ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE

Understanding Active and

Passive Voice

By:
SIR ABDUL HAMEED KALOI
 What is voice?
• A form or set of forms of a verb showing
the relation of the subject to the action.

• Note: vice means moral fault or

weakness.
• As a prefix it means a title as Vice
Principal, Vice captain etc=et cetera.
 Verbs and Voice
• Voice is the form a verb takes to
indicate whether the subject of the
verb performs or receives the
action.
• There are two types of voice:
active voice and passive voice.
 Active Voice
• Active voice verbs are used when the subject
is acting in a sentence.
Doer + Action + Receiver of action
• Example:
– Sir Imran teaches Physics .
• “Teach” is an active verb because it allows the
subject to undertake an action.
 Passive Voice

• “Passive voice” verbs are used when the subject

is being acted upon in a sentence.
Example:
– Physics is taught by Sir Imran.

• “Is taught” are considered passive because they

indicate that the subject (Physics) is receiving
an action.
 So What?
• Although both constructions are grammatically
correct, the active voice is usually more effective in
academic and business writing because it is simpler
and more direct.
• The passive construction is effective only when the
doer of the action is unknown.
Examples:
– The house was built.
– The ball was hit.
– Smoking is prohibited .
Subject Pronoun change into Object as
He into him
She into her
They into them
We into us
I into me
You into you
It into it
Name remains same.

Any Questions???
 The Simple Present Tense
When the active verb is in the simple
present tense
Active verb: write/writes
Passive verb: is/am/are written

• He writes a letter. (Active)

• A letter is written by him. (Passive)
 The Present Continuous Tense
When the active verb is in the present
continuous tense
Active verb: is/am/are writing
Passive verb: is/am/are being written

• He is writing a letter. (Active)

• A letter is being written by him. (Passive)
 The Present Perfect Tense
When the active verb is in the present
perfect tense
Active verb: has/have written
Passive verb: has/have been written

• He has written a letter. (Active)

• A letter has been written by him. (Passive)
 The Simple Past Tense
When the active verb is in the
simple past tense
Active verb: wrote
Passive verb: was/were written

• He wrote a letter. (Active)

• A letter was written by him. (Passive)
 The Past Continuous Tense
When the active verb is in the past
continuous tense
Active: was/were writing
Passive: was/were being written

• He was writing a letter. (Active)

• A letter was being written by him. (Passive)
 The Past Perfect Tense
When the active verb is in
the past perfect tense
Active verb: had written
Passive verb: had been written

• He had written a letter. (Active)

• A letter had been written by him. (Passive)
 The Simple Future Tense
When the active verb is in the simple
future tense
Active verb: will/shall write
Passive verb: will/shall be written

• He will write a letter. (Active)

• A letter will be written by him. (Passive)
 The Future Perfect Tense
When the active verb is in the future
perfect tense
Active verb: will/shall have written
Passive verb: will/shall have been written

• He will have written a letter. (Active)

• A letter will have been written by him.
(Passive)
Using Command or Order

Read the book.

Let the book be read.
Structure
Let+obj+be+verb 3rd form
Open the door.
Let the door be opened.

Shut your mouth.

Let your mouth be shut.
 Model Auxiliary Verbs
can (Active) can+be (Passive)
could (Active) could+be (Passive)
must (Active) must +be (Passive)
should (Active) should+be (Passive)
would (Active) would+be (Passive)
might(Active) might+be (Passive)

He can play a game. (Active)

A game can be played by him. (Passive)
Who broke the pen? (Active)
By whom was the pen broken? (Passive)

May you touch the pinnacle of success! (Active)

May the pinnacle of success be touched by you! (Passive)

Please help your friends. (Active)

You are requested to help your friends. (Passive)

Why were you knocking the door? (Active)

Why was the door being knocked by you? (Passive)
How many magazines do they sell every year? (Active)
How many magazines are sold every year? (Passive)
Note:
Who changes into by whom in the passive; (by) whom
changes to who in the passive.

Active: Whom did you call?

Passive: Who was called by you?

Active: Who killed the snake?

Passive: By whom was the snake killed?

Active: Why did he punish you?

Passive: Why were you punished by him?
 Tenses changed into Passive

TENSE TO BE FORMS PAST EXAMPLES

PARTICIPLES
am Past participle
P
SIMPLE
is ( Verb 3rd form) TThe gates are locked every evening.
R are
E am Past participle
S CONTINUOUS
is being ( Verb 3rd form) The car is being washed now.
E are
N have Past participle
T PERFECT
has been ( Verb 3rd form) The book has been written by him.

was Past participle

P
SIMPLE
were ( Verb 3rd form) The letters were faxed yesterday.
A
was Past participle
S CONTINUOUS
were being ( Verb 3rd form) The house was being painted when I
T came home.
had been Past participle
PERFECT ( Verb 3rd form) Everything had been arranged by him.

F will be Past participle

U
SIMPLE
is / are going to be ( Verb 3rd form) The roof will be repaired soon.
T The roof is going to be repaired soon.
U
will have been Past participle All the materials will have been
R PERFECT ( Verb 3rd form) collected by 10 o’clock.
 Let’s Have a Test!
• I did not answer the question.
• He must make good speeches.
• They are reading books.
• We were playing cricket.
• The teacher will teach English.
• Open the window!
• Why are you watering the flowers?
• I wrote a letter.
• You should oblige your friends.