English Grammar - Active Voice – Passive Voice

 

English Grammar

Active Voice – Passive Voice 

Active Voice: In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb. It is the most common form of sentence construction and is often more direct and concise.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "John eats an apple."

In this sentence, "John" is the subject, "eats" is the verb, and "an apple" is the direct object. The subject "John" is performing the action of eating the apple.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "Sheila writes a book."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "writes" is the verb, and "a book" is the direct object. The subject "Sheila" is performing the action of writing the book.

 

Now, let's move on to the passive voice of the verb.

 

Passive Voice: In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "The apple is eaten by John."

In this sentence, "The apple" is the subject, "is eaten" is the passive verb phrase, and "by John" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "The apple" is receiving the action of being eaten, and the doer of the action, "John," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "The book is written by Sheila."

In this sentence, "The book" is the subject, "is written" is the passive verb phrase, and "by Sheila" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "The book" is receiving the action of being written, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

It is important to note that passive voice is typically used when the focus is on the receiver of the action, rather than the doer. It can also be used to vary sentence structure or emphasize a particular element. However, active voice is generally preferred for its clarity and directness.

 

Remember, in active voice, the subject performs the action, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action.

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

 

Active Voice (Present Simple Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the present simple tense. It is used to describe general truths, habitual actions, and regular occurrences.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila reads a book every day."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "reads" is the present simple tense of the verb "to read," and "a book every day" is the adverbial phrase indicating the frequency. The subject "Sheila" performs the action of reading a book regularly.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They play soccer on weekends."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "play" is the present simple tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer on weekends" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "They" performs the action of playing soccer regularly on weekends.

 

Passive Voice (Present Simple Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the present simple tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book is read by Sheila every day."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "is read" is the present simple tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila every day" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" receives the action of being read, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer is played by them on weekends."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "is played" is the present simple tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them on weekends" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" receives the action of being played, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

It's important to note that in the present simple tense, the passive voice is not as commonly used as in other tenses. The active voice is generally preferred for its simplicity and directness.

 

Remember, in active voice (present simple tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (present simple tense), the subject receives the action.

PAST SIMPLE TENSE

 

Active Voice (Past Simple Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the past simple tense. The past simple tense is used to describe actions that occurred and were completed in the past.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila read a book yesterday."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "read" is the past simple tense of the verb "to read," and "a book yesterday" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "Sheila" performs the action of reading a book in the past.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They played soccer last week."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "played" is the past simple tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer last week" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "They" performs the action of playing soccer in the past.

 

Passive Voice (Past Simple Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the past simple tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book was read by Sheila yesterday."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "was read" is the past simple tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila yesterday" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" receives the action of being read in the past, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer was played by them last week."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "was played" is the past simple tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them last week" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" receives the action of being played in the past, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

In the past simple tense, passive voice is less commonly used compared to active voice. Active voice is generally preferred as it is more straightforward and clearer.

 

Remember, in active voice (past simple tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (past simple tense), the subject receives the action.

FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE

 

Active Voice (Future Simple Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the future simple tense. The future simple tense is used to express actions that will happen in the future.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila will read a book tomorrow."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "will read" is the future simple tense of the verb "to read," and "a book tomorrow" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "Sheila" will perform the action of reading a book in the future.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They will play soccer next week."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "will play" is the future simple tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer next week" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "They" will perform the action of playing soccer in the future.

 

Passive Voice (Future Simple Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the future simple tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book will be read by Sheila tomorrow."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "will be read" is the future simple tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila tomorrow" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" will receive the action of being read in the future, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer will be played by them next week."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "will be played" is the future simple tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them next week" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" will receive the action of being played in the future, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

In the future simple tense, both active and passive voices are used, but the active voice is generally more common and preferred as it is more direct and concise.

 

Remember, in active voice (future simple tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (future simple tense), the subject receives the action.

PRESENT CONTINIOUS TENSE

 

Active Voice (Present Continuous Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the present continuous tense. The present continuous tense is used to describe actions that are happening at the current moment or around the present time.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila is reading a book right now."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "is reading" is the present continuous tense of the verb "to read," and "a book right now" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "Sheila" is currently performing the action of reading a book.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They are playing soccer at the park."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "are playing" is the present continuous tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer at the park" is the adverbial phrase indicating the location. The subject "They" is currently performing the action of playing soccer at the park.

 

Passive Voice (Present Continuous Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the present continuous tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book is being read by Sheila right now."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "is being read" is the present continuous tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila right now" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" is currently receiving the action of being read, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer is being played by them at the park."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "is being played" is the present continuous tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them at the park" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" is currently receiving the action of being played, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

It's important to note that the passive voice in the present continuous tense is less common compared to the active voice. The active voice is generally preferred for its clarity and directness.

 

Remember, in active voice (present continuous tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (present continuous tense), the subject receives the action.

PAST CONTINIOUS TENSE

 

Active Voice (Past Continuous Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the past continuous tense. The past continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions that were happening in the past at a specific point or over a period of time.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila was reading a book yesterday."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "was reading" is the past continuous tense of the verb "to read," and "a book yesterday" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "Sheila" was in the process of reading a book in the past.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They were playing soccer when it started raining."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "were playing" is the past continuous tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer when it started raining" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time and circumstances. The subject "They" was engaged in playing soccer in the past when the rain began.

 

Passive Voice (Past Continuous Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the past continuous tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book was being read by Sheila yesterday."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "was being read" is the past continuous tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila yesterday" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" was in the process of being read in the past, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer was being played by them when it started raining."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "was being played" is the past continuous tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them when it started raining" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" was being played in the past when it started raining, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

It's important to note that the passive voice in the past continuous tense is less commonly used compared to the active voice. The active voice is generally preferred for its clarity and directness.

 

Remember, in active voice (past continuous tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (past continuous tense), the subject receives the action.

FUTURE CONTINIOUS TENSE

 

Active Voice (Future Continuous Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the future continuous tense. The future continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions that will be happening at a specific point or over a period of time in the future.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila will be reading a book tomorrow."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "will be reading" is the future continuous tense of the verb "to read," and "a book tomorrow" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "Sheila" will be in the process of reading a book in the future.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They will be playing soccer at 3 PM."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "will be playing" is the future continuous tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer at 3 PM" is the adverbial phrase indicating the time. The subject "They" will be engaged in playing soccer at 3 PM in the future.

 

Passive Voice (Future Continuous Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the future continuous tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book will be being read by Sheila tomorrow."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "will be being read" is the future continuous tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila tomorrow" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" will be in the process of being read in the future, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer will be being played by them at 3 PM."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "will be being played" is the future continuous tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them at 3 PM" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" will be in the process of being played at 3 PM in the future, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

It's important to note that the passive voice in the future continuous tense is less commonly used compared to the active voice. The active voice is generally preferred for its clarity and directness.

 

Remember, in active voice (future continuous tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (future continuous tense), the subject receives the action.

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

 

Active Voice (Present Perfect Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the present perfect tense. The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that happened at an indefinite time before the present or actions that have a connection to the present.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila has read a book."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "has read" is the present perfect tense of the verb "to read," and "a book" is the direct object. The subject "Sheila" has performed the action of reading a book in the past, and there is a connection to the present.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They have played soccer before."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "have played" is the present perfect tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer" is the direct object. The subject "They" has performed the action of playing soccer in the past, and there is a connection to the present.

 

Passive Voice (Present Perfect Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the present perfect tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book has been read by Sheila."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "has been read" is the present perfect tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" has received the action of being read in the past, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer has been played by them."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "has been played" is the present perfect tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" has received the action of being played in the past, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

In the present perfect tense, both active and passive voices are used, but the active voice is more common and preferred for its directness and clarity.

 

Remember, in active voice (present perfect tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (present perfect tense), the subject receives the action.

PAST PERFECT TENSE

 

Active Voice (Past Perfect Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the past perfect tense. The past perfect tense is used to describe actions that occurred before another past action or a specific time in the past.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila had read a book before she went to bed."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "had read" is the past perfect tense of the verb "to read," and "a book" is the direct object. The subject "Sheila" had performed the action of reading a book before going to bed in the past.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They had played soccer before the rain started."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "had played" is the past perfect tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer" is the direct object. The subject "They" had performed the action of playing soccer before the rain started in the past.

 

Passive Voice (Past Perfect Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the past perfect tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book had been read by Sheila before she went to bed."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "had been read" is the past perfect tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" had received the action of being read before Sheila went to bed in the past, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer had been played by them before the rain started."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "had been played" is the past perfect tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" had received the action of being played before the rain started in the past, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

In the past perfect tense, both active and passive voices are used, but the active voice is more common and preferred for its directness and clarity.

 

Remember, in active voice (past perfect tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (past perfect tense), the subject receives the action.

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

 

Active Voice (Future Perfect Tense):

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb in the future perfect tense. The future perfect tense is used to describe actions that will be completed before a specific point or time in the future.

 

Example 1:

Active voice: "Sheila will have read a book by tomorrow."

In this sentence, "Sheila" is the subject, "will have read" is the future perfect tense of the verb "to read," and "a book" is the direct object. The subject "Sheila" will have completed the action of reading a book by tomorrow in the future.

 

Example 2:

Active voice: "They will have played soccer before the match starts."

In this sentence, "They" is the subject, "will have played" is the future perfect tense of the verb "to play," and "soccer" is the direct object. The subject "They" will have completed the action of playing soccer before the match starts in the future.

 

Passive Voice (Future Perfect Tense):

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb in the future perfect tense, and the doer of the action is either omitted or placed in a prepositional phrase.

 

Example 1:

Passive voice: "A book will have been read by Sheila by tomorrow."

In this sentence, "A book" is the subject, "will have been read" is the future perfect tense of the passive verb phrase "to be read," and "by Sheila" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "A book" will have received the action of being read by Sheila by tomorrow in the future, and the doer of the action, "Sheila," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

Example 2:

Passive voice: "Soccer will have been played by them before the match starts."

In this sentence, "Soccer" is the subject, "will have been played" is the future perfect tense of the passive verb phrase "to be played," and "by them" is the prepositional phrase. The subject "Soccer" will have received the action of being played by them before the match starts in the future, and the doer of the action, "them," is mentioned with the preposition "by."

 

In the future perfect tense, both active and passive voices are used, but the active voice is more common and preferred for its directness and clarity.

 

Remember, in active voice (future perfect tense), the subject performs the action, while in passive voice (future perfect tense), the subject receives the action.

PERFECT CONTINIOUS TENSE

 

The perfect continuous tense does not have a passive form. The perfect continuous tense is formed by using "has/have/had been" + the present participle (-ing form) of the verb.

 

The passive voice is used to emphasize the recipient of the action rather than the doer of the action. However, in the perfect continuous tense, the emphasis is on the ongoing action and its duration, rather than on the recipient of the action. Therefore, the passive voice is not typically used in this tense.

When to use ......by 'DOER' and

When NOT to use......by 'DOER'

In passive voice constructions, the use of the preposition "by" followed by the doer of the action is optional. Here are some guidelines on when to use or omit the "by" + doer phrase:

 

Use "by" + doer:

When it is important to emphasize or highlight the doer of the action.

When the doer of the action is relevant or needs to be specified.

When you want to provide additional information about who or what is performing the action.

Example: "The house was built by John."

In this sentence, "by John" is used to specify who performed the action of building the house.

 

Omit "by" + doer:

When the doer is unknown, unimportant, or assumed to be understood.

When the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action rather than the doer.

When the emphasis is on the passive voice itself rather than the doer.

Example: "The cake was eaten."

In this sentence, the doer of the action (the person who ate the cake) is not mentioned because it is either unknown or not relevant to the context.

 

Remember that the decision to include or omit the "by" + doer phrase depends on the intended emphasis and the importance of specifying the doer of the action. In many cases, the active voice might be a better choice if you want to specifically mention the doer of the action.

Exercise:

 

Convert the following active voice sentences into passive voice. Choose the correct form of the verb and use the appropriate tense.

1.       They built a new house.

2.       She is writing a novel.

3.       He will finish the project by tomorrow.

4.       Someone has stolen my wallet.

5.       The teacher is explaining the lesson.

6.       We had completed the task before the deadline.

7.       They are cooking dinner in the kitchen.

8.       The company hired a new manager.

9.       She had invited all her friends to the party.

10.  The students are solving the math problems.

 

Answers:

 

1.       A new house was built by them.

2.       A novel is being written by her.

3.       The project will be finished by him by tomorrow.

4.       My wallet has been stolen by someone.

5.       The lesson is being explained by the teacher.

6.       The task had been completed by us before the deadline.

7.       Dinner is being cooked in the kitchen by them.

8.       A new manager was hired by the company.

9.       All her friends had been invited to the party by her.

10.  The math problems are being solved by the students.

 

Note: In passive voice sentences, the subject of the active voice sentence becomes the object in the passive voice sentence, and the object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject in the passive voice sentence. The verb is changed to the appropriate form (e.g., present simple changes to present simple passive, past simple changes to past simple passive, etc.), and the agent (the doer of the action) can be optionally included using the preposition "by."

 

1.       They are repairing the car.

2.       He has completed the report.

3.       The police caught the thief.

4.       She will bake a cake for the party.

5.       The storm damaged the roof.

6.       We had booked the hotel room in advance.

7.       The doctor prescribed some medicine for the patient.

8.       The company is launching a new product next week.

9.       They had organized a surprise party for him.

10.  The teacher gave the students a challenging assignment.

 

Answers:

 

1.       The car is being repaired by them.

2.       The report has been completed by him.

3.       The thief was caught by the police.

4.       A cake will be baked for the party by her.

5.       The roof was damaged by the storm.

6.       The hotel room had been booked in advance by us.

7.       Some medicine was prescribed for the patient by the doctor.

8.       A new product is being launched by the company next week.

9.       A surprise party had been organized for him by them.

10.  The students were given a challenging assignment by the teacher.

 

Remember to change the verb form, rearrange the sentence structure, and use "by" to mention the doer (agent) of the action if necessary.