Active and Passive Voice Rules of English Grammar

Understanding the Active and Passive Voice is an essential part of mastering English grammar. These concepts are not only crucial for clear communication but also frequently tested in various competitive exams. This guide will help you understand the rules of active and passive voice, including their definitions, usage, examples, and tips for effective application. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

1. What Is Voice in Grammar?

2. Types of Voices

• • Active Voice
  • Passive Voice

3. Active and Passive Voice Conversion Rules

4. Forms of Active and Passive Voice for All Tenses

5. Common Mistakes in Using Active and Passive Voice

6. Practice Questions and Answers

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What Is Voice in Grammar?

The voice of a verb indicates whether the subject in the sentence performs the action or receives the action.

Active Voice: The subject performs the action.

• • Example: The cat chased the mouse.

Passive Voice: The subject receives the action.

• • Example: The mouse was chased by the cat.

2. Types of Voices

Active Voice

Definition: When the subject of a sentence performs the action, the sentence is in the active voice.

• • Characteristics:
    • • Direct and clear.
      • Focuses on the subject.
  • Examples:
    • She writes a letter.
    • The boy threw the ball.

Passive Voice

Definition

Definition: When the subject of a sentence receives the action, the sentence is in the passive voice.

• • Characteristics:
    • Focuses on the action or the object.
    • The subject may be omitted if not necessary.
  • Examples:
    • A letter is written by her.
    • The ball was thrown by the boy.

Active and Passive Voice Conversion Rules

Converting a sentence from active voice to passive voice requires following specific rules:

Rule 1: Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object

• Example:
  • • Active: She sings a song.
    • Subject: She, Verb: sings, Object: a song.

Rule 2: Swap the Subject and Object

The object in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice.

• • Passive: A song is sung by her.

Rule 3: Use the Correct Form of the Verb

The verb is changed to its past participle form, preceded by an auxiliary verb (is, am, are, was, were, etc.).

Rule 4: Add the Preposition “by”

• Example:
• Active: The chef cooks the meal.
• Passive: The meal is cooked by the chef.

Rule 5: Adjust Pronouns

Pronouns in the active voice are changed as follows:

4. Forms of Active and Passive Voice for All Tenses

Here’s how active and passive voice sentences change across tenses:

Simple Present Tense

• • Active: She writes a book.
  • Passive: A book is written by her.

Present Continuous Tense

• • Active: They are reading a story.
  • Passive: A story is being read by them.

Present Perfect Tense

• • Active: He has completed the project.
  • Passive: The project has been completed by him.

Simple Past Tense

• • Active: She baked a cake.
  • Passive: A cake was baked by her.

Past Continuous Tense

• • Active: They were playing football.
  • Passive: Football was being played by them.

Past Perfect Tense

• • Active: She had delivered the message.
  • Passive: The message had been delivered by her.

Simple Future Tense

• • Active: He will paint the wall.
  • Passive: The wall will be painted by him.

Future Perfect Tense

• • Active: She will have completed the assignment.
  • Passive: The assignment will have been completed by her.

5. Common Mistakes in Using Active and Passive Voice

Mistake 1: Incorrect Verb Form

• • Incorrect: The letter wrote by him.
  • Correct: The letter was written by him.

Mistake 2: Omitting the Subject in Passive Voice

• • Incorrect: Was painted yesterday.
  • Correct: The house was painted yesterday.

Mistake 3: Mixing Tenses Incorrectly

• • Incorrect: She is writing a book was completed by her.
  • Correct: The book is being written by her.

6. Practice Questions and Answers

Convert the following sentences from active to passive voice:

1. Active: The gardener waters the plants.

• • Passive: The plants are watered by the gardener.

2. Active: She is singing a beautiful song.

• • Passive: A beautiful song is being sung by her.

3. Active: They built a new house.

• • Passive: A new house was built by them.

4. Active: He will complete the project.

• • Passive: The project will be completed by him.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: When should I use passive voice?

Use passive voice when:

• • The doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.
  • You want to emphasize the action rather than the subject.

Q2: Can every sentence be converted into passive voice?

No, sentences without a direct object (intransitive verbs) cannot be converted into passive voice.

• • Example: She sleeps. (No object to convert)

Q3: What are common auxiliary verbs used in passive voice?

• • Present: is, am, are
  • Past: was, were
  • Perfect: has been, have been, had been
  • Future: will be, shall be