passive voice explnation

8/11/2019 Passive Voice Explnation

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Active and Passive VoiceThere are two ways to express an action of a subject in relation to its object

Active voice

Passive voice

In active voice subject acts upon object, while in passive voice object is acted upon by subject. Itcan also be said, in active voice subject does a work on object, while in passive voice object is

worked on by subject. The normal structure of an active voice sentence issubject+ verb+ objectbut

in passive the normal structure of sentence is reversed according to certain rules and becomes like

object+ verb+ subject.

Fundamental Rules for changing from active voice to passive voice

1.

The places of subject and object are interchanged i.e. the object shifts to the place of subjectand subject shifts to the place of object in passive voice. Example.

Active voice:I write a letter.

Passive voice:I letter is written by me.

Subject (I) of sentence shifted to the place of object (letter) and object (letter) shifted to the

place of subject (I) in passive voice.

2.

Sometimes subject of sentence is not used in passive voice. Subject of sentence can be

omitted in passive voice, if without subject it can give enough meaning in passive voice.

Examples.

Passive voice:cloth is sold in yards

3.

3rd form of verb (past participle)is always used as main verb in sentences of passive

voice for all tenses. Base form of verb or present participle will be never used in passive voice.

The word by is used before subject in sentences in passive voice.Example.

Active voice:He sings a song.

Passive voice:A song is sung byhim.

4. The word by is not always used before subject in passive voice. Sometimes words with, to,

etcmay also be used before subject in passive voice.

Examples.

Active voice:The water fills the tub.

Passive voice:The tub is filled withwater.

Active voice: He knows me.

Passive voice:I am known to him.

5.

Auxiliary verbs are used passive voice according to the tense of sentence.


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PASSIVE VOICE FOR ALL TENSES RULES

The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-changed in passive voice.

3rd form of verb (past participle) will be used only (as main verb) in passive voice.

Auxiliary verbs for each tense are given below in the table.

Present Simple Tense (passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: am/is/are

Active voice:

He sings a song.

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

Passive voice:

A song issung by him.

A song is not sung by him.

Isa song sung by him?

Present Continuous Tense (passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: am being/is being/are being

Active voice:

I am writing a letter

I am not writing a letter.

Am I writing a letter?

Passive voice:

A letter is beingwritten by me.

A letter is not beingwritten by me.

Isa letterbeingwritten by me?

Present Perfect Tense (passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: has been/have been

Active voice:

She has finished his work

She has not finished her work.

Has she finished her work?

Passive voice:

Her work has beenfinished by her.

Her work has not beenfinished by her.

Hasher work beenfinished by her?

Past Simple Tense (passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: was/were

Active voice:

I killed a snake

I did not kill a snake.

Did I kill a snake?

Passive voice:

A snake waskilled by me.

A snake was not killed by me.

Wasa snake killed by me?

Past Continuous Tense (Passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: was being/were being

Active voice:

He was driving a car.

Passive voice:

A car was beingdriven by him.


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He was not driving a car.

Was he driving a car?

A car was not beingdriven by him.

Wasa carbeingdriven by him?

Past Perfect Tense (Passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: had been

Active voice:They had completed the assignment.

They had not completed the assignment.

Had they completed the assignment?

Passive voice:The assignment had beencompleted by them.

The assignment had not beencomplete by them.

Hadthe assignment beencompleted by them?

Future Simple Tense (Passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: will be

Active voice:

She will buy a car.

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

Passive voice:

A car will bebought by her.

A car will not bebought by her.Will a car bebought by her?

Future Perfect Tense (passive Voice)

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: will have been

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 beenstarted by you.

Will the job have beenstarted by you?

Note:The following tenses cannot be changed into passive voice.

1. Present perfect continuous tense

2. Past perfect continuous tense

3. Future continuous tense

4.

Future perfect continuous tense

5. Sentence having Intransitive verbs

Fundamental Rules

The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-changed in passive voice.

3rd form of verb (past participle) will be used only (as main verb) in passive voice.

Auxiliary verbs for each tense are given below in the table.

Passive voice of Imperative Sentences

Active Voice Passive Voice

Open the door. Letthe door beopened.


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Complete the work. Letthe worked becompleted.

Turn off the television. Letthe television betuned off.

Learn your lesson. Letyour lesson belearnt.

Kill the snake. Letthe snake bekilled.

Punish him. Lethim bepunished.

Speak the truth. Letthe truth bespoken.Help the poor. Letthe poor behelped.

Revise your book. Letyour book berevised.

Clean your room. Letyour room becleaned.

passive voice explnation

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