ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

RULES FOR CHANGING THE VOICES

1. In passive voice the object becomes the
subject of the sentence.
2. And subject becomes the object of the
sentence.
3. Use of past participle + by.
As in the example mentioned below:
Active: Everyone drinks water
passive: Water is drunk by everyone.
CONVERSION OF VOICES ACCORDING
TO TENSE

Simple Past
Simple Present object+
object+ is/am/are+3rd was/were+3rdform
form by+ subject by+ subject

Active. He sings a I killed a snake.

song. A snake was killed
Passive. A song is by me.
sung by him.
CONTINUED

Simple Future Present Continuous

object+ will Object +is/am/are
be+3rdform by+ +being+ 3 rd form +
subject by + subject

Past Continuous Present Perfect

object+ Object +
was/were+being+3 has/have+
rd
fom by+ subject been+3rd form +
by +subject
CONTINUED

Past Perfect
Object + had +been+
3rd form + by +
subject

Future Perfect
Object + will/shall
have + been +3rd
form + by +subject
EXAMPLES

 I bought the baby a doll.

 They know me.

 The boy is climbing the cliff.

 They showed a video of The Titanic'.

 They have pulled down the old house.

 Somebody has put out the light.

 She will buy a car.

 They had completed the assignment.

CONTINUED

 The audience loudly cheered the Mayor's

speech.

 The people will make him President.

 You will have started the job.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

 Some verb cannot be passive like belong,

exist, lack, resemble, have, seem, suit.
 For example,

 Tom has a guitar

 The building seemed empty.

CONTINUED
 Certain verb take fixed preposition after them that
replaces the “by”
 Such verbs are – known to, surprised at/by,
amazed at, astonished at, vexed at, annoyed
with/at, contained in, filled with, decorated with,
tired of, engulfed in etc.
 Example

 The fire engulfed the building.

 The building was engulfed in the fire.