Active and passive voice with example

1. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
WHEN TO USE ACTIVE VOICE:
• When focus is on an agent, the sentence is used in active
mode.
Columbus discovered America
Agent Verb Theme
Agent: Doer/Performer of an action
Theme: Receiver of an action
WHEN TO USE PASSIVE VOICE:
• When the focus in on a theme, a sentence is used in
passive mode:
America was discovered by Columbus.
Theme Verb Agent
• When an agent is unknown:
The bank was robbed. (We don’t know who robbed the bank)
The house was set on fire. (We don’t know who set the house on
fire)
• When an agent is generally known:
I was born in 1985. (generally known by mother)
I was taught very well. (generally known by teacher)
WHEN TO RETAIN AN AGENT IN PASSIVE VOICE:
The agent of a passive is retained when it gives new or essential
information.
I was invited in the party by Mr. Saleem.
The bulb was discovered by Thomas Edison.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
1

2. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
ASSERTIVE SENTENCES
1. SIMPLE PRESENT/INDEFINITE TENSE
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ Vo
/Vs
+ theme. Theme + am/is/are + Vn
+ by+ Agent.
He/She/It/S.Noun Vs
He/She/It/S.Noun is
I/We/You/They/P. Noun Vo
We/You/They/P. Noun are
I am
She rejects the proposal.
The teacher announces the result.
He protects me.
We ignore them.
The proposal is rejected by her.
The result is announced by the
teacher.
I am protected by him.
They are ignored by us.
2. SIMPLE PAST/INDEFINITE TENSE
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ Ved
+ theme. Theme + was/were + Vn
+ by+ Agent.
He/She/It/S.Noun Ved
He/She/It/S.Noun/I was
I/We/You/They/P. Noun Ved
We/You/They/P. Noun were
He hit a child.
The president insulted employees.
My sister packed the gift.
A child was hit by him.
Employees were insulted by the
president.
The gift was packed by my sister.
3. SIMPLE FUTURE/INDEFINITE TENSE
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ shall/will+ Vo
+ theme. Theme + shall/will+be+ Vn
+ by+ Agent.
He/She/It/S.Noun/You/They/P. Noun will
I/We shall
I shall take the test next week. The test will be taken by me next
week.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
2

3. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
We shall solve the issue soon.
They will take us into confidence.
The issue will be solved soon by
us.
We shall be taken into confidence.
ASSERTIVE SENTENCES
4. PRESENTCONTINOUS/PROGRESSIVE
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ am/is/are + Ving
+ theme. Theme + am/is/are + being + Vn
+ by+ agent.
He/She/It/S.Noun is
We/You/They/P. Noun are
I am
She is celebrating her birthday.
He is asking a question.
We are threatening them.
Birthday is being celebrated by
her.
A question is being asked by her.
They are being threatened by us.
5. PAST CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ was/were + Ving
+ theme. Theme + was/were + being + Vn
+ by+ agent.
I/He/She/It/S.Noun was
We/You/They/P. Noun were
The workers were observing the
strike.
I was driving a car.
She was looking at photos.
The strike was being observed by
the workers.
A car was being driven by me.
Photos were being looked at by
her.
6. FUTURE CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE
____________________________________________________________________
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Nadeem Ahmed
3

4. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ shall/will+be + Ving
+ theme. NO PASSIVE
I shall be reading a novel.
They will be working on the new
project.
No Passive Voice
7. PRESENT PERFECT
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ has/have + Vn
+ theme. Theme + has/have + been + Vn
+ by+ agent.
He/She/It/S.Noun has
I/We/You/They/P. Noun have
We have warned them.
She has confessed her guilt.
I have taught her all topics.
They have been warned by us.
Guilt has been confessed by her.
All topics have been taught to her
by me. (OR)
She has been taught all topics by
me.
8. PAST PERFECT
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ + had + Vn
+ theme. Theme + had + been + Vn
+ by+ agent.
He/She/It/S.Noun had
I/We/You/They/P. Noun had
I had taken pills before my
mother asked to do.
They had already bought
vegetables.
Pills had been taken by me before
mother asked to do so.
Vegetables had already been
bought by them.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
4

5. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
9. FUTURE PERFECT
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Agent+ shall/will+have +Vn
+ theme. Theme+shall/will+have +been+Vn
+by+
agent.
He/She/It/S.Noun/You/They/P. Noun will
I/We shall
I shall secured the certificate till
December.
They will have returned me money
by 2009.
The certificate will have been
secured by me till December.
I shall have been returned money
by them by 2009.
NOTE:
The tenses FUTURE CONITUOUS, PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOU, PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS AND
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS will not be changed into
Passive Voice.
Name: ____________ Class:__________________
Subject: English Date: _____________.
Topic: Voice (Assertive Sentences)
VOICE WORKSHEET-1
1. Change the voice in the following sentences:
a) I shall broadcast the talk on Monday.
__________________________________________________.
b) Alexander defeated Porus.
__________________________________________________.
c) The soldier stole the gun.
__________________________________________________.
d) The snake bit the man.
__________________________________________________.
e) I was invited by him to his house yesterday.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
5

6. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
__________________________________________________.
f) He plays football every evening.
__________________________________________________.
g) He was sent to prison for theft.
__________________________________________________.
h) The baby will be looked after by her grandmother.
__________________________________________________.
i) He ate some raw fruit.
__________________________________________________.
j) She writes a letter neatly.
__________________________________________________.
k) Ali lit all the lamps in the house.
__________________________________________________.
l) The patients will be taken to the hospital.
__________________________________________________.
m) Somebody opened that door a moment ago.
__________________________________________________.
n) My son painted the door.
__________________________________________________.
o) You will be seen.
__________________________________________________.
2. Change the followings into passive voice: -
1. A cat killed a mouse.
__________________________________________________.
2. She sings a song.
__________________________________________________.
3. They caught a thief.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
6

7. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
__________________________________________________.
4. I shall write a letter.
__________________________________________________.
5. He is flying a kite.
__________________________________________________.
6. He has just posted the letter.
__________________________________________________.
7. You kept me waiting for an hour.
__________________________________________________.
8. He had not seen the lion before.
__________________________________________________.
9. He is doing difficult sum.
__________________________________________________.
10. I have bought a new house.
__________________________________________________.
11. Our team will win the match.
__________________________________________________.
12. She is writing a letter.
__________________________________________________.
13. Aslam has chosen a book.
__________________________________________________.
14. He is watching us.
__________________________________________________.
15. Did he catch the noon train?
__________________________________________________.
3. Complete the following passive voice sentences in the tenses
suggested:
a) This book (publish) next month. (Future)
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
7

8. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
__________________________________________________.
b) This match (play) yesterday. (Past)
__________________________________________________.
c) The cow (leave) in the field. ((Past)
__________________________________________________.
d) My book (steal). (Present Perfect)
__________________________________________________.
e) You (admit) into the school tomorrow. (Future)
__________________________________________________.
f) Not a sound (hear). (Past)
__________________________________________________.
g) English (speak) all over the world. (Present)
__________________________________________________.
h) This room (white-wash). (Present Continuous)
__________________________________________________.
i) Wheat (sow). (Present Perfect)
__________________________________________________.
4. Change the followings into the passive voice: -
a) The officer offered him a job.
__________________________________________________.
b) He gave us a watch.
__________________________________________________.
c) I told him a story.
__________________________________________________.
d) Afzal will teach us poetry.
__________________________________________________.
e) She gave us some mangoes.
__________________________________________________.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
8

9. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
f) My father taught me this trade.
__________________________________________________.
g) They made him captain.
__________________________________________________.
h) He sent me a basket of apples.
__________________________________________________.
i) They call him Akbar.
__________________________________________________.
j) Our habits made us slaves.
__________________________________________________.
5. Change the followings into the passive voice:
a) They jeered at him.
__________________________________________________.
b) I wondered at his boldness.
__________________________________________________.
c) The spectators laughed at us.
__________________________________________________.
d) We shall look into the matter.
__________________________________________________.
e) The headmaster objected to our proposal.
__________________________________________________.
f) We arrived at the decision.
__________________________________________________.
g) He carried out my orders.
__________________________________________________.
h) We must listen to his words.
__________________________________________________.
6. Change the followings into the active voice:
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
9

10. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
a) Tariq was beaten by Aslam.
__________________________________________________.
b) Such mistakes are made by beginners.
__________________________________________________.
c) A new coat is being made by a tailor.
__________________________________________________.
d) The slate was broken by me.
__________________________________________________.
e) The child was knocked down by a car.
__________________________________________________.
f) A new house has been bought by him.
__________________________________________________.
g) This poem will be learnt by the class.
__________________________________________________.
h) Is this story written by him?
__________________________________________________.
i) Are mice caught by cats?
__________________________________________________.
j) This wounded man was being helped by some boys.
__________________________________________________.
7. Change the voice:
a) His books have been stolen.
__________________________________________________.
b) The city has been surrendered.
__________________________________________________.
c) Promises should be kept.
__________________________________________________.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
10

11. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
d) He should be called at once.
__________________________________________________.
e) My pocket was picked.
__________________________________________________.
f) I was compelled to resign.
__________________________________________________.
g) You will be refused admission.
__________________________________________________.
h) The speaker was heard patiently.
__________________________________________________.
i) They were defeated and made slaves.
__________________________________________________.
j) It is said but never practised.
__________________________________________________.
8. Change the voice in followings sentences: -
1. This pot contains ink.
________________________________________________.
2. They know it.
__________________________________________________.
3. One should do one’s duty.
__________________________________________________.
4. Do you repair pens?
__________________________________________________.
5. It is time to remove the luggage.
__________________________________________________.
6. Who has written this letter?
__________________________________________________.
7. They say that you have stolen the book.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
11

12. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
__________________________________________________.
8. I expected to finish the work by noon.
__________________________________________________.
9. Change the voice:
1. Jack built the house.
__________________________________________________.
2. His loss has been felt by everybody.
__________________________________________________.
3. He is listening to your lecture.
__________________________________________________.
4. A trick was played upon the crow by the fox.
__________________________________________________.
5. The teacher asked me a question.
__________________________________________________.
6. This fact is known to all.
__________________________________________________.
7. No water should be wasted.
__________________________________________________.
8. She offered her brother a present.
__________________________________________________.
9. My aunt has sent me a book of pictures.
__________________________________________________.
10. A prize will be given by the teacher to the best boy.
__________________________________________________.
11. I am being troubled by them for nothing.
__________________________________________________.
12. The police will catch the thief.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
12

13. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
__________________________________________________.
13. Young men respect old persons.
__________________________________________________.
14. A little box was brought by her to the school.
__________________________________________________.
15. This lesson is still being learnt by him.
__________________________________________________.
10. Change the voice:
1. All the ministers will see him off at the airport.
____________________________________________________.
2. Everyone looked up to him.
_____________________________________________________.
3. Her story did not take them in.
_____________________________________________________.
4. They had towed my car away. They had done this because I had
parked it under a “No Parking” sign.
_____________________________________________________.
5. You will have to pull down this skyscraper you have not complied
with the town planning regulations.
_____________________________________________________.
6. I hate people looking at me.
_____________________________________________________.
7. People shan’t speak to me as if I were a child.
_____________________________________________________.
8. Didn’t they tell you to be here by 6 o’clock?
_____________________________________________________.
9. Musharaf has seen the blueprint of the new office building.
_____________________________________________________.
10. She visited Larkana in 1999.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
13

14. ENGLISH Active and Passive Voice
_____________________________________________________.
11. These books have been read by Amira.
_____________________________________________________.
12. Many scholars have been invited by the Headmaster of the
school.
_____________________________________________________.
____________________________________________________________________
_
Nadeem Ahmed
14