What is Voice?
Voice shows whether the subject of a sentence performs an action or receives it.
There are two voices:
| Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| Active Voice | The subject does the action. | The teacher teaches English. |
| Passive Voice | The subject receives the action. | English is taught by the teacher. |
Active and Passive Structures (General Rule)
| Active Structure | Passive Structure |
|---|
| Subject + Verb + Object | Object + (be form) + V3 + (by + subject) |
Pronoun Change Table (Important for Exams)
When converting Active → Passive, pronouns must change:
| Active Pronoun (Subject) | Passive Pronoun (Object) |
|---|
| I | me |
| We | us |
| You | you |
| He | him |
| She | her |
| They | them |
| It | it |
| Aadil (Any name) | Aadil (remains same) |
Example:
- Active: She helps me.
- Passive: I am helped by her.
Tense-wise Rules (All 12 Tenses) — With Examples
| Tense | Structure (Active → Passive) | Example |
|---|
| Simple Present | am/is/are + V3 | They write letters. → Letters are written by them. |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are + being + V3 | She is cooking food. → Food is being cooked by her. |
| Present Perfect | has/have been + V3 | He has done the work. → The work has been done by him. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | ❌ Not used | (No passive form) |
| Simple Past | was/were + V3 | He cleaned the room. → The room was cleaned by him. |
| Past Continuous | was/were + being + V3 | They were playing football. → Football was being played by them. |
| Past Perfect | had been + V3 | She had written a letter. → A letter had been written by her. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | ❌ Not used | (No passive form) |
| Simple Future | will/shall be + V3 | I will help him. → He will be helped by me. |
| Future Continuous | ❌ No passive form | (No passive form) |
| Future Perfect | will/shall have been + V3 | She will have finished work. → Work will have been finished by her. |
Passive of Modal Verbs
Structure: Modal + be + V3
| Active Sentence | Passive Sentence |
|---|
| She can solve the problem. | The problem can be solved by her. |
| You must obey rules. | Rules must be obeyed. |
| They should help the poor. | The poor should be helped by them. |
Passive Voice in Imperatives (Commands)
| Type | Rule | Example |
|---|
| Simple Order | Let + object + be + V3 | Open the door. → Let the door be opened. |
| Polite Request | You are requested to + V1 | Please sit down. → You are requested to sit down. |
| Advice | You are advised to + V1 | Work hard. → You are advised to work hard. |
Passive Voice in Questions
Yes/No Questions
| Active | Passive |
|---|
| Did he break the glass? | Was the glass broken by him? |
| Does she help you? | Are you helped by her? |
Wh-Questions
Rule: Keep the Wh-word first, then passive structure.
| Active | Passive |
|---|
| Who wrote this book? | By whom was this book written? |
| Why did she punish him? | Why was he punished by her? |
| When will they announce the result? | When will the result be announced? |
Important Notes
✔ Only transitive verbs (verbs with an object) can be made passive.
❌ Intransitive verbs (come, go, sleep, die) cannot be used in passive.
Examples:
- He slept. (❌ No passive)
- She came late. (❌ No passive)
Passive Voice of Infinitives & Gerunds
| Active | Passive |
|---|
| I want to help her. | I want her to be helped. |
| The teacher likes teaching students. | Students like being taught by the teacher. |
Words Commonly Added or Removed in Passive:
| Active Word | Passive Equivalent |
|---|
| people say | it is said |
| they believe | it is believed |
| we expect | it is expected |
| someone | — (removed if unknown) |
Example:
- People say he is honest.
→ It is said that he is honest.
Quick Active → Passive Summary
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|
| The cat chased the rat. | The rat was chased by the cat. |
| They will finish the project. | The project will be finished by them. |
| He is painting the wall. | The wall is being painted by him. |
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