Passive Voice

 Voice (Verb)

Active Voice

    

           Doer (subject) is given more importance.

    Subject is placed in the beginning.

Sentence structure

Subject + helping verb + appropriate form of main verb + object

e.g. I have visited Agra.

Passive Voice

    

      Action is given more importance.

    Object is placed in the beginning.

Sentence structure

Object + helping verb (if required) + appropriate form of ‘be’ + V3 + by + subject

e.g. Agra has been visited by me.

Forms of ‘Be’

Present ( I form)	Past ( II form)	Past Perfect ( III form)	Present Participle (ing form)
am ( I )	was	been	being
is (singular)	was	been	being
are (you & plural)	were	been	being

Present Tense

Tense Active Voice Passive Voice Simple Present V1 (First form of verb) Is / am / are + V3 (third form of verb) My mother cooks delicious food. Delicious food is cooked by my mother. Present Continuous Is/am/are + V1 + ing Is/am/are + being + V3 They are playing Football. Football is being played by them. Present Perfect Has/have + V3 Has/have + been + V3 I have completed my work. Work has been completed by me. Present Perfect Continuous Doesn’t apply

Past Tense

Tense Active Voice Passive Voice Simple Past V2 (second form of verb) was / were + V3 (third form of verb) I read this book last month. This book was read by me last month. Past Continuous was/were + V1 + ing was//were + being + V3 The students were making noise. Noise was being made by the students. Past Perfect Had + V3 Had + been + V3 They had performed the play. The play had been performed Past Perfect Continuous Doesn’t apply (voice does not change)

Future Tense

Tense Active Voice Passive Voice Simple Future Will / shall + V1 Will/shall + be + V3 (third form of verb) I will not harm the insects. The insects will not be harmed by me. Future Continuous Doesn’t apply (voice doesn’t change) Future Perfect Will/shall + have + V3 Will/shall + have + been + V3 They shall have taken the train. The train shall have been taken by them. Future Perfect Continuous Doesn’t apply (voice does not change)

Certain Points to remember :

1. Sentences in Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous Tenses can’t be converted into Passive Voice.

2. Intransitive verbs can’t be changed in passive voice as they don’t take an object after them.

3. Imperative sentences are changed in a different way as they don't have subjects and begin with verb and their subjects are understood as ‘you’.

Passive voice in Imperative Sentence

A - Bring a cup of coffee for me. (order)

P - You are ordered to bring a cup of coffee for me.

A - Switch off the fan. (asking)

P - Let the fan be switched off.

A - Listen to me, please. (request)

P - You are requested to listen to me.

A - Work hard for assured success. (advice)

P - You are advised to work hard for assured success.

Passive with two objects

A - Sneha gave me a pen. (pen is direct object and answer of ‘what’)

P - A pen was given to me by Sneha. (direct object is placed in the beginning)

A - My father gifted me a watch.

P - A watch was gifted me by my father.

More Examples :

A - Pratap catches a big fish.

P - A big fish is caught by Pratap.

A - Help the needy

P - The needy should be helped.

A - Open the door.

P - Let the door be opened. (by you)

A - Who will cook the food, today?

P - By whom will the food be cooked, today?

A - The children laughed at the mad man.

P - The mad man was laughed at by the children.

Exercise 1

Change the voice of the following sentence.

a. I will help you.

b. My pocket has been picked.

c. People speak English all over the world.

d. He was appointed as monitor.

e. The light has been put out.

f. They gave the children sweets.

Answers :

a. You will be helped by me.

b. Someone has picked my pocket.

c. English is spoken by the people all over the world.

d. They appointed him as monitor.

e. Someone has put out the light.

f. Sweets were given to the children by them.

Exercise 2

Read the following instructions and complete the paragraph that follows.

First of all, take a pan.

Pour a cup of water into the pan and let it boil for a minute.

Add a teaspoon full of tea leaves in the boiling water.

Add sugar according to taste.

After another minute, strain the tea into a cup.

Add little milk and serve hot.

First of all, a pan is taken. A cup of water a. ______________  into the pan and let it be boiled for a minute. A teaspoon of tea leaves b. _____________ into the boiling water. Then, sugar c. _______________  taste. After another minute, the tea d. _____________  into the cup. Lastly, little milk e. ______________  hot.

Answers :

a. is poured

b. is added

c. is added according to

d. is strained

e. is added and served