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Active Voice And Passive Voice in English Grammar

Q: 6. Can you share examples of Active and Passive Voice?

Active Voice Examples:"The dog chases the ball.""She writes a letter."Passive Voice Examples:"The ball is chased by the dog.""A letter is written by her."

English

Grammar

Active And Passive Voice

Reviewed by:

Aiswarya Ittianath

Explore Active and Passive Voice Definitions, Rules, Key Differences and Usage

After understanding the various parts of speech in the English language and the 12 tenses, the next important topic to focus on is the active and passive voice. This article provides a comprehensive guide to active Voice and passive voice, including their meaning, definitions, and usage. By exploring the differences between the two voices and reviewing the examples provided, you will gain the knowledge and skills to use active and passive voice correctly and effectively.

Table of Content

What are Active Voice and Passive Voice?

Active and passive voice are the two grammatical forms used in English Grammar. Neither of them is superior to the other, but each serves different purposes and works better in specific contexts.

Active voice is a sentence structure where the subject performs the action of the verb, creating a clear and straightforward expression. For example: "The cat ate the food."
Passive voice, on the other hand, places the focus on the action or the recipient by having the subject receive the verb's action. For instance: "The food was eaten by the cat."
While active voice often makes writing more lively and direct, passive voice can be useful when the emphasis needs to be on the action or the object rather than the subject, depending on the context.

Later in this article, we’ll discuss when to use each voice, but first, let’s take a closer look at active and passive voice.

Active Voice: Meaning and Definition

In active voice sentences, the subject performs the action of the verb, creating a straightforward and clear expression.

Examples in Active Voice:

The teacher explains the lesson.
In this sentence, the subject (teacher) performs the action (explains) on the object (lesson).

Other Active Voice Examples Include:

The chef prepares the meal.
I read the book.
They built a house.

In all of these, the subject is actively doing something to the object.

Passive Voice: Meaning and Definition

In passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence, and the performer of the action is often introduced later (if at all) with "by."

Examples in Passive Voice:

The lesson is explained by the teacher.
Here, the lesson (the object of the action) becomes the subject of the sentence, and the teacher (the performer of the action) is introduced after "by."

Other Passive Voice Examples:

The meal is prepared by the chef.
The book was read by me.
A house was built by them.

Notice how the focus shifts from the doer of the action to the receiver of the action. Passive voice sentences are often longer due to the inclusion of additional words like "by" and forms of "to be."

Here’s an example of passive voice without the preposition "by":

The package was delivered.
The decision was made.
The song was sung.

Difference Between Active and Passive Voice

Below is the table to summarise the difference between active and passive voice for your better understanding-

Aspect	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Focus	The subject performs the action	The subject receives the action
Sentence Structure	Subject + Verb + Object	Subject + Form of "to be" + Past Participle + (by + Agent)
Example	"The chef (subject) cooked (verb) the meal (object)."	"The meal (subject) was cooked (verb) by the chef (agent)."
Use	Commonly used for clarity and directness	Used when the action or recipient is more important than the doer
Emphasis	Emphasises the performer of the action	Emphasises the action or the recipient of the action

Active And Passive Voice Examples

Active Voice Examples:

"The teacher explains the lesson."
"The dog bit the mailman."
"She writes a letter."
"The company launched a new product."
"The artist painted a beautiful mural."

Passive Voice Examples:

"The lesson is explained by the teacher."
"The mailman was bitten by the dog."
"A letter is written by her."
"A new product was launched by the company."
"A beautiful mural was painted by the artist."

Rules to be Followed When Converting the Active Voice to the Passive Voice

Step 1: Find the Subject, Verb, and Object in the Active Sentence

The subject is the person or thing doing the action.
The verb is the action.
The object is what the action is being done to.

Example (Active):

The dog (subject) chased (verb) the ball (object).

Step 2: Move the Object to the Front

In passive voice, the object becomes the new subject.

Example (Active):

The dog chased the ball.

Example (Passive):

The ball becomes the subject: The ball was chased by the dog.

Step 3: Use the Right Form of "To Be"

You need to use the right form of the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were) based on the tense of the original sentence.

Example (Active):

She reads the book (Present tense).

Example (Passive):

The book is read by her.

Step 4: Change the Main Verb to Its Past Participle

Change the main verb into its past form. This is usually the third form of the verb.

Example (Active):

They built a house.

Example (Passive):

A house was built by them.

Step 5: Optional – Add the Doer of the Action (By)

You can include the person who did the action after "by," but it's optional. You can leave it out if you don’t need to mention them.

Example (Passive with Doer):

The cake was baked by the chef.

Example (Passive without Doer):

The cake was baked.

Step 6: For Ongoing Actions, Add "Being"

If the action is happening right now (continuous tense), use "being" along with the past form of the verb.

Example (Active - Ongoing Action):

They are making the cake.

Example (Passive - Ongoing Action):

The cake is being made by them.

Step 7: For Actions That are Completed, Use "Been"

If the action is completed (perfect tense), use "been" with the correct form of "to be."

Example (Active - Completed Action):

She has completed the project.

Example (Passive - Completed Action):

The project has been completed by her.

Examples of the Active and Passive Voice

Given below are a few Active And Passive Voice Examples with answers of how to convert.

Active Voice	Passive Voice
1. The cat chased the mouse.	1. The mouse was chased by the cat.
2. The teacher explains the lesson.	2. The lesson is explained by the teacher.
3. I wrote a letter.	3. A letter was written by me.
4. They built a new house.	4. A new house was built by them.
5. The chef prepared the dinner.	5. The dinner was prepared by the chef.
6. She reads a book every day.	6. A book is read by her every day.
7. The dog bit the man.	7. The man was bitten by the dog.
8. He finished his homework.	8. The homework was finished by him.
9. I played soccer with my friends.	9. Soccer was played by me and my friends.
10. The child drew a picture.	10. A picture was drawn by the child.
11. The artist painted a beautiful portrait.	11. A beautiful portrait was painted by the artist.
12. The mechanic fixed the car.	12. The car was fixed by the mechanic.
13. I ate my lunch quickly.	13. My lunch was eaten quickly.
14. She studied the textbook.	14. The textbook was studied by her.
15. We watched a movie last night.	15. A movie was watched by us last night.
16. They caught the bus on time.	16. The bus was caught by them on time.
17. She loves reading novels.	17. Novels are loved by her.
18. He cleaned the room.	18. The room was cleaned by him.
19. They opened the window.	19. The window was opened by them.
20. I traveled to Paris last summer.	20. Paris was traveled to by me last summer.

Check Your Understanding of the Active Voice and the Passive Voice

Questions:

1. What is the difference between active and passive voice?

2. Identify whether the following sentences are in active or passive voice:

The teacher explained the lesson.
The book was read by John.
She baked a cake.
The cake was baked by her.
They built a house.
A house was built by them.

3. Can you change the following passive sentences into active voice?

The homework was completed by the student.
The meal was prepared by the chef.
The letter was sent by Maria.

Answers:

1. Difference between active and passive voice:

Active Voice: The subject performs the action.
Passive Voice: The subject receives the action.

2. Identify whether the following sentences are in active or passive voice:

The teacher explained the lesson. → Active Voice
The book was read by John. → Passive Voice
She baked a cake. → Active Voice
The cake was baked by her. → Passive Voice
They built a house. → Active Voice
A house was built by them. → Passive Voice

3. Can you change the following passive sentences into active voice?

The homework was completed by the student. → The student completed the homework.
The meal was prepared by the chef. → The chef prepared the meal.

FAQs on Active Voice And Passive Voice in English Grammar

1. What are Active and Passive Voices?

Active and passive voice are two different ways of constructing sentences. In an active voice, the subject performs the action (e.g., "The dog chased the ball"). In passive voice, the subject receives the action (e.g., "The ball was chased by the dog").

2. How can I convert Active Voice to Passive Voice?

To convert from active to passive voice, move the object of the sentence to the subject position, use a form of "to be" (depending on the tense), and change the main verb to its past participle form. For example:

Active: "The chef cooked the meal."
Passive: "The meal was cooked by the chef."

3. What are the rules of Active and Passive Voice?

In an active voice, the subject does the action (e.g., "She reads the book").
In passive voice, the object receives the action (e.g., "The book is read by her").
Use the appropriate form of "to be" with the past participle of the verb for passive voice.

4. Can you provide the Active and Passive Voice formula?

Active Voice Formula: Subject + Verb + Object (e.g., "She (subject) eats (verb) an apple (object)").
Passive Voice Formula: Subject + form of "to be" + past participle of the verb + by + agent (e.g., "The apple (subject) is eaten (verb) by her (agent)").

5. What is the difference between Active and Passive Voice?

In active voice, the subject performs the action (e.g., "The dog bit the ball"), while in passive voice, the subject is acted upon (e.g., "The ball was bitten by the dog"). Passive voice often focuses on the action rather than the doer.

6. Can you share examples of Active and Passive Voice?

Active Voice Examples:

"The dog chases the ball."
"She writes a letter."

Passive Voice Examples:

"The ball is chased by the dog."
"A letter is written by her."

7. Why should I use Active Voice instead of Passive Voice?

Active voice is more direct, engaging, and often clearer. It helps make the writing sound more confident and is usually preferred in persuasive writing.

8. How do I identify Passive Voice in a sentence?

Passive voice is usually identified by a form of the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were, will be, etc.) followed by the past participle of the main verb (e.g., "The cake is eaten").

9. What is the Active and Passive Voice Rules Chart?

A chart comparing active and passive voice helps show the structure of both. It can include:

Active Voice: Subject + Verb + Object.
Passive Voice: Subject + form of "to be" + past participle + by + Agent.

10. How do Active and Passive Voices work in different tenses?

Both active and passive voice can be used in any tense. The form of "to be" changes depending on the tense (e.g., "is being" for present continuous, "was" for past simple, "has been" for present perfect).

11. How do I practice Active and Passive Voice?

Use exercises that involve converting sentences from active to passive and vice versa. For example, change "She cleans the house" to "The house is cleaned by her."

12. Are there any exceptions when using Passive Voice?

Not every verb can be turned into a passive voice. For example, intransitive verbs (verbs that don’t take an object) like "sleep" cannot be used in passive voice.

13. How do Active and Passive Voices affect tone in writing?

Active voice makes writing more direct, energetic, and clear. Passive voice can create a more formal tone and is used to emphasise the action or the recipient of the action rather than the doer.