now.
  • The book is read by the students.
• Past Simple Passive: Happened in the past.
  • The car was repaired by the mechanic yesterday.
• Future Simple Passive: Will happen in the future.
  • The project will be completed by the team next week.

Each tense specifies a particular timeframe for the action to occur.

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