🎯 ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE
🟦 1️⃣ What is Voice in Grammar?
👉 The voice of a verb tells us whether the subject is doing the action or receiving the action.
A. Active Voice
➡ The subject does the action.
➡ Focus is on who is doing something.
Example:
✅ Ravi eats an apple.
(“Ravi” is doing the action of eating.)
B. Passive Voice
➡ The subject receives the action.
➡ Focus is on what is being done or who the action is done to.
Example:
✅ An apple is eaten by Ravi.
(The apple receives the action.)
🔁 Change of Focus
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Who does the action | What is done / to whom |
| Emphasis on doer | Emphasis on receiver |
| Riya sings a song. | A song is sung by Riya. |
🟩 2️⃣ Structure Formula
🧱 Active → Passive Formula
🔹 Active: Subject + Verb + Object
🔹 Passive: Object + Helping Verb + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject
🧩 Example
Active: The teacher teaches the lesson.
Passive: The lesson is taught by the teacher.
Breakdown:
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Subject | The teacher |
| Verb | teaches |
| Object | the lesson |
| Helping Verb (is) + V3 | is taught |
| by + Subject | by the teacher |
🟨 3️⃣ How to Change Active → Passive (Step-by-Step)
| Step | Action | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ | Identify Subject, Verb, Object | Ravi (S), eats (V), apple (O) |
| 2️⃣ | Move Object to Subject place | Apple … |
| 3️⃣ | Use correct “be form” of verb (is/am/are/was/were/been/being) | Apple is … |
| 4️⃣ | Use Past Participle (V3) form of main verb | Apple is eaten … |
| 5️⃣ | Add “by” + original subject | Apple is eaten by Ravi. |
✅ Final Answer: An apple is eaten by Ravi.
🟪 4️⃣ Tense-wise Conversion Chart
| Tense (Active) | Passive Form | Example (Active → Passive) |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | am / is / are + V3 | She writes a letter. → A letter is written by her. |
| Present Continuous | am / is / are + being + V3 | He is eating food. → Food is being eaten by him. |
| Present Perfect | has / have + been + V3 | They have finished the work. → The work has been finished by them. |
| Past Simple | was / were + V3 | He made a cake. → A cake was made by him. |
| Past Continuous | was / were + being + V3 | They were playing cricket. → Cricket was being played by them. |
| Past Perfect | had + been + V3 | She had done it. → It had been done by her. |
| Future Simple | will / shall + be + V3 | He will open the door. → The door will be opened by him. |
| Future Perfect | will / shall + have been + V3 | She will have finished it. → It will have been finished by her. |
⚠️ Note:
Tenses like Future Continuous or Perfect Continuous are not usually used in passive form.
🟫 5️⃣ Passive Voice for Modals
When the verb has a modal (can, may, must, should, etc.),
use modal + be + V3.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| She can drive a car. | A car can be driven by her. |
| He must finish the work. | The work must be finished by him. |
| They should help the poor. | The poor should be helped by them. |
🟧 6️⃣ Imperative Sentences (Orders/Requests)
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Open the door. | Let the door be opened. |
| Request | Please help me. | You are requested to help me. |
| Advice | Follow the rules. | The rules should be followed. |
🟦 7️⃣ Interrogative (Question) Sentences
| Type | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No Question | Do you eat apples? | Are apples eaten by you? |
| Wh- Question | Who wrote this book? | By whom was this book written? |
| Helping Verb first | Is he reading a book? | Is a book being read by him? |
🟩 8️⃣ Important Changes to Remember
| Active Word | Passive Word |
|---|---|
| I → me | |
| We → us | |
| You → you | |
| He → him | |
| She → her | |
| They → them | |
| My → my / mine | |
| Their → their / theirs |
🟨 9️⃣ Summary Table – Active → Passive Voice
| Voice Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Subject + Verb + Object | Riya paints a picture. |
| Passive | Object + be + V3 + by + Subject | A picture is painted by Riya. |
🟪 🔟 Practice Examples
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| He helps the poor. | The poor are helped by him. |
| She is writing a letter. | A letter is being written by her. |
| The boy has broken the glass. | The glass has been broken by the boy. |
| They will build a bridge. | A bridge will be built by them. |
| The teacher punished the student. | The student was punished by the teacher. |
| Someone stole my bag. | My bag was stolen. (agent not needed) |
🧠 Important Tips
✅ Use V3 (past participle) in all passive forms.
✅ Use “by” to show who does the action.
✅ If doer is unknown/unimportant, you can remove “by” phrase:
Someone stole my phone. → My phone was stolen.
✅ Keep meaning same, only focus shifts.