Active vs.

Passive Voice
Functional English
Barera Quadri
Active vs. Passive Voice
 A sentence is written in the active voice
when:
 The subject of the sentence performs the action.
 The person/thing performing the action is named
before the verb.

EXAMPLE:
My grandfather took me to my first horse show.
NOT: I was taken to my first horse show by my
grandfather.
Another example
 Active voice:
My mother taught me to fish almost before I
learned to walk.

 Passive voice:
I was taught to fish by my mother almost
before I was taught to walk.
Active voice sentences
 When you write in the active voice, sentences
are typically shorter and clearer.

 They sound more conversational.

 If each word costs you a nickel, you want to

write concisely and in the active voice!
Active Form Passive Form
Present simple= No H.V., 1st V Is, am, are, 3rd V
Present Continuous= is, am, are, 1st V - Is being, am being, are being, 3rd V
ing
Present Perfect= have, has, 3rd V Have been, has been, 3rd V
Present Perfect Cont. Have been, has No Passive voice
been, 1st V –ing
Active Form Passive Form
Past simple= No H.V., 2nd V Was, were, 3rd V
Past Continuous= was, were, 1st V –ing Was being, were being, 3rd V
Past Perfect= Had, 3rd V Had been, 3rd V
Past perfect Cont. = Had been, 1st V – No Passive voice
ing
Active Form Passive Form
Future Simple= will, shall, 1st v Will be, shall be, 3rd V
Future Cont. = will be, shall be, 1st V -ing Will being, shall being, 3rd V
Future Perfect= will have, shall have, 3rd V Will have been, shall have
been, 3rd V
Future Perfect Cont.= will have been, shall No Passive voice
st
Active voice does not mean
present tense verbs
Present tense:
 The clerk opens the mail. (active)
 The mail is opened by the clerk. (passive)

Past tense:
 The clerk opened the mail. (active)
 The mail was opened by the clerk. (passive)
Active voice does not mean
present tense verbs
Future tense:
 The clerk will open the mail. (active)
 The mail will be opened by the clerk. (passive)

Present Perfect tense:

 The clerk has opened the mail. (active)
 The mail has been opened by the clerk. (passive)
Active voice does not mean
present tense verbs
Past Perfect tense:
 The clerk had opened the mail. (active)
 The mail had been opened by the clerk. (passive)

Future Perfect tense:

 The clerk will have opened the mail. (active)
 The mail will have been opened by the clerk.
(passive)
Passive voice is acceptable …
 When you choose to write in the passive
voice, you are emphasizing the object of the
sentence rather than the subject.

 Scientific writing is a good example of

passive voice writing.
Passive voice
 The three-inch incision is made right above
the pubic bone. Plastic clips are used to
clamp off blood vessels and minimize
bleeding. The skin is folded back and
secured with clamps. Next, the stomach
muscle is cut at a fifteen-degree angle, right
top to bottom left.
Active voice
 The doctor makes a three-inch incision right
above the pubic bone. He uses plastic clips
to clamp off the blood vessels and minimize
bleeding. He folds back the skin and secures
it with clamps. Next, he cuts the stomach
muscle at a fifteen-degree angle, right top to
bottom left.
Passive voice acceptable …
 If that agent of action (the individual doing the
action) is unknown or needs to remain a
secret:
 It was reported that …
 Unizan Bank was robbed …

News writers protect sources this way. They also

may not know who committed the action.
Passive voice acceptable
 Sometimes, a passive voice sentence will be
shorter than an active voice. If it helps clarify
the sentence by writing in the passive voice,
you may choose this option.
 Passive: The interviewer was told to give
interviewees an electric shock each time they
smiled! ($ .70)
 Active: The designers of the study told the
interviewer to give interviewees an electric
shock each time they smiled! ($ .90)
LETS PRACTICE
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

1. She will not recognize us. / We ………… by her.

 will not recognize
 will not being recognized
 will not be recognized
2. They didn’t invite me, but I went anyway. /
I………………………… but I went anyway.
 wasn't invited
 wasn't being invited
 wasn't inviting
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

3. They broke up the table for firewood. / The

table ………………………. up for firewood.
 broke
 had broken
 was broken
4. This book will change your life. / Your
life……………………….. by this book.
 will be changing
 will be changed
 will have been changed
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

5. She has won the first prize. / First prize

…………………………. by her.
 has won
 has been won
 had been won
6. A friend of mine is repairing the car. / The car
……………………………. by a friend of mine.
 is repairing
 is repaired
 is being repaired
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

7. The immigration officer questioned us. / We

…………………………. by the immigration officer.
 were questioning
 were questioned
 were being questioned
8. They speak English in Nagaland. / English
……………………… in Nagaland.
 is speaking
 is spoken
 is being spoken
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

9. His attitude shocked me. / I …………… by his

attitude.
 had shocked
 had been shocked
 was shocked
10. She had already sent the parcel. / The parcel
……………………. by her.
 has already been sent
 had already been spent
 was already spent
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

11. They will hire some people to do the job. /

Some people ………………………… to do the job.
 will be hiring
 will have hired
 will be hired
12. Her silence worries me. / I ………………… her
silence.
 am worrying about
 am worried about
 have worried about
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

1. She will not recognize us. / We will not be

recognized by her.
2. They didn’t invite me, but I went anyway. / I
wasn’t invited but I went anyway.
3. They broke up the table for firewood. / The
table was broken up for firewood.
4. This book will change your life. / Your life will
be changed by this book.
5. She has won the first prize. / The first prize has
been won by her.
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

6. A friend of mine is repairing the car. / The car is

being repaired by a friend of mine.
7. The immigration officer questioned us. / We
were questioned by the immigration officer.
8. They speak English in Nagaland. / English is
spoken in Nagaland.
9. His attitude shocked me. / I was shocked by his
attitude.
10. She had already sent the parcel. / The parcel
had already been sent by her.
Convert the following active sentences into
passive sentences by supplying an
appropriate passive verb form.

11. They will hire some people to do the job. /

Some people will be hired to do the job.
12. Her silence worries me. / I am worried about
her silence.
Change the following into
passive voice:
1. Ms. Sullivan teaches us grammar.
2. The teacher praised him.
3. The firemen took the injured to the
hospital.
4. An earthquake destroyed the town.
5. The boy’s work pleased the teacher.
6. The fire damaged the building.
7. Who taught you French?
8. The manager will give you a ticket.
9. Spectators thronged the streets.
10. Everyone will blame us.
11. The wind blew down the trees.
12. The police caught the thieves.
13. Alice posted the letter.
14. The hostess received us.
15. They/somebody killed the snake
with a stick.
16. The people welcomed the
minister.
17. They found him guilty of
murder.
18. John Mathews built this house
in 1991.
 ANSWER KEY
1. Grammar is taught to us by Ms. Sullivan
OR
1. We are taught grammar by Ms. Sullivan.

2. He was praised by the teacher.

3. The injured were taken to the hospital by the
firemen.
4. The town was destroyed by an earthquake.
5. The teacher was pleased with the boy’s work.
6. The building was damaged by the fire.
7. By whom were you taught French?
8. You will be given a ticket by the manager.
OR
A Ticket will be given to you by the manager
9. The streets were thronged with spectators.
10. We will be blamed by everyone.
11. The trees were blown down by the wind.
12. The thieves were caught by the police.
13. The letter was posted by Alice.
14. We were received by the
hostess.
15. The snake was killed with a
stick.
16. The minister was welcomed by
the people.
17. He was found guilty of murder.
18. This house was built by John
Mathews in 1991.
Change each of the following
sentences from the passive
voice to the active voice.
1. The school was struck by lightning.​
2. This morning the burglar was arrested by
the police.​
3. One type of air pollution is caused by
hydrocarbons.​
4. An elaborate supper for the miners was
prepared by Mr. Patel and his children.​
5. The cookies were stolen by the Mad Hatter.​
Change each of the following
sentences from the passive
voice to the active voice.
6. New York City's Central Park was designed in
1857 by F.L. Olmsted and Calbert Vaux.​
7. It was decided by the court that the contract
was invalid.​
8. The first commercially successful portable
vacuum cleaner was invented by a janitor who
was allergic to dust.​
9. After Leonardo da Vinci's death, the Mona
Lisa was purchased by King Francis I of France.​
Change each of the following
sentences from the passive
voice to the active voice.
10. The allegorical novel Animal Farm was
written by British author George Orwell during
World War II.
 KEY
1. Lightning struck the school.​
2. This morning the police arrested the burglar.​
3. Hydrocarbons cause one type of air pollution.​
4. Mr. Patel and his children prepared an
elaborate supper for the miners.​
5. The Mad Hatter stole the cookies.​
6. F.L. Olmsted and Calbert Vaux designed New
York City's Central Park in 1857.​
7. The court decided that the contract was
invalid.​
KEY
8. A janitor who was allergic to dust
invented the first commercially successful
portable vacuum cleaner.​
9. King Francis I of France purchased the
Mona Lisa after Leonardo da Vinci's
death.​
10. British author George Orwell wrote the
allegorical novel Animal Farm during
World War II.
Change the following sentence
into passive voice:
1. Who broke this window?
 By whom was this window broken?
 By whom this window was broken?
 By whom was this window been broken?
 By whom this window broken?
Choose the most suitable
passive voice conversion of
the given sentence:
2. Nobody can predict future.
 Future cannot be predicted by anybody
 Future could not be predicted by nobody
 Future not to be predicted by somebody
 Second and third option
Change the following sentence
to Passive Voice.
3. "Is Jordan playing Basketball?"
 Will Jordan have played Basketball?
 Is Basketball being played by Jordan?
 Has Jordan being played Basketball?
 Does Jordan want to play Basketball?
KEY
1. By whom was this window broken?
2. Future cannot be predicted by anybody
3. Is Basketball being played by Jordan?