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Lesson 11 of 12 – Active & Passive Voice
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Active & Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice are important parts of English Grammar. Voice tells us whether the subject performs the action or receives the action.

Note: Active Voice = Subject does the action.
Passive Voice = Subject receives the action.
What is Voice?

Voice shows the relationship between the Subject and the Action of the sentence.

✔ Ram writes a letter. (Active)
✔ A letter is written by Ram. (Passive)

In Active Voice, the subject performs the action.

In Passive Voice, the action is more important than the doer.

What is Active Voice?

In Active Voice, the Subject performs the action.

Structure:

Subject + Verb + Object
✔ Ram eats a mango.
✔ She writes a letter.
✔ They play cricket.
✔ The teacher teaches English.

Active Voice is simple, direct and commonly used in daily conversation.

What is Passive Voice?

In Passive Voice, the Object becomes the Subject and receives the action.

Structure:

Object + Helping Verb + V3 + by + Subject
✔ A mango is eaten by Ram.
✔ A letter is written by her.
✔ Cricket is played by them.

Passive Voice is commonly used in reports, newspapers, notices and formal writing.

Active vs Passive Voice
Active Voice Passive Voice
Ram writes a letter. A letter is written by Ram.
She cleans the room. The room is cleaned by her.
They play football. Football is played by them.
Why Do We Use Passive Voice?
  • When the doer is unknown.
  • When the action is important.
  • In formal writing.
  • In news reports.
  • In scientific writing.
✔ My bike was stolen.
✔ The work has been completed.
✔ The bridge was inaugurated yesterday.
Rules of Conversion

Follow these steps to convert Active Voice into Passive Voice.

  1. Object becomes Subject.
  2. Use suitable Helping Verb.
  3. Main Verb changes into V3.
  4. Subject becomes Object.
  5. Use "by" before Subject.
Active:
Ram writes a letter.

Passive:
A letter is written by Ram.
Pronoun Changes

When changing Active into Passive Voice, pronouns also change.

Subject Form Object Form
I Me
We Us
You You
He Him
She Her
They Them
✔ She teaches me.
✔ I am taught by her.
Tense-wise Conversion Table
Tense Passive Structure
Present Indefinite is/am/are + V3
Past Indefinite was/were + V3
Future Indefinite will be + V3
Present Perfect has/have been + V3
Past Perfect had been + V3
Modal Verb modal + be + V3
Transitive & Intransitive Verbs

Only Transitive Verbs can be changed into Passive Voice.

Transitive Verb Passive Possible?
eat ✔ Yes
write ✔ Yes
read ✔ Yes

Intransitive Verb Passive Possible?
sleep ❌ No
come ❌ No
go ❌ No
❌ He sleeps.
(No Passive Voice)
Examples of Conversion
Active Voice Passive Voice
She writes a letter. A letter is written by her.
He cleaned the room. The room was cleaned by him.
They will complete the work. The work will be completed by them.
I have finished my homework. My homework has been finished by me.
We can solve the problem. The problem can be solved by us.
Common Mistakes

Students often make mistakes while changing Active Voice into Passive Voice.

Wrong Correct
A letter wrote by Ram. A letter was written by Ram.
The work is complete. The work is completed.
Football played by them. Football is played by them.
The room cleaned by her. The room was cleaned by her.
Homework finished by me. Homework was finished by me.

Remember: Always use a suitable helping verb and the third form (V3) of the verb.

Important Rules to Remember
  • Object of Active Voice becomes Subject of Passive Voice.
  • Use the correct Helping Verb according to the tense.
  • Always use V3 (Past Participle).
  • Use "by" before the doer when necessary.
  • Pronouns must change correctly.
  • Only transitive verbs can be converted.
✔ Ram helps Sita.
✔ Sita is helped by Ram.
When to Use Active or Passive Voice
Active Voice Passive Voice
Daily conversation Formal writing
Direct communication Official notices
Stories and speeches Reports and news
Simple and natural Action-focused
✔ The police arrested the thief. (Active)
✔ The thief was arrested by the police. (Passive)
Quick Rules Summary
  • Active: Subject + Verb + Object
  • Passive: Object + Helping Verb + V3 + by + Subject
  • Always use V3 in Passive Voice.
  • Use proper helping verbs according to tense.
  • Object is necessary for Passive Voice.
  • Passive Voice is common in formal English.
✔ She teaches English.
✔ English is taught by her.
Daily Life Examples
✔ The teacher teaches the students.
➡ The students are taught by the teacher.

✔ Ram completed the project.
➡ The project was completed by Ram.

✔ They will organize the event.
➡ The event will be organized by them.

✔ She has written a letter.
➡ A letter has been written by her.

✔ We can solve the problem.
➡ The problem can be solved by us.

These examples help you understand how Active Voice changes into Passive Voice in different situations.

🧠 Quick Quiz

Which verb form is used in Passive Voice?



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