Voice | Active and Passive | English Grammar

Active and Passive Voice

There are two ways of writing a sentence. They are active and passive. An active sentence talks about what the subject does whereas a passive sentence says what happens to the subject. Both the sentences have the same meaning.

Active: James Cook discovered Australia.

Here, the speaker is talking about James Cook and the extra information is that he discovered Australia.

Passive: Australia was discovered by James Cook.

Here, the speaker is talking about Australia and the extra information is that it was discovered by James Cook.

The Position of the Subject and the Object:

The position of the subject and the object is changed while changing sentences from active to passive. 

While changing the subject and the object, nouns do not change but the forms of the pronouns are changed.

Active: Nisha helped Kunal. Passive: Kunal was helped by Nisha.

Active: She helped him. Passive: He was helped by her.

If the subject is unknown or unimportant, it is not mentioned after ‘by’. Generally, subjects like somebody, nobody, people, we, they, etc. are not mentioned after ‘by’ preposition in the passive voice.

Active: Somebody stole my money. Passive: My money was stolen.

Active: They have helped me. Passive: I have been helped.

If there are two objects (direct and indirect), you can take any of them to form passive voice. It is easier to form passives by using the indirect objects. 

Active: Garima gave me a book. Passive: I was given a book by Garima.

We use auxiliary verbs in passive sentences on the basis of tenses and modality.

Active: v1 / v5- They construct a road.

Passive: is/am/are + past participle -A road is constructed.

Active: is/am/are + present participle- They are destroying the forest. 

Passive: is/am/are + being + past participle- The forest is being destroyed.

Active: was/ were + present participle- I was washing my clothes.

Passive: was/ were + being + past participle- My clothes were being washed.

Active: has/ have + past participle- She has completed her task.

Passive: has/ have + been + past participle - Her task has been completed

Active: had+ past participle - We had cleaned our room.

Passive: had+ been + past participle- Our room had been cleaned.

Active: modals + v1- He will climb a tree.

Passive: modals + be + past participle - A tree will be climbed.

Active: v2- He stole my pen.

Passive: was/ were + past participle- My pen was stolen. 

Other Examples: 

She ought to take medicines. – Medicines ought to be taken. 

All know Kalidas. – Kalidas is known to all. (Use ‘to’ with verbs: know, oblige and marry.) 

Sarita pleases me. - I am pleased with Sarita. (Use ‘with’ with verbs: please, displease, satisfy, dissatisfy and cover.) 

Your picture surprises me. – I am surprised at your picture. (Use ‘at’ with verbs: astonish, surprise, shock and frighten.) 

You must write to her. – She must be written to. (verb + preposition + object - Preposition is necessary.) 

One can write with these pens. – These pens can be written with. 

She sings a song beautifully. - A song is beautifully sung. (Adverb of manners are used before past participles.) 

People say that he is a learned man. – It is said that he is a learned man. Or He is said to be a learned man. 

They thought that he was their leader. - It was thought that he was their leader. Or He was thought to be their leader. 

People know that he was a thief. – It is known that he was a thief. Or He is known to have been a thief. (Clauses are in different tenses.) 

He let us go. – We were let go. 

Help the boy. – Let the boy be helped. 

Do not drive the car. – Let the car not be driven. 

Can you carry the box? – Can the box be carried? 

How does the girl help the boy? – How is the boy helped? 

Who made the kite? – By whom was the kite made? Or Who was the kite made by? 

He gave me a book. – I was given a book. Or A book was given. 
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