active and passive voice| Definition| Exercises & Important examples
Voice is a form of verb which shows whether the subject of a sentence perform the action or receives the action. And we can write sentences in two ways whether the subject is active or passive.
Active and Passive Voice:
1. and in the active voice, the subject which perform the action expressed by the verbs in a sentence.
2. And in passive voice, the subject accepts the action which is expressed by the verbs. For example:
Active voice: he praises the boy.
Passive voice: the boy is praised by him.
In the first sentence, the action of killing a tiger is done by the subject “He”. He’ is the doer of action so the verb of the sentence is active.
In the second sentence,’ a tiger was killed by him’. Here more emphasis given to the receiver of the action
‘A tiger’ so a tiger is the main subject matter not “He”, therefore, the object ‘a tiger’ in the active voice become the subject in the passive voice.
Rules for voice change:
Table no: 1
| Voice | Subject | Transitive verb | Object |
| Active | John | killed | a tiger |
| Passive | A tiger | was killed | by John |
and If we notice in table no: 1 and we find some specific changes:-
a) The subjects of the active voice which become the subject in the passive voice. like
Active: John killed a tiger
Passive: A tiger was killed by John.
John is the subject so john becomes the object in the passive voice.
b) And Use “by” preposition before the object in passive voice. As in the passive voice ‘by’ is used before the object John.
Note: Always use the third form of the verb in passive voice. And the verb should be placed according to the new subject and tense in the passive voice. For example:
Active: I see the moon. which we can change as-
Passive: The moon is seen by me.
Here in these sentences, ‘seen’ is a third form of ‘see’ so it is used in the passive voice. And ‘is’ is taken according the new subject ‘the moon’ in the passive voice because the moon is third person singular number.
Active form and Passive form to be remember:
Subject of active voice which become the object in passive voice in the following way:-
Table no: 2
Active form | Passive form | Active form | Passive form |
I | me | She | Her |
He | Him | They | Them |
you | You | It | It |
we | us | Who | whom |
Active and passive voice examples:
Active: He loves me.
Passive: I am loved by him. (He becomes him; he is the passive form of he)
Note: In active voice sentence containing certain verb which we cannot transform into passive voice. For example:
Active: He has a new mobile.
Passive: A new mobile is had by him. (Wrong)
Here is a list of verbs which we cannot be change because they are intransitive in nature. These verbs Resemble, agree with, , contain, hold, comprise, lack, suit, fit, , equal. become. etc.
to master the voice know to rule of verbs in sentences subject verb agreement rules
The use of verbs (tense-wise) takes place in the following way:
Table no: 3
| Present | Past | Future |
Simple tense | Is/am/are | Was/were | Shall/will be |
Continuous tense | Is/am/are +being | Was/were+ being |
|
Perfect tense | Has/have + been | Had been | Shall/will have been |
Remember: According to the table no: 3 verbs should use before the past participle form of verbs in the passive voice.
Few examples are given below–
Active voice and passive voice
1.Simple present tense- passive voice examples
Active | Passive |
Children like mangoes | Mangoes are liked by children |
Does everybody see is? | Is it seen by everybody? |
2.Present continuous tense- change the passive voice
Active | Passive |
He is reading a prose. | A prose is being read by him. |
They are building a house. | A house in being built by them. |
3.Present perfect tense- active passive voice
Active | Passive |
I have lost the folder. | The folder has been lost by me. |
Sham has killed a bird | A bird has been killed by sham. |
4. Past indefinite tense-
Active | Passive |
He saw the thief. | The thief was seen by him. |
Who lost the pen? | By whom was the pen lost? |
5. Past continuous tense-
Active | Passive |
They were playing cricket. | Cricket was being played by them. |
He was training the dog. | The dog was being trained by him. |
6. Past perfect tense-
Active | Passive |
The child had broken the glass. | The glass had been broken by the child. |
Had he lost his pen? | Had the pen been lost by him? |
Note: to make passive voice, “been” is used in past perfect tense.
Active and passive voice exercises:
Here are given few active and passive voice exercises which will help to understand clearly
change the voice into passive voice
1. Clean the room.
2. Do it now.
3. Ram has met him this morning.
4. The police will soon catch him.
5. Put up a chair there.
6. Please sing a song.
7. Please keep off this road.
8. They laughed at her.
9. He gave me a cap.
10. They called him mahatma.
Passive voice exercise with answers
And the answers of the above questions are-
1. Let the room be cleaned.
2. Let it be done.
3. He has been met by ram this morning.
4. He will be caught soon by the police.
5. Have a chair put up there.
6. You are requested to sing a song.
7. You are requested to keep off this road.
8. She was laughed at by them.
9. I was given a cap by him.
10. He was called mahatma.
Here are few more exercise
