Active and Passive Voice Comparison
Active Voice
Harry ate six shrimp at dinner.
Beautiful giraffes roam the savannah.
Sue changed the flat tire.
We are going to watch a movie tonight.
I ran the obstacle course in record time.
The crew paved the entire stretch of
highway.
Mom read the novel in one day.
I will clean the house every Saturday.
The company requires staff to watch a
safety video every year.
Tom painted the entire house.
The teacher always answers the students'
questions.
The choir really enjoys that piece.
A forest fire destroyed the whole suburb.
The two kings are signing the treaty.
The cleaning crew vacuums and dusts the
office every night.
Larry generously donated money to the
homeless shelter.
The wedding planner is making all the
reservations.
Susan will bake two dozen cupcakes for the
bake sale.
The science class viewed the comet.
The director will give you instructions.
Thousands of tourists visit the Grand
Canyon every year.
The homeowners remodeled the house to
help it sell.
The saltwater corroded the metal beams.
The kangaroo carried her baby in her pouch.
Passive Voice
At dinner, six shrimp were eaten by Harry.
The savannah is roamed by beautiful giraffes.
The flat tire was changed by Sue.
A movie is going to be watched by us tonight.
The obstacle course was run by me in record time.
The entire stretch of highway was paved by the
crew.
The novel was read by Mom in one day.
The house will be cleaned by me every Saturday.
The staff are required by the company to watch a
safety video every year.
The entire house was painted by Tom.
The students' questions are always answered by
the teacher.
That piece is really enjoyed by the choir.
The whole suburb was destroyed by a forest fire.
The treaty is being signed by the two kings.
Every night, the office is vacuumed and dusted by
the cleaning crew.
Money was generously donated to the homeless
shelter by Larry.
All the reservations are being made by the wedding
planner.
Two dozen cookies will be baked by Susan for the
bake sale.
The comet was viewed by the science class.
Instructions will be given to you by the director.
The Grand Canyon is visited by thousands of
tourists every year.
The house was remodeled by the homeowners to
help it sell.
The metal beams were corroded by the saltwater.
The baby was carried by the kangaroo in her
pouch.
Tips to Recognize the Passive Voice
Sometimes a sentence in passive voice doesn't necessarily sound "wrong" or wordy.
However, it's still best to write in active voice whenever possible.
In order to recognize that a sentence is in passive voice, watch out for these keywords:
 A
 Are
 Be
 Being
 By
 Has been
 Have been
 Is
 Was
 Were
 Will be
 Active and passive voice worksheet
Rewrite the following changing the active sentences to passive and passive sentences
to active.

1. The thieves have been arrested by the police.

__________________________________________________________________________

2. The marvelous performance delivered by the children enthralled us.

__________________________________________________________________________

3. He has been invited to their party.

__________________________________________________________________________

4. We have shipped your order.

__________________________________________________________________________

5. The girl recited the poem beautifully.

__________________________________________________________________________

6. The guests enjoyed the party.

__________________________________________________________________________

7. The child impressed everyone with his polite manners.

__________________________________________________________________________

8. A girl from Chennai won the first prize.

__________________________________________________________________________

9. The readers like the latest book of the writer.

__________________________________________________________________________

10. They are painting the walls.

__________________________________________________________________________

11. The car has been fixed by the mechanic.

__________________________________________________________________________

12. She accepted their invitation with pleasure.

__________________________________________________________________________
Answers
1. The police have arrested the thieves.
2. We were enthralled by the marvelous performance delivered by the children.
3. They have invited him to their party.
4. Your order has been shipped by us.
5. The poem was beautifully recited by the girl.
6. The party was enjoyed by the guests.
7. Everyone was impressed with the polite manners of the child.
8. The first prize was won by a girl from Chennai.
9. The latest book of the writer is liked by the readers.
10. The walls are being painted by them.
11. The car mechanic has fixed the car.
12. Their invitation was accepted (by her) with pleasure.