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    ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE

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    20 views16 pages

    Active & Passive Voice

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    Maham Khan

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    103 NIM Css. w GpuP 03: 153830 GRAMMAR ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE Voice In English there are two voices, namely, the Active Voice and the Passive Voice. The former is used to show that the person or the thing denoted by th subject does the action; the latter is used to show that the subject is affected by an action performed by someone or something else: © The dentist pulled out the tooth, We find that the dentist (subject) did the action. If, however, we say: © The tooth was pulled out We find that the ‘oth is now the subject, and not the object of the verb. In the first illustration, we have an example of the Active Voice; in the second, of the Passive Voice. ACTIVE VOICE ‘Tense Indefinite or Simple [ Continuous, Progressive or |Perfeat Perfect Continuous Real Present |My unclehelpsme. |My uncle is helping me. |My uncle has | My uncle has been helped me. helping me. Past [My uncle helped me, |My uncle was helping me, [My uncle had |My uncle had béen helped me, helping me, Future [My uncle will hélp |Myruncle will be helping |My uncle will have |My uncle will have me. me. ~~ _ {helped me. been helping me. Passive Voice Look at the following sentence: The police arrested the thief. (Active) Subject Verb Object ‘The verb arrested here is a transitive verb and has both a subject the police and an object the thief. The verb tells us what the subject has done. And the sentence gives a prominent place to the ‘doer’ or the agent of the action and the object is given a less prominent place. The verb is active. ‘There is another way in wh ‘The thief has been arreste Verb Here the verb has been arrested tells us not what the thief did but what someone else (the police) did to him. The sentence gives a prominent place to the object of the action. What is more, it does not mention the ‘doer’ or the agent at all. The verb here is passive. Here are some more examples passive voice sentences: * The shop was burnt down. + Anew library will be opened here. ‘+ English is spoken all over the world. * Fancy goods are sold here. © This bridge was built last year. ; All these sentences {ell us about the object of the action. And the ‘doer’ or the agent is dropped altogether either because we do not know who he is, or because it is understood, or because ‘ot Very important, this sentence can be written, (Passive) BB conscanne 104 Would it make any difference if we wrote these sentences in active voice? Yes, it would. Look atthe rit le. Slowing ‘Gaalsh is spoken allover the work. (Passive) ‘« People speak English all over the world, (Active) ‘The active voice sentence gives more prominence to the docr of the’ action (people), which i unnecessary. And it pushed the really important object of the action i.e. English to a second place. Let's now look at the following sentences. © I want money very badly. ‘© You should catch the moming bus. “The verbs in these sentences (ell us what the subject .c. J, you do or should do. Here itis the doer who ‘occupies the more prominent place in the sentences, The sentences are in active voice. Note the effect when we write them in passive voice. # Twant money very hardly. (Active) ‘© Money is wanted by me very badly. (Passive) ‘The passive voice sentence looks awkward. You will notice that-it loses much of its force also. Can you guess the reason? The reason is that here we are more interested in the ‘doer’ J which should therefore occupy the subject position, Use of passive voice here is clearly out of place . To sum up, we use active voice when we are more interested in the ‘doer’ or the agent. And we use passive voice when we are more interested in the object of the action. Most passive voice sentences don't need the mention of the agent. In some sentences however the agent is specified and has to be mentioned. «Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare. ‘© The prizes were distributed by the Chief guest. © Here are some more examples of passive constructions, * My brother has been transferred to Sialkot. © Five enemy tanks were captured in the battle. All fees must be paid by the 10th of every month. © The budget will be presented today. ‘© The admission list has been put up on the notice board, ‘Note that the name of the ‘doer’ has been omitted in each case. Can you guess the reason? Alll these sentences make use of impersonal language necessary in official dealings. In each of these sentences it is hardly necessary for us to know the name of the ‘doer’. In fact, the active construction would make these sentences look awkward. + | The Government has transferred my brother to Sialkot. * Everyone must pay all fees by the 10th of every month, Only the transitive verbs can be used in passive construct constructions because they do not take objects after them, Changes Necessary in Passive Voice (a). Changes in the form of the verb Active: Ethiopian eat rice, Passive: Rice is eaten by Ethiopians, . The verb in passive voice has the form be + past particip simple present tense. But when we change it, we have to use be + p depends upon the tense of the sentences and also on the person and 1 ____ Here the tense is simple present, and its singular. So the correct form of be here would b be + past participle of the verb is eaten The verb in the active voice is eaten in the past participle of the verb. The form of be iumber of the new subject. Past participle i8 eaten. ‘The new subject Rice is third person ¢ is. The passive form of the verb would be BB conscanne o) Active: He taught her for ten years. Passive: She was taught by him for ten years, Change in the form of the pronouns used as subjects and objects When the subject He becomes the object of the passive sentence it changes into him. similarly her used as an object in the active sentence becomes She when used as a subject in the passive construction. Other pronouris change forms similarly. Remember that by + noun/pronoun is to be used only where it is absolutely necessary. Forms of the Passive Verbs ‘The following chart gives the form of be in different tenses. Passive Voice Construction Simple Future Present Be— am is are ‘Simple past was were i Simple Future 5 wwill/shall be Present Continuous — being am being is being are being Past was being were being Present Perfect — Been has been have been had been es 1. Modalaux.+ be-+ past participle may. be beaten 2 Modal aux.+ have + been + past participle. may have been beaten Examples ple Present Active Passive 1. _| My stepmother treats me well. 1am treated well by my stepmother. 2. | People speak English in many parts of the world. English is spoken in many parts of the 3.__| We promote you to the next class. You are promoted to the next class, [4 Titey make these transistors in China These transistors are made in China (©) Simple Past F S._| The people cheered him during his speech. Hee was cheered during his speech, 6. | Someone took all the injured persons to the hospital | All the injured persons were taken to the immediately. hospital immediately. ($9 camScanner 106 This fort was built in the twelfth century. 7, ] They built this fort in the twelfth century. 3. | The court sentenced him to death. Tle was sentenced to death, (© Future _ : 9... | The Minister will distribute the prizes.

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