English Grammar: Rules of Active Passive Voice

Active voice can help ensure clarity by making it clear to the reader who is taking action in the sentence. In addition, the active voice stresses that the actor (or grammatical subject) precedes the verb, again, putting emphasis on the subject. Passive voice construction leaves out the actor (subject) and focuses on the relationship between the verb and the object. The order of words in a sentence with an active voice is subject, verb, object. Active voice example: I conducted a study of elementary school teachers. This sentence structure puts the emphasis of the sentence on the subject, clarifying who conducted the study. Passive voice example: A study was conducted of elementary school teachers. In this sentence, it is not clear who conducted this study.

Important Rules on Active Passive Voice

Active: They will do the work

Passive: The work will be done by them.

When the person doing the action is the subject, we use an Active verb. But when the subject is what the action is pointed at, then we use a passive verb.

As in the above example, ACTIVE sentence is the one where the person (THEY) is also the subject of the sentence.

While PASSIVE sentence is the one, where the subject is the action showing word (WORK).

NOTE: However, the sentences only with transitive verb (verb with object) can be changed into PASSIVE VOICE.

For Example,

Active: The man is running.

Passive: Not Possible as the object after verb (Running) is missing.

To Recognize the Active & Passive Sentence easily ask these question.

What is the action/verb in this sentence?
What/who is the subject of this sentence?
Is the subject of the sentence PERFORMING the action/verb?

If the answer to the last question is YES, then the sentence is in the ACTIVE voice. If the answer to the last question is NO, then the sentence is in the PASSIVE voice.

General Form:

Active: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT

Passive: OBJECT (OF ACTIVE VOICE) + HELPING VERB (FORM OF VERB “BE”) + PAST PARTICIPLE OF TRANSITIVE VERB + BY + SUBJECT (if required).

NOTE: Sometime while converting sentence from Passive Voice to Active voice, the subject is missing.

For Example,

Passive: The room was cleaned.

Active: Someone cleaned the room.

“BY SOMEONE” is missing from the Passive Sentence.

Conversion of Active to Passive Sentence in different Tenses

Present Simple Tense

Passive Voice: Object + is/am/are + Verb (3^rd form) + by + Subject

Active voice: He sings a song.

He does not sing a song.
Does he sing a song?

Passive voice: A song is sung by him.

A song is not sung by him.
Is a song sung by him?

Past Simple Tense

Passive voice: Object + was/were + Verb (3^rd form) + by + Subject

Active voice: I killed a snake

I did not kill a snake.
Did I kill a snake?

Passive voice:

A snake was killed by me.
A snake was not killed by me.
Was a snake killed by me?

Future Simple Tense

Passive Voice: Object + will/shall + be + Verb (3^rd form) + by + Subject

Active voice:

She will buy a car.
She will not buy a car.
Will she buy a car?

Passive voice:

A car will be bought by her.
A car will not be bought by her.
Will a car be bought by her?

Present Continuous Tense

Passive Voice: Object + is/am/are + being + Verb (3^rd form) + by + Subject

Active voice:

I am writing a letter
I am not writing a letter.
Am I writing a letter?

Passive voice:

A letter is being written by me.
A letter is not being written by me.
Is a letter being written by me?

Past Continuous Tense

Passive Voice: Object + was/were + being + Verb (3^rd form) + by + Subject

Active voice:

He was driving a car.
He was not driving a car.
Was he driving a car?

Passive voice:

A car was being driven by him.
A car was not being driven by him.
Was a car being driven by him?

Present Perfect Tense

Passive voice: Object + has/have + been + Verb (3^rd form) + by + Subject

Active voice:

She has finished her work
She has not finished her work.
Has she finished her work?

Passive voice:

Her work has been finished by her.
Her work has not been finished by her.
Has her work been finished by her?

Past Perfect Tense

Passive Voice: Object + had + been + Verb (3^rd form) + by + Subject

Active voice:

They had completed the assignment.
They had not completed the assignment.
Had they completed the assignment?

Passive voice:

The assignment had been completed by them.
The assignment had not been complete by them.
Had the assignment been completed by them?

Future Perfect Tense

Passive Voice: Object + shall/will + have + been + Verb (3^rd form) + by + Subject

Active voice:

You will have started the job.
You will have not started the job.
Will you have started the job?

Passive voice:

The job will have been started by you.
The job will not have been started by you.
Will the job have been started by you?

Important Points to Remember

Future continuous & perfect continuous tenses do not form passive voice.
Some verb cannot be passive like be, belong, exist, lack, resemble, seem, suit, have (= own).

For example:

Tom has a guitar.
The building seemed empty.
Certain verb take fixed preposition after them that replaces the “by”. Such verb are – known to, surprised at/by, amazed at, astonished at, vexed at, annoyed with/at, contained in, decorated with, filled with, tired of, engulfed in. etc.

For example:

Active: The fire engulfed the building.

Passive: The building was engulfed in the fire.