Active And Passive Voice In English Grammar

Active and passive voice are the two grammatical forms used in English Grammar. Neither of them is superior to the other, but each serves different purposes and works better in specific contexts.

• Active voice is a sentence structure where the subject performs the action of the verb, creating a clear and straightforward expression. For example: "The cat ate the food."

• Passive voice, on the other hand, places the focus on the action or the recipient by having the subject receive the verb's action. For instance: "The food was eaten by the cat."

• While active voice often makes writing more lively and direct, passive voice can be useful when the emphasis needs to be on the action or the object rather than the subject, depending on the context.

Later in this article, we’ll discuss when to use each voice, but first, let’s take a closer look at active and passive voice.

Active Voice: Meaning and Definition

In active voice sentences, the subject performs the action of the verb, creating a straightforward and clear expression.

Examples in Active Voice:

• The teacher explains the lesson.
  In this sentence, the subject (teacher) performs the action (explains) on the object (lesson).

Other Active Voice Examples Include:

• The chef prepares the meal.

• I read the book.

• They built a house.

In all of these, the subject is actively doing something to the object.

Passive Voice: Meaning and Definition

In passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence, and the performer of the action is often introduced later (if at all) with "by."

Examples in Passive Voice:

• The lesson is explained by the teacher.
  Here, the lesson (the object of the action) becomes the subject of the sentence, and the teacher (the performer of the action) is introduced after "by."

Other Passive Voice Examples:

• The meal is prepared by the chef.

• The book was read by me.

• A house was built by them.

Notice how the focus shifts from the doer of the action to the receiver of the action. Passive voice sentences are often longer due to the inclusion of additional words like "by" and forms of "to be."

Here’s an example of passive voice without the preposition "by":

• The package was delivered.

• The decision was made.

• The song was sung.

Difference Between Active and Passive Voice

Below is the table to summarise the difference between active and passive voice for your better understanding-

Active And Passive Voice Examples

Active Voice Examples:

1. "The teacher explains the lesson."

2. "The dog bit the mailman."

3. "She writes a letter."

4. "The company launched a new product."

5. "The artist painted a beautiful mural."

Passive Voice Examples:

1. "The lesson is explained by the teacher."

2. "The mailman was bitten by the dog."

3. "A letter is written by her."

4. "A new product was launched by the company."

5. "A beautiful mural was painted by the artist."

Rules to be Followed When Converting the Active Voice to the Passive Voice

Step 1: Find the Subject, Verb, and Object in the Active Sentence

• The subject is the person or thing doing the action.

• The verb is the action.

• The object is what the action is being done to.

Example (Active):

• The dog (subject) chased (verb) the ball (object).

Step 2: Move the Object to the Front

In passive voice, the object becomes the new subject.

Example (Active):

• The dog chased the ball.

Example (Passive):

• The ball becomes the subject: The ball was chased by the dog.

Step 3: Use the Right Form of "To Be"

You need to use the right form of the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were) based on the tense of the original sentence.

Example (Active):

• She reads the book (Present tense).

Example (Passive):

• The book is read by her.

Step 4: Change the Main Verb to Its Past Participle

Change the main verb into its past form. This is usually the third form of the verb.

Example (Active):

• They built a house.

Example (Passive):

• A house was built by them.

Step 5: Optional – Add the Doer of the Action (By)

You can include the person who did the action after "by," but it's optional. You can leave it out if you don’t need to mention them.

Example (Passive with Doer):

• The cake was baked by the chef.

Example (Passive without Doer):

• The cake was baked.

Step 6: For Ongoing Actions, Add "Being"

If the action is happening right now (continuous tense), use "being" along with the past form of the verb.

Example (Active - Ongoing Action):

• They are making the cake.

Example (Passive - Ongoing Action):

• The cake is being made by them.

Step 7: For Actions That are Completed, Use "Been"

If the action is completed (perfect tense), use "been" with the correct form of "to be."

Example (Active - Completed Action):

• She has completed the project.

Example (Passive - Completed Action):

• The project has been completed by her.

Examples of the Active and Passive Voice

Given below are a few Active And Passive Voice Examples with answers of how to convert.

Check Your Understanding of the Active Voice and the Passive Voice

Questions:

1. What is the difference between active and passive voice?

2. Identify whether the following sentences are in active or passive voice:

• The teacher explained the lesson.

• The book was read by John.

• She baked a cake.

• The cake was baked by her.

• They built a house.

• A house was built by them.

3. Can you change the following passive sentences into active voice?

• The homework was completed by the student.

• The meal was prepared by the chef.

• The letter was sent by Maria.

Answers:

1. Difference between active and passive voice:

• Active Voice: The subject performs the action.

• Passive Voice: The subject receives the action.

2. Identify whether the following sentences are in active or passive voice:

• The teacher explained the lesson. → Active Voice

• The book was read by John. → Passive Voice

• She baked a cake. → Active Voice

• The cake was baked by her. → Passive Voice

• They built a house. → Active Voice

• A house was built by them. → Passive Voice

3. Can you change the following passive sentences into active voice?

• The homework was completed by the student. → The student completed the homework.

• The meal was prepared by the chef. → The chef prepared the meal.