Active & Passive

Active Voice Form

When we want to say that the subject of a sentence is doing the action, we use the verb of that sentence in its Active form: e.g. A man is cutting down a tree. A man = subject -- doing the action -- cutting Active
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Active & Passive

Passive Voice Form

When we want to say that the subject of a sentence is not doing anything but is allowing something to be done to it by somebody else, we use the Passive Voice form: e.g. A tree is being cut down by a man. A tree = subject = not doing anything, but allowing a man to cut it. Passive
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Active-Passive Voice example 1

The boy is carrying the girl.

Active Voice

The boy = subject is carrying = verb the girl = object of the verb Who is doing the action of carrying? = The boy subject of the sentence
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Active-Passive Voice example 2

The girl is being carried by the boy. Passive Voice

The girl = subject is being carried = verb by = preposition the boy = object of the preposition by Who is doing the action of carrying? = Not The girl, the subject, but the boy, the object
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Active-Passive Voice changes 1

John reads a book every day.

Active Voice John -- the subject of the Active sentence A book is read every day by John. Passive Voice by John object of the preposition by The subject of the Active sentence becomes the object of the preposition in the Passive sentence!

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Active-Passive Voice changes 2

John reads a book every day. Active Voice reads verb of the Active sentence A book is read every day by John. Passive voice
The Active form of the verb in Active sentence is changed into the Passive form in Passive sentence. reads becomes is read!

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Active-Passive Voice changes 3

John reads a book every day. a book -- object of the verb

Active Voice

A book is read every day by John. Passive voice

A book -- subject of the passive sentence

The object of the verb in the Active sentence becomes the subject of the Passive sentence.
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Active-Passive Voice note 1

He cooks food. Active Voice food object of the verb singular Food is cooked by him. Passive Voice Food subject of the passive sentence singular, so is cooked - verb singular When the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb must also be in singular

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Active-Passive Voice note 2

When the subject of a sentence is Plural, the verb of that sentence must be Plural: He carried some books. Active Voice some books -- object of the verb in Active Plural Some books were carried by him. Passive Voice were carried verb were plural / books plural

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Active-Passive Voice -- note 3

She has signed ten letters.

Active Voice

She subject; has part of the verb singular ten letters object of the verb in Active -- plural
Ten letters have been signed by her. Passive Voice Ten letters subject plural; have been signed verb have -- plural
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Active-Passive Voice Tense Change 1

She bakes cakes. Active bakes verb Simple Present Tense Cakes are baked by her. Passive Voice are baked verb Simple Present Tense

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Active-Passive Tense Change 2

He is building a sand castle. is building verb present continues tense ACTIVE VOICE FORM
A sand castle is being built by him. is being built verb present continues tense PASSIVE VOICE FORM

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Active-Passive -- Tense Change 3

He has drawn a picture. has drawn verb present perfect tense ACTIVE VOICE
A picture has been drawn by him.

has been drawn verb present perfect tense PASSIVE VOICE

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Active-Passive Tense Change 4

According to the traditional grammar rules, the present perfect continues tense is not used in PASSIVE VOICE FORM; however, in the contemporary English, there are occasions where the present perfect continues tense is used in the Passive Voice: e.g. He has been mowing the lawn. Active Voice

The lawn has been being mowed by him. Passive Voice

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Active-Passive Voice Tense Change 5

She told me a secret. Active Voice told verb simple past tense A secret was told (to) me by her. Passive Voice was told verb simple past tense
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Active-Passive Voice Tense Change 6

The postman was delivering the post.

was delivering -- verb -- Past Continuous Tense ACTIVE VOICE FORM

The post was being delivered by the postman.

was being delivered -- verb -- Past continuous Tense PASSIVE VOICE FORM
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Active-Passive Voice -- Tense Change 7

She had eaten several peas before she offered him any.

had eaten verb past perfect tense Active

Several peas had been eaten by her before she offered him any. had been eaten verb past perfect tense -- Passive
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Active-Passive Voice Tense Change 8

According to the traditional grammar rules, the past perfect continuous tense is not used in Passive form; however, in the contemporary English, there are occasions where the past perfect tense is used in the Passive Form, too! He had been writing letters for half an hour before somebody called him out. Letters had been being written for half an hour (by him) before somebody called him out.
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Active-Passive Voice Tense Change 9

They will give the beggar some money. will give -- verb -- simple future tense -- Active The beggar will be given some money by them. will be given -- verb -- simple future tense -- Passive
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Active-Passive -- Tense Change10

According to the traditional grammar rules, the future continuous tense in the Active is not used in Passive Voice Form. e.g. They will be playing with fireworks by the time their father reaches home. Active will be playing verb future continuous -------- NO PASSIVE -------05-05-2009 BCK 20

Active-Passive Voice Tense Change 11

Sue

will have sewn two dresses by 12 O clock.

will have sewn verb future perfect tense Active

Two dresses will have been sewn by 12 O clock by Sue. will have been sewn verb future perfect tense -Passive
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Active-Passive Voice Tense Change 12

According to the traditional grammar rules, the future perfect continuous tense is not used in the Passive Voice Form: e.g. You will have been working on the course material for 2 hours by 6 in the evening. will have been working verb Future Perfect Continuous Tense Active ---------- NO CHANGE ---------BCK
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Active-Passive Voice Tense Change 13

The Modal Auxiliary (helping) Verbs in Passive Voice Form take be: e.g. He will give you a book. Active Voice You will be given a book by him. Passive e.g. They can pick a number. Active Voice A number can be picked by them. Passive e.g. We must finish this job. Active Voice This job must be finished by us. Passive
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Active-Passive Voice note 1

The Subject of the active voice sentence becomes the object of the preposition in the Passive Voice sentence. The preposition is usually by when the object is a person, and with when the object is a thing, such as a knife, gun, arrow, etc.
e.g. The hunter shot the deer with an arrow. Active The deer was shot with an arrow by the hunter. Passive an arrow -- a thing preposition with a hunter -- a person -- preposition by

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Active-Passive Voice note 2

When there are two objects of the verb in the active voice sentence, we can change that active sentence into passive in two way: using the first object in one sentence and the second object in the other.

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Active-Passive Voice note 2

(continued)

e.g. The teacher teaches you a lesson. Active

you object of the verb / a lesson object of the verb
(A) (B)

You are taught a lesson by the teacher. Passive A lesson is taught to you by the teacher. Passive

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Active-Passive Voice -- note 3

In writing the Passive Voice, in most cases, the preposition by or with and its object are not used, because they are understood: e.g. The cook made me an omelette. Active Voice An omelette was made for me by the cook.

.
Passive Voice
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