Active Voice/Passive

Voice

Tazeem Akhtar
(Pakistan Customs FBR)

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 1

q Transitive verbs are not just verbs that can take an
object; they demand objects. Without an object the
sentence will not seem complete.
q Please bring coffee.
q In this sentence, the verb bring is transitive; its object
is coffee, the thing that is being brought. Without an
object of some kind, this verb cannot function.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 2

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 3
q The girls carry water to their village.
q Juan threw the ball.
q Could you phone the neighbors?
q I caught a cold.
q She loves rainbows.
q Lila conveyed the message

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 4

q An intransitive verb is the opposite of a transitive
verb: it does not require an object to act upon.
q They jumped.
q The dog ran.
q She sang.
q A light was shining.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 5

q Transitive verbs have both active and passive forms:
q Passive forms are made up of the verb be with a past
participle

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 6

 be Past
participle

all over the

English is spoken
world.

The
have been cleaned.
windows

Lunch was being served.

The work will be finished soon.

might have
They invited to the party.
been

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 7

If we want to show the person or thing doing the
action, we use by:
1. She was attacked by a dangerous dog.
2. The money was stolen by her husband.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 8

General rule
Voice Subject Verb Object

Active we play a match

Voice
Passive A match Is played by us
Voice

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 9

Present indefinite
q Present indefinite tense active voice:
q Subject + V1 + object
q Present indefinite tense passive voice:
q Subject (the object) + is/am/are + V3 + (by + the
doer)

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 10

Examples
Active Passive
People speak English English is spoken around
around the world. the world by people.
My parents take care of These kids are
these kids. taken care of by my
parents.
Does he call you baby? Are you called baby by
him?
Some people don’t I am not loved by some
love me. people.
They don’t hate me. I am not hated by them.
Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 11
 Present continuous tense
q Active sentences in the present continuous tense have
the following structure:
Subject + is/are/am + -ing form of the verb +
object
Passive sentences in the present continuous tense
have the following structure:
Object of the active sentence + is/are/am + being
+ 3 rd for of verb + by + subject of the active
sentence.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 12

Examples
Active Passive
I am reading a story. A story is being read by me.
The engine is driving the The train is being driven by
train. the engine.
She is singing a song. A song is being sung by her.
Are the masons building a Is a house being built by
house? the masons?
Who is waiting for you? By whom are you
being waited for?
She is not writing a story. A story is not being
written by her.
Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 13
q When the verb is followed by a
preposition
q Read the sentence given below:
q My mother is talking to a stranger.
Here the noun a stranger is the object of the
preposition to, and not the verb talking. But this
sentence can be changed into the passive:
q Passive: A stranger is being talked to by my mother.
Active: The children are laughing at the old beggar.
Passive: The old beggar is being laughed at by the
children.
Active: I am waiting for him.
Passive: He is being waited for by me.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 14

 Present perfect
q Active sentences in the present perfect tense have the
following structure:
Subject + has/have + 3 rd form of the verb + object
Passive sentences in the present perfect tense have
the following structure:
Object of the active sentence + has/have + been +
3rd form of the verb + by + subject of the active
sentence

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 15

Examples
Active Passive
I have written a story. A story has been written by
me.
They have built a house. A house has been built by
them.
I have not received a A telegram has not been
telegram. received by me.
Have you kept the secret? Has the secret been kept by
you?
Who has done this? By whom has this been
done?
Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 16
 Note :
q No passive voice is used in the following four tense
constructions:
q Present perfect continuous
q Past perfect continuous
q Future perfect continuous and
q Future continuous

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 17

 Reasons
q Passive voice is used only after happening of an
incident/action etc. when required to be reported and
explained by a third person. When an activity is
perfect and continuing and its time of completion is
not clear it cannot be passively reported.
q However, passivization of a verb transitively used is
technically possible but they will sound and look
stilted or unnatural or awkward

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 18

 Cont……………
q Only a verb that takes an object can be written in the
passive form. The present perfect continuous tense of
any verb is usually followed by an adverb phrase of
time or place.
q He has been working in Delhi for three years.
q She has been studying since morning.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 19

 Past indefinite tense
q Rules :
q Active sentences in the simple past tense have the
following structure:
Subject + 2 nd F/verb + object
Passive sentences in the simple past tense have the
following structure:
Object of the active sentence + was/were + past
3rd F/verb + by + subject of the active sentence

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 20

q Changing an assertive sentence into the passive
q Active: He wrote a letter.
Passive: A letter was written by him.
Active: They knew it.
Passive: It was known to them.
Active: She sang a song.
Passive: A song was sung by her.
Active: He loved his friends very much.
Passive: His friends were loved very much by him.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 21

q Changing a negative sentence into the passive
q Active: She did not know anything about it.
Passive: Nothing about it was known to her.
Active: Nobody could discourage him from pursuing
his path.
Passive: He could not be discouraged from pursuing
his path by anybody.
Active: You did not listen to me.
Passive: I was not listened to by you.
Active: She did not write a story.
Passive: A story was not written by her.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 22

q Changing an interrogative sentence into the passive
q Passive forms of these sentences begin with did. If the active
sentence begins with a question word, the passive sentence will also
begin with a question word. If the active sentence begins with who
or whose, the passive sentence will begin with by whom or by
whose. If the active sentence begins with whom, the passive
sentence will begin with who.
q Active: Did he break the window?
Passive: Was the window broken by him?
Active: Where could you find such fine art?
Passive: Where could such fine art be found?
Active: Why did you abuse your servant?
Passive: Why was your servant abused by you?
Active: Did anyone steal your purse?
Passive: Was your purse stolen by anyone?
Active: Did anyone hurt your feelings?

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 23

q Passive: Were your feelings hurt by anyone?
Active: Did Alice invite you?
Passive: Were you invited by Alice?
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?
Active: Whom did you laugh at?
Passive: Who was laughed at by you?

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 24

 Past Continuous
q Active sentences in the past continuous tense have
the following structure:
Subject + was/were + 1st f/ verb with -ing+ object
Passive sentences in the past continuous tense have
the following structure:
Object of the active sentence + was/were + being
+ 3 rd FV+ by + subject of the active sentence

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 25

q Changing assertive sentences into passive
q Active: She was writing a novel.
Passive: A novel was being written by her.
Active: They were saying their prayers.
Passive: Their prayers were being said by them.
Active: He was giving a lecture.
Passive: A lecture was being given by him.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 26

q Active: She was writing a novel.
Passive: A novel was being written by her.
Active: They were saying their prayers.
Passive: Their prayers were being said by them.
Active: He was giving a lecture.
Passive: A lecture was being given by him.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 27

q Changing an interrogative sentence into the passive
q Passive forms of these sentences begin with was or were.
If the active sentence begins with a question word, the
passive sentence will also begin with a question word.
q Active: Is she writing a letter?
Passive: Is a letter being written by her?
Active: Why were you cheating me?
Passive: Why was I being cheated by you?
Active: Which book were you reading?
Passive: Which book was being read by you?
Active: Why was she beating the child?
Passive: Why was the child being beaten by her?
Active: For what were you making such a noise?
Passive: For what was such a noise being made by you?

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 28

 Past perfect tense
q Rules
q Active voice: Subject + had +3 rd FV+ object
Passive voice: Object of the active sentence + had + been +
3rd FV + by + subject of the active sentence

Examples:
Active: I had never experienced such difficulty.
Passive: Such difficulty had never been experienced by me.
Active: I had not listened to him.
Passive: He had not been listened to by me.
Active: I had finished my work.
Passive: My work had been finished by me.
Active: I had written a letter.
Passive: A letter had been written by me.
Active: He had given a lecture.
Passive: A lecture had been given by him.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 29

q changing an interrogative sentence into the
passive
q Active: Had she invited them?
Passive: Had they been invited by her?
Active: Had she prepared dinner?
Passive: Had dinner been prepared by her?
Active: Had he given a lecture?
Passive: Had a lecture been given by him?
q

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 30

 Simple Future
q Rules
q Active: Subject + will/shall + 1st FV+ object

q Passive: Object of the active sentence + will/shall

+ be + 3rd Fv+ by + subject of the active sentence

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 31

q Active: I will write a letter.
q Passive: A letter will be written by me.
Active: She will help me.
Passive: I will be helped by her.
Active: John will learn the lesson.
Passive: The lesson will be learnt by John.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 32

q Changing a negative sentence into the passive
q Active: She will not help us.
Passive: We will not be helped by her.
Active: We will not visit the hill station this year.
Passive: The hill station will not be visited by us this
year.
Active: We shall not betray our country.
Passive: Our country shall not be betrayed by us.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 33

q Changing an Interrogative sentence into the
passive
q Active: Will you help him?
Passive: Will he be helped by you?
Active: Will you not help me?
Passive: Shall I not be helped by you?
Active: Will they accept our invitation?
Passive: Will our invitation be accepted by them?

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 34

 Future perfect
q Rules
q Active: Subject + will/shall + have + 3 rd Fv+ object

q Passive: Object of the active sentence + will/shall +

have + been + 3 rd FV+ by + subject of the active
sentence

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 35

q Active: We shall not have accepted the invitation.
Passive: The invitation shall not have been
accepted by us.
Active: She will have finished her work.
Passive: Her work will have been finished by her.
Active: They will have elected him their leader.
Passive: He will have been elected their leader (by
them).

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 36

q Changing an interrogative sentence into the
passive
q Active: Will she have cooked the food?
Passive: Will the food have been cooked by her?
Active: Will they have received our letter?
Passive: Will our letter have been received by them?
Active: Will they have caught the train?
Passive: Will the train have been caught by them?
Active: Who will have opposed you?
Passive: By whom will you have been opposed?

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 37

 Imperative sentences
q Rules:
q The imperative sentence in the passive voice has the
following structure:
Let + object + be + past participle
When the active voice begins with do not, the
passive voice has the following structure:
Let not + object + be + past participle

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 38

q Active: Bring it home.
Passive: Let it be brought home.
Active: Do it at once.
Passive: Let it be done at once.
Active: Do not beat the dog.
Passive: Let the dog not be beaten.
Active: Let me do it.
Passive: Let it be done by me. OR Let me be
allowed to do it.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 39

q You can begin the sentence with you if you want to
put emphasis on the person addressed to.
q Examples are given below:
q Active: Please help me.
Passive: Let me be helped.
Passive: You are requested to help me.
Active: Don’t touch it.
Passive: Let it not be touched.
passive: You are warned not to touch it.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 40

q The passive form has to begin with you, when the
object of the verb in the active voice is not given.
q Active: Work hard. (No object)
Passive: You are advised to work hard.
Active: Get out. (No object)
Passive: You are ordered to get out.

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 41

Thank you

Pakistan Institute of Competitive Studies 42