Active and Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice

A verb is in the active voice when its form shows that the person or thing denoted by the subject does something, or, is the doer of the action.

The active voice is so called because the person denoted by the subject acts.

Example:

My grandfather planted this tree.

A Verb in the Passive Voice when its form shows that something is done to the person or thing denoted by the Subject.

The Passive Voice is so called because the person or thing denoted by the Subject is not active but Passive, that is, suffers, or receives some action.

Form

The subject in the active sentences becomes the object in the passive sentence. The verb forms also change in the passive voice. The verb form changes are given in the table below.

	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Simple present	take takes	am taken is taken are taken
Present Continuous	am taking is taking are taking	am being taken is being taken are being taken
Present perfect	has taken have taken	has been taken have been taken
Simple past	took	was taken were taken
Past Continuous	was taking were taking	was being taken were being taken
Past perfect	had taken	had been taken
Simple future	will take shall take	will be taken shall be taken
Can/may/must, etc. +base	can take , must take	can be taken , must be taken

Uses

The Passive is used:

A. When it is not necessary to mention the doer of the action as it is obvious who he is / was / will be:

The rubbish hasn’t been collected.
The streets are swept every day.
Your hand will be X-rayed.

B. When we don’t know, or don’t know exactly, or have forgotten who did the action:

The minister was murdered.
You will be met at the station.
My car has been moved!
I have been told that...

C. When the subject of the active verb would be ‘people’:

He is suspected of stealing. (People suspect him of stealing.)

D. When we are more interested in the action than in who does it.

A new public library is being built.
The house next door has been sold.

E. To avoid an awkward or ungrammatical sentence:

When he arrived home, he was arrested.
When their mother was ill, the children were looked after by the neighbors.

Worksheet

Change the following sentences into their passive voice form.

• Duffy painted this picture.
• They threw away the old newspapers.
• John is writing a book.
• They carried the injured player out safely.
• I was writing a letter when the bell rang.
• Who will take the cat to the vet?
• I had done the project myself.
• Will you be watering the plants later?
• Can they create a new plan?
• You have to write an apology.

Answers

• This picture was painted by Duffy.
• The old newspapers were thrown away by Duffy.
• A book is being written by John.
• The injured players was carried out safely by them.
• A letter was being written by me when the bell rang.
• By whom will the cat be taken to the vet?
• The project had been done by myself.
• Will the plants be watered by you later?
• Can a new plan be created by them?
• An apology has to be written by you.