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ActiveandPassiveVoice
byDagnyTaggartFriday,12October2007,10:06AM

Anintimateknowledgeofactiveandpassiveformsofverbsisahandytoolfornotonlyauthorswhoneedtomake
complexsentencesbutalsoourCAT2007/2008aspirantswhoneedtoidentifysubtleerrorsinusage.Knowingthe
correctformsofmanyirregularverbsandthestructureofformationofpassiveverbscanpreventmuchconfusion
whilereadingsentences.Presentedinthearticlebelow,isacomprehensivecollectionofusagenotesforactiveand
passivevoice.

TheVerbscanbecategorisedintotwoforms:
ActiveEvaiseatingfood.
PassivethefoodiseatenbyEva.

Inactivevoice,thesubjectisabeeroradoerandtheverbmovesthesentencealong.
Inthepassivevoice,thesubjectofthesentenceisneitheradoerorabeer,butisacteduponbysomeotheragentorbysomething
unnamedthefoodiseaten.Theactivevoicetakestheformof"AdoesB"thepassivetakestheformof"Bisdone[byA]."

Thepassiveformsofaverbarecreatedbycombiningaformofthe"tobeverb"withthepastparticipleofthemainverb.Otherhelping
verbsarealsosometimespresent:"ThefoodhasbeeneatenbyEva"Thepassivecanbeused,also,invarioustenses.

Thepassivevoiceisformedwiththesuitabletenseoftheverbbefollowedbythepastparticiple.

Usage

Asageneralrule,ActivevoiceisusedtowhenthedoeroftheactionistobemadeprominentandPassivevoiceisusedusedwhenPerson/
thingacteduponismadeprominent.
ActivevoiceTobydrankthemilk.
IntheabovesentencethestressislaiduponToby.

PassiveVoiceThemilkhasbeendrunkbyToby.
Inthesentencethestressislaiduponthemilk.

Verbsthatcanbefollowedbyeitherobject+prepositionalobjectorobject+objectinactiveformscanhavetwocorrespondingactive
forms.

Allthe4sentencesintheabovetablearecorrect.Someotherverbsthatfollowthesameruleincludelend,promise,offer,hand,give,
sell,teach,throw.

Verbssuchasexplain,demonstrate,introduce,mention,describe,reportandsuggestcannotfollowtheobject+objectrulein
activevoiceandhaveonlyonepassiveform.

Withshouldbeusedtotalkaboutaninstrument/toolusedbyanagent.

Intheabovesentencethepenisaninstrument/toolusedbyanagent.

Verbssuchasavoid,enjoy,consider,delay,deny,remember,imagine,resent,describe,anddenyfollowtheactivepatternofverb+ing+
objectinactivevoice.

Verbssuchasbring,catch,hear,keep,find,show,notice,sendandseefollowtheactivepatternthatisusedisVerb+Object+ing

Putthemainverbintothepassiveform.Followingarethepastparticipleformsofsomeirregularverbs.

Whenwhatissaidbypeopleisgeneralorisbyanunspecifiedgroupofpeople,thepatternusedisit+passiveverb+that
clause.Thepassiveverbsusedinthispatternareacknowledge,see,suppose,declare,discover,consider,claim,say,recommend,
report,allege,mention,announce,estimate,feel,find,expect,understand,think,calculate,decide,propose,assume,know,showand
suggest.

Itissuggestedthatyoutakeyourmedicinesontime.
Itisassumedthatyouarewellversedwiththecalculations.

Verbssuchascome,start,begin,appear,seem,continue,tend,agree,aim,hope,try,struggle,refuseandattemptfollowtheactive
patternverb+toinfinitive+object.
 Verbssuchasallow,advise,believe,consider,fell,instruct,teach,require,tell,understand,expect,mean,report,andorderfollowthe
activepatternVerb+Object+toinfinitive

Becarefulwiththedanglingmodifierscausedbytheuseofpassivevoice.

IncorrectReachingEuropeatthebeginningofthe17 th century,theycalleditthewineofArabia (whatwascalledthewineof

Arabia?Europeorthe17 th century?).
CorrectReachingEuropeatthebeginningofthe17 th century,thecoffeewascalledthewineofArabia bythem.

Theentiresentenceshouldbeinasingleform,eitheractiveorpassive.Avoidstartingasentenceinactivevoiceandthenshiftingtopassive
orviceversa.

Althoughheisasgifted,ifnotmoregifted,thanmanyofhiscolleagues,heisextremelymodestandwithhispoetryremaining
unpublished.Incorrect

Althoughheisasgiftedas,ifnotmoregiftedthan,manyofhiscolleagues,heisextremelymodestandwillnotpublishhispoetry.Correct

Verbssuchaswish,love,hate,prefer,want,need,bearandlikefollowtheactiveformsobject+toinfinitive.Theydonothave
passiveforms.

ShewantedShyamtogo.Correct
Shyamwaswantedbyhertobegone.Incorrect

RohitpreferredtowritewithapencilCorrect
PencilwaspreferredbyRohittobewrittenwithIncorrect

Whentheactivevoiceisintheformthat+there,thepassiveforshouldbeintheformthere+passiveverb+tobe

Reply

Re:ActiveandPassiveVoice
byjitendrahavaldarFriday,12October2007,10:17AM

HiTG,

Niceone...thoughdon'tyouthinkthelastsentencewouldbemoreappropriateinthefollowingmanner(constructionwise):

"ThereisnositethoughttobebetterthanTGforMBApreparation."

whatdoyouthink?

thanks,

Jitendra

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Re:ActiveandPassiveVoice
bySoftwareEngineerFriday,12October2007,11:01AM

ThankYouVeryMuch,BOSS.
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Re:ActiveandPassiveVoice
byDagnyTaggartFriday,12October2007,11:16AM

ThanksJitendra,havechangeditandyouarewelcomeSE
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Re:ActiveandPassiveVoice
byVarunChoudharyFriday,12October2007,11:47AM

WeareluckytohaveTGwithus....... thankusir
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Re:ActiveandPassiveVoice
byraghavdaveFriday,12October2007,01:03PM

HiDagny,

Reallynicearticle.....itwillhelpalotnotonlyinexamsbutalsoinreallifetoo.....Butihaveadoubt....

Arethereanyspecificreasonswhytheseverbs"wish,love,hate,prefer,want,need,bear"cannotbeusedwithpassivetones???...

ifinactivevoicewesay...."everoneinIndialovescricket"....thencan'twesaysuchastatementinpassivevoiceas"CricketislovedbyIndian
Crowd"??....

ThanksinAdvance...