Active and Passive
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Definition: Voice refers to the form of the verb that indicates whether the doer of an
action is the subject or the object or in other words, whether the subject of a sentence
performs the action (active voice) or is affected by it (The passive voice) so, the
sentence can be expressed either in the active voice or in passive voice is called
The verbs that take an object can be used in the Passive Voice. In Active Voice, the
primary focus is on the subject while in the Passive Voice, focus is on the object.
♦ Rules for changing into Passive Voice.
(a) The ‘object’ of the verb in the Active Voice becomes the ‘subject’ of the verb in the
Passive Voice and the ‘subject’ in the Active Voice becomes the ‘object’ in the ‘Passive
Voice’.
(b) The main verb is changed into the Past Participle. The third form of the verb and an
appropriate form of the helping verb according to the ‘Tense’ of the sentence is used.
(c) The ‘subject’ in the ‘Active Voice’ becomes the ‘object’ in the Passive Voice and the
word ‘by’ is generally placed before the object.
, Note:
A. By + agent
This construction is used only when the agent is definite and important.
(i) William Shakespeare wrote ‘The Merchant of Venice’.
‘The Merchant of Venice’ was written by William Shakespeare.
(ii) Mohan reads a poem.
A poem is read by Mohan.
(iii) My mother cooks food.
Food is cooked by my mother.
B. Without ‘by’ + agent
‘by’ + agent is not used when the agent is vague.
(i) Someone broke the window.
The window was broken, (by someone)
(ii) People call him a rogue.
He is called a rogue, (by the people)
C. The Nominative case of the pronoun is changed into the objective case. For
example-
I – me
We – us
He – him
She – her
You – You
It – It
They – Them
D. If a Transitive Verb has two objects, either of them may be made the subject in the
Passive Voice and the other remains unchanged.
He gave me a book.
I was given a book by him.
Or
A book was given to me by him.
E. Infinitive Combinations
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Definition: Voice refers to the form of the verb that indicates whether the doer of an
action is the subject or the object or in other words, whether the subject of a sentence
performs the action (active voice) or is affected by it (The passive voice) so, the
sentence can be expressed either in the active voice or in passive voice is called
The verbs that take an object can be used in the Passive Voice. In Active Voice, the
primary focus is on the subject while in the Passive Voice, focus is on the object.
♦ Rules for changing into Passive Voice.
(a) The ‘object’ of the verb in the Active Voice becomes the ‘subject’ of the verb in the
Passive Voice and the ‘subject’ in the Active Voice becomes the ‘object’ in the ‘Passive
Voice’.
(b) The main verb is changed into the Past Participle. The third form of the verb and an
appropriate form of the helping verb according to the ‘Tense’ of the sentence is used.
(c) The ‘subject’ in the ‘Active Voice’ becomes the ‘object’ in the Passive Voice and the
word ‘by’ is generally placed before the object.
, Note:
A. By + agent
This construction is used only when the agent is definite and important.
(i) William Shakespeare wrote ‘The Merchant of Venice’.
‘The Merchant of Venice’ was written by William Shakespeare.
(ii) Mohan reads a poem.
A poem is read by Mohan.
(iii) My mother cooks food.
Food is cooked by my mother.
B. Without ‘by’ + agent
‘by’ + agent is not used when the agent is vague.
(i) Someone broke the window.
The window was broken, (by someone)
(ii) People call him a rogue.
He is called a rogue, (by the people)
C. The Nominative case of the pronoun is changed into the objective case. For
example-
I – me
We – us
He – him
She – her
You – You
It – It
They – Them
D. If a Transitive Verb has two objects, either of them may be made the subject in the
Passive Voice and the other remains unchanged.
He gave me a book.
I was given a book by him.
Or
A book was given to me by him.
E. Infinitive Combinations
