CBSE English Grammar English Grammar – Active and Passive Voice (Notes)

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Voice (वाच्य)

Voice is the property of verb which shows whether the subject is performing or experiencing the action.

There are two kinds of voice:

Active voice (कर्तरी वाच्य):- If the subject does the work himself or herself, it is in active voice.

Passive voice (कर्म वाच्य):- If something is done for or to the subject, it is in passive voice.

Subject	Verb	Object	Voice
Rahim	teaches	Mohsin.	Active
Mohsin	is taught	by Rahim	Passive

Rules for changing active voice into passive voice:

Obj (A.V.) + H.V. +V³ + by + Sub (P.V.)

A.V. के Obj को P.S. का Sub बनाए and vice-versa

H.V. next tense ka यदि ing वाला tense हो तो उसी HV में being जोड़े|

Objective Case	Subjective Case	Objective Case	Subjective Case
me	I	us	We
her	She	him	He
them	They	whom	Who

Note:

* Passive voice can be made only of transitive verb, i.e. if the verb is followed by an object.

* Voice is changed in the same sentence i.e., if the Active voice is in the interrogative sentence.

* Than Passive will also be in interrogative sentence.

Structure:- Subject + Verb be+ past participle + by + object (noun or pronoun).

Active and Passive Voice: Tense-wise Rules

Tense

Rule

1. Simple

Present

AV- Sub. + V¹ (s/es)+ Obj

PV- Obj. + is/am/are + V³+ by + Sub.

2. Present

Continuous

AV- Sub. + is/am/are + V⁴ + object

PV- Obj. + is/am/are + being + V³+ by + subj.

3. Present

Perfect

AV- Sub. + has/have + V³ + object

PV- Obj. + has/have + been + V³+ by + subj.

4. Simple

Past

AV- Sub. + V² + Obj

PV- Obj. + was/were + V³+ by + Sub.

5. Past

Continuous

AV- Sub. + was/were + V⁴ + object

PV- Obj. + was/were + being + V³+ by + subj.

6. Past

Perfect

AV- Sub. + had + V³ + object

PV- Obj. + had + been + V³+ by + subj.

7. Simple

Future

AV- Sub. + shall/will + V¹ + Obj

PV- Obj. + shall/will + be + V³+ by + Sub.

8. Future

Continuous

AV- Sub. + shall/will + be + V⁴ + object

PV- Obj. + shall/will + being + V³+ by + subj.

9. Future

Perfect

AV- Sub. + shall/will + have + V³ + object

PV- Obj. + shall/will + have + been + V³+ by + subj.

10. Modals

AV- Would/should/can/could/may/might/Must/ought to + V¹

PV- Would/should/can/could/may/might/Must/ought to + be + V³

11. Infinitive

AV- To + V¹

PV- To be + V¹

12. Commands

AV- V¹ + ……..

PV- Let + be + V³

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Sentence	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Affirmative	Sub. + V¹ (s/es)+ object	Obj. + is/am/are + V³+ by + subj.
Negative	Sub. + do/does + not + V¹ + object	Obj. + is/am/are + not + V³+ by + subj.
Interrogative	Do/does +Sub. + not + V¹ + object	Is/are/am + obj. + V³ + by + sub.

Eeamples:-

Changing an assertive sentence into the passive Changing a negative sentence into the passive
I write a letter.	A letter is written by me.	I do not write a letter.	A letter is not written by me.
I help you.	You are helped by me.	I do not abuse my servants.	My servants are not abused by me.
I love my parents.	My parents are loved by me.	I do not write novels.	Novels are not written by me.
We love our country.	Our country is loved by us.	He does not tease her.	She is not teased by him.
Who does not obey you?	By whom are you not obeyed?	Which newspaper do you read?	Which newspaper is read by you?
Do you write a letter?	Is a letter written by you?	Do you write stories?	Are stories written by you?
Does she do her duty?	Is her duty done by her?	Does she make candles?	Are candles made by her?

Notes:-

The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb. Therefore, sentences which do not have an object cannot be changed into the passive. The following sentences, for instance, cannot be changed into the passive because they do not have objects.

The old man sat in a corner. The child sleeps. The wind blows. The dog barks.

The fire burns. He laughed aloud

Verbs with two objects: Examples:

Active Voice	Passive Voice
I gave him five rupees.	Five rupees were given to him by me./He was given five rupees by me.
She has told me the truth.	I was told the truth by her./The truth was told to me by her.
They lent me their car.	I was lent a car by them./A car was lent to me by them.
The Government has sent him a message.	He was sent a message by the government. Or A message was sent to him by the government.

Imperative sentences (Commands and requests)

There is special formula for changing the imperative sentence into passive voice.

―Let is used to convert the active voice sentence into a passive voice sentence.

Examples:

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Please open the door.	Let the door be opened by you.
Do not mistake me	Let me not be mistaken.
Cut your nails.	Let your nails be cut.
Do not ignore my suggestions.	Let not my suggestions be ignored.

With Modal verbs:

The verbs can, could, may, might, and must are known modal verbs. As per the following methods these sentences with these verbs are changed into passive voice.

Examples:

Active Voice	Passive Voice
You can take the book.	The book can be taken by you.
Everybody must obey the rules.	The rules must be obeyed by everybody.
They might have studied their lessons.	Their lessons might have been studied by them.
He may not accept this plan.	This lesson may not be accepted by him.

Phrasal verbs:

Few verbs, with certain meanings are always used with prepositions.

In such situations the prepositions should not be omitted in the sentences.

Examples:

Active Voice	Passive Voice
We are looking at the game.	The game is being looked at by us.
The fire-brigade put out the fire.	The fire was put out by the fire-brigade.
The Government will set up a factory.	A factory will be set up by the government.

Present Indefinite Tense

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sub. + V¹ + (s/es) + by + object	Obj. + is/am/are+ V³ +by + Sub.
Subject + do/does + not + V+ object	Obj + is/am/are + not + V³ + by + Sub
Do/does + Sub + V+ object	Is/am/are + obj + V³ + by + Sub
Karim teases him.	He is teased by him
She beats her husband.	Her husband is beaten by her.
She does not listen to you.	You are not listened to by her.
You do not favor her.	She is not favored by you.
Do you teach him?	Is he taught by you?
Do you respect me?	Am I respected by you?

If the sentence begins with ‘when/where/why/how/what’ helping verb should be put immediately after them.

Active Voice	Passive Voice
How do you prepare tea?	How is tea prepared by you?
When do you see T.V.?	When is T.V. seen by you?
What do you like?	What is liked by you?

If the sentence begins with ‘who’ or ‘whom’, change ‘who’ into ‘by whom’ and ‘whom’ into ‘who’ in the passive voice.

Active Passive

Who beats you? By whom are you beaten?

Whom do you love? Who is loved by you?

Past Indefinite Tense

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sub. + V² + object	Obj. + was/were + V³ +by + Sub.
Subject + did + not + V¹+ object	Obj + was/were + not + V³ + by + Sub
Did + Sub + V⁵+ object	Was/were + obj + V³ + by + Sub
Wh-word + did + sub + V⁵+ Obj.+ ?	Wh-word + was/were + Obj + being + V³+ by + Sub.+ ?
I revised the lesson	The lesson was revised by me.
The teacher did not teaching me.	I was not taught by the teacher.
Did you read the book?	Was the book read by you?
What did Rahman sing?	What was sung by Rahman?

Past Continuous Tense

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sub. + was/were +V⁵ + object	Obj. + was/were + being + V³ +by + Sub.
Subject + was/were + not + V⁵+ object	Obj + was/were + not + being + V³ + by + Sub
Was/were + Sub + V⁵+ object	Was/were + obj + being + V³ + by + Sub
Wh-word + was/were + sub + V⁵+ Obj.+ ?	Wh-word + was/were + Obj + being + V³+ by + Sub.+ ?
I was revising the lesson	The lesson was being revised by me.
The teacher was not teaching me.	I was not being taught by the teacher.
Were you reading the book?	Was the book being read by you?
What was Rehman doing?	What was being done by Rehman?

Past Perfect Tense

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sub. + had +V³ + object	Obj. + had + been + V³ +by + Sub.
Subject + had + not + V³+ object	Obj + had + not + been + V³ + by + Sub
Had + Sub + V³+ object	Had + obj + been + V³ + by + Sub
Wh-word + had + sub + V³+ Obj.+ ?	Wh-word + had + Obj + been + V³+ by + Sub.+ ?
He had stolen my watch.	My watch had been stolen by him.
Had she taken tea?	Had tea been taken by her?
He had not ill-treated him	He had not been ill-treated by him?

Future Indefinite Tense

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sub. + will/shall + V¹ + object	Obj.+ will/shall + be + V³ + by + sub.
Sub. + will/shall + not + V¹ + object	Obj.+ will/shall + not + be + V³ + by + sub.
will/shall + Sub. + V¹ + object	will/shall + Obj.+ not + be + V³ + by + sub.
This man will do my work.	My work will be done by this man.
Will Mohsin help me?	Shall I be helped by Mohsin?
What will Tariq do?	What will be done by Tariq?

Future Perfect Tense

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sub + will/shall + have + V³+obj.	Sub + will/shall + have + been + V³+ by + obj.
Sub + will/shall + not + have + V³+obj.	Sub + will/shall + not + have + been + V³+ by + obj.
This man will have done my work.	My work will have been done by this man.
He will not have abused me.	I shall not have been abused by him.
The farmer will have watered the field.	The field will have been watered by the farmer.

Modal Verbs:

Can, may, must, shall, will, should, would, could and might are called modal verbs.

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Subject + modal verb+ V1 + object	Subject + modal verb+ be + V³ + by + object
Rizwan can win the prize.	The prize can be won by Rizwan.
Mohsin must reward you.	You must be rewarded by Mohsin.
May I help you?	May you be helped by me?
Who will shut the door?	By whom will the door be shut.

Imperative Sentence

Active	Passive	Active	Passive
Shut the door.	Let the door be shut.	Close the door.	Let the door be closed.
Open the box.	Let the box be opened.	Inform the Police.	Let the police be informed.
Do not starve the ox.	Let the ox not be starved.

Change of voice of infinitives, verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’

Active Voice	Passive Voice
They are to sell the car.	The car is to be sold by them.
Abdul was to do this work.	This work was to be done by Abdul.
I have to buy a book	A book has to be bought by me.
I am to do this work.	This work is to be done by me.
He is a man to admire.	He is a man to be admired.
There is no time to lose.	There is not time to be lost.

Verbs with two objects:

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Radha gave me a book.	I was given a book by Rida. Or A book was given to me by Radha.
We refused them admission.	They were refused admission by us. Or Admission was refused to them by us.

Where ‘by’ is not used.

With the following verbs, ‘by’ is not used in the passive voice:

Alarmed at	Annoyed at	Contained in	Pleased with
Disgusted with	Displeased with	Lined with
Married to	Satisfied with	Surprised at

Active Voice	Passive Voice
The result surprised me.	I am surprised at the result.
We refused them admission.	They were refused admission by us. Or Admission was refused to them by us.
The news pleased him.	He was pleased with the news.
The news alarmed him.	He was alarmed at the news.
The bottle contains ink.	Ink is contained in the bottle.

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CBSE English Grammar English Grammar – Active and Passive Voice (Notes)