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13 Active and '

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• Passive Voice

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Take a look at these sentences. How are th e se sentences different'?
• He wrote a letter.
• A letter was written by him.
In most sentences, the subject of the sentence i~ the doer of an action, and the
object of the sentence is the receiver of the action. For example,
• Cats eat fish. (cat- subject; fish- object)
• Gopal posted the letter. (Gopal- subject; letter- object)

---------- ----------
I The verb that expresses that the action is carried out by the subject is said to
I be in the active voice. The active voice is used when the agent or the doer is to I

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
I be made prominent. 1

However, in some sentences, the subject receives the action of the verb. For
example,

• Fish are eaten by cats. (fish- subject; cats- object)

• The letter was posted by Gopal. (letter- subject; Gopal- object)

I
------- ---------- ---
' The verb that expresses what is done to the subject is said to be in the passive 1
voice. I

---------
- - - - -----------
- - - - - - - - ---,
f the verb which indicates whether the subject is the doer

------ ----- -
• is being done to it. I

Me voice have been changed into th e

anings.
 he captain called the players. (active)
• :11e player~ were calle~ by th: captain. (passive)
' is painting a portr~ut. (active)
' t-fe ortrait is b emg
. .
pamte d b
y him. (passive)
, AP
point out the differences in each of the pairs of sentences,
can yo 11 . . •
these rules to be kept in mind when changing the voice of the verb from
Rea.d to passive.
•
active f h b. d h .
ositions o t e su Ject an t e obJect of the verb are interchanged.
' The pubject of the verb in the active voice is
Th~: the object of the verb in the passive voice.
ma he passive voice, the preposition by is added before the object.
' Int ber of the ver b .1s ch ange d accord"mg to the number and person of
, Then Um
the subject.
e table to understand how the verb is changed into the passive voice
study t h
. different tenses.
form in
Tense Adive voice Passive voice
He paints a wall. A wall is painted by
Simple present him.
He is painting a wall. A wall is being painted
Present continuous by him.
He has painted a wall. A wall has been
Present perfect painted by him.
He painted a wall. A wall was painted by
Simple past him.
He was painting a A wall was being
Past continuous
wall. painted by him.

Past perfect He had painted a wall. A wa II had been

painted by him.
Simple future He will paint a wall. A wall will be painted
by him.
Future continuous He will be painting a
wall.
He will have painted a A wall w ill have been
wall. painted by him.