Active and Passive Voice Rules and Examples
When the form of the verb that shows the “Subject doing an Action” or “an action is done on the subject” is called Voice.
Active Voice:- When the verb expresses the action of the subject upon the object is called Active Voice.
Rules:- Sub + Verb + Object
Passive Voice:- When the verb expresses the object being acted upon is called Passive Voice.
Rules:- Object + Helping Verb + V3 + by +Sub
In which cases, Passive Voices are used to express sentences properly?
I) When the subject cannot do an action.
II) When the subject of the action is either unknown or irrelevant and action is important.
Different Tenses in its Active and Passive Rules
| Indefinite Tense | Active | Passive |
| Simple Present | Sub + V1 + Object | Object + Is/are/am +V3 + by + subject |
| Simple Past | Subject + V2 +Object | Object + was / were + V3 +Subject |
| Simple Future | Subject + shall /will + V1 +object | Object + shall/will + be + V3 + by + subject |
Examples:-
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| He writes a letter | A letter is written by him |
| He teaches us grammar | Grammar is taught to us by him |
| Police arrested him | He was arrested by police |
| Rahul wrote this poetry | This poetry was written by Rahul |
| I will not tolerate this nonsense | This nonsense will not be tolerated by me |
| He will write a letter | A letter will be written by him. |
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| Continuous Tense | Active | Passive |
| Present Continuous | Sub + is/am/are + V1 + ing + obj | Obj +is/are/am +being + V3 +by +sub |
| Past Continuous | Sub + was/were + V1 + ing + obj | Obj + was/were +being + V3 +by + sub |
| Future Continuous | Sub + shall /will +be + V1 +ing + obj | Not Possible |
Examples:-
| Active voice | Passive voice |
|---|---|
| He is writing a letter | A letter is being written by him |
| They are laughing at you | You are being laughed at by them |
| The boys are digging a hole in the ground | A hole is being dug in the ground by them |
| Rahul was cleaning the room | The room was being cleaned by Rahul |
| The boys were playing the cricket | Cricket was being played by the boys |
| She was reading a novel | A novel was being read by her. |
| Perfect Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present perfect | Sub + have/has + V3 + obj | obj + have/has + been + V3 + by + sub |
| Past perfect | Sub + had + V3 + obj | Obj + had + been + V3 + by + sub |
| Future Perfect | Sub + shall/will + have + been + V3 + obj | Obj + shall/will + have + been + V3 + by +sub |
Examples:-
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| He has written this letter | This letter has been written by him |
| The news has surprised us | We have been surprised at the news. |
| Rahul had taken this bicycle | This bicycle had been taken by Rahul |
| He had not slept in his bed | His bed had not been slept in |
| Ajay will have taken your books | Your book will have been taken by Ajay. |
| The chairman shall have been called off the meeting | The meeting shall have been called off by the chairman |
In some special cases of voice
In Simple Infinitive sentence:-
| Active:- To +V1 | Passive:- To + be + V3 |
|---|---|
| I am to do it | It is to be done by me |
| You are to write it in Ink | It is to be written in ink |
| We were to buy a motorbike | A motorbike was to be bought by us. |
In Perfect Infinitive sentence:-
| Active (Sub + has/have/had + to +v1 + obj) | Passive (Obj + has/have/had + to + be+ V3 + by + sub) |
|---|---|
| I have to finish the dinner | The dinner has to be finished by me |
| Sheetal has to choose a dress | A dress has to be chosen by Sheetal |
| She has to help the poor people | The poor people have to be helped by her. |
| Ajay had to complete this work | This work had to be completed by Ajay. |
In verbs followed by adjectives:-
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Rose smells sweet | Rose is sweet when it is smelt. |
| Quinine tastes bitter | Quinine is bitter when it is tasted. |
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Different examples of active and passive voice are given here for revision.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Someone give her a bulldog | A bulldog was given to her |
| My uncle promised me a present | I was promised a present by my uncle |
| Please help me | You are requested to help me |
| I know him | He is known to me |
| One should keep one’s promise | A promise should be kept |
| Who is creating this mess? | By whom is this mess being created? |
| The noise of the traffic kept me awake | I was kept awake by the noise of the traffic |
| Why do you waste your time? | Why is time wasted by you? |
| People claim to have seen the suspect in several cities. | The suspect is claimed to have been seen in several cities |
| Those mangoes smell sweet | Those mangoes are sweet when they are smelt |
| Do not make noise | you are forbidden to make a noise |
| Shut the door | Let the door be shut |
| We expect good news | Good news is expected by us |
| It is impossible to do this | This is impossible to be done |
| Can we send the parcel tomorrow | Can the parcel be sent by us tomorrow |
| Please enter by the left door | You are requested to enter by the left door |
| Someone is following us | We are being followed by someone |
| Must we cut this tree | Must this tree be cut |
| Don’t touch this switch | This switch must not be touched |
| Dogs always chase cats | Cats are always chased by dogs |