Active & Passive 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 – indicates that the
subject of the verb is acting

• Because the subject does or "acts

upon" the verb in such sentences,
the sentences are said to be in the
active voice.
 The police arrested the criminal.

Active
Subject is voice
doing the action.
The judge is reading the case.

Active voice
Subject of
the action
 He has sold the house.

Active voice
Subject of
the action
 These examples show that the subject is doing the
verb's action.

 The dog jumped onto the boy.

 The dog (subject) is doing the jumping (verb).

 Kristy will give a book report to the class.

 Kristy (subject) is doing the giving (verb).
 Passive Voice
• In a passive voice sentence, the subject and
object flip-flop. The subject becomes the
passive recipient of the action.

• Because the subject is being "acted upon" (or

is passive), such sentences are said to be in
the passive voice.
The criminal was arrested by the police.

Passive
Subject is
voice
receiving the action.
The case is being read by the judge.

Passive voice
Receiver of
the action
The house has been sold by him.

Passive voice
Receiver of
the action
• These examples show the subject being
acted upon by the verb.
• The boy was jumped on by the dog.
– Boy (subject) was being jumped on (verb)
• A book report will be given by Kristy to the
class.
– Report (subject) will be given (verb).
 Reason to use Active Voice
• Most writers prefer to use active voice
because it is more direct.
• Compare
– Active: The waiter dropped the tray of
food.
– Passive: The tray of food was dropped by
the waiter.
 Reason to use Active Voice
 The active voice is less awkward and clearly
states relationship between subject and action.
 Compare
 Passive: Your request for funding has been
denied by the review committee.
 Active: The review committee denied your
request for funding.
 When to use Passive Voice
 In general, the passive voice is less direct, less
forceful, and less concise than the active voice.

 Use the passive voice in the following

situations:
 Use passive voice when you do not know or
do not want to reveal the performer of an
action.
 Use passive voice when you want to
emphasize the receiver of an action.
 Examples
• Awkward Passive:
My bicycle was repainted by John.
• Deliberate Passive:
My bicycle was repainted.
(The performer is not mentioned and the
emphasis is on the bicycle.)
 Pictures and fingerprints are being taken.

The people have been

selected .
 How to convert Active voice into
Passive voice
• There are twelve tenses in English. All the
sentences of twelve tenses in Active voice
can not be converted into Passive voice.
There are four tenses which can not be
converted into Passive voice which are
 Continuous Future tense.
 Continuous Perfect Present tense.
 Continuous Perfect Past tense.
 Continuous Perfect Future tense.
 How to convert Active voice into
Passive voice
• Remaining eight tenses in Active voice can be
converted into Passive voice.
• There are five basic rules to convert Active
into Passive.
1.Convert Object of Active into Subject in
Passive voice.
2.According to tense of Active voice, use
auxiliary verb of Passive voice.
3.Always put the main verb into past participle.
 How to convert Active voice into
Passive voice
4. Now convert Subject of Active voice into
Object in Passive voice and put “by” before it.
 Example:
(Active voice)
 Mona is writing a letter.
subject verb object
(Passive voice)
 A letter is being written by Mona
object auxiliary verb main verb subject
RULES: 1. 2. 3. 4.
 How to convert Active voice into
Passive voice
 Auxiliary verbs of twelve tenses in Passive
voice: ( as per rule no. 2.)

 Simple present tense: am, is, are.

 Simple past tense: was, were.
 Simple future tense: shall/will be.
 Continuous present tense: am/are/is being.
 Continuous past tense: was/were being.
 How to convert Active voice into
Passive voice
 Continuous future tense: -----------------
 Perfect present tense: has/have been.
 Perfect past tense: had been.
 Perfect future tense: shall/will have been.
 Cont. Perfect present tense: ----------------
 Cont. Perfect past tense: ----------------
 Cont. Perfect future tense: -----------------
 How to convert Active into
Passive
 Conversion of pronouns as subject into object,
object into subject (as per rule no. 1. and 4.)
 SUBJECT OBJECT
I me
we us
you you
he him
she her
it it
they them
Practice 2

1. She buys a book.

Active voice
Subject of
the action

2. A book is bought by her .

Passive voice
Receiver of
the action
 Practice 2

1. Leela ben will ride the bike.

Active voice
Subject of
the action

2. The bike will be ridden by leela

ben .

Passive voice
Receiver of
the action
 He wrote a letter.

Active voice
Subject of the
action

A letter was written by him.

Passive voice
Receiver of the
action
Practice 2

Jully had sung a

song.

Active voice
Subject of
the action

. A song had been sung by Jully.

Passive voice
Receiver of
the action
 They will take tea

Active
Subject is voice
doing the action.

Tea will be taken by them

Passive
receiver of
voice
the action.
 Saleem will have ridden my bicycle.

Active
Subject is voice
doing the action.

My bicycle will have been ridden by Saleem.

Passive
Receiver of
voice
the action.