Active and Passive Voice Rules

Active and Passive Voice Rules | Rules,
Examples, Exercise of Active and Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice Rules: Active and Passive voice rules: In English, the
sentences can be written both active and passive voice. Active voice is a direct form
and passive voice is an indirect form.
In English, the verb represents that subject, whether an object or a person, of a

sentence, has done something or something is done by the subject called the voice. A
sentence that starts with the subject or the item to decide if the sentence was classified
as dynamic or detached voice sentences.
In this article, we will discuss the voices of verbs with rules and examples. Learn the
active and passive rules with examples here to prepare for academic as well as
competitive exams. Use these rules to form simple, negative and interrogative
sentences.
What is the Voice of Verb?

The voice of a verb communicates whether the subject in the sentence has performed
or gotten the activity. There are two types of voices in English grammar:
 Active Voice
 Passive Voice
Active Voice: When an activity performed by the subject is communicated by the action

word, it is an active voice. Dynamic voice is utilized when more clear connection and
lucidity are needed between the subject and the action word.
Passive Voice: When the activity communicated by the action word is gotten by the
subject, it is a passive voice. Passive voice is utilized when the practitioner of the
activity isn’t known and the focal point of the sentence is on the activity and not the
subject.
Active and Passive Voice Examples
Active Voice Examples Passive Voice Examples

Mohan sings a song A song is sung by Mohan
Sita reads a book A book is read by Sita
He writes a letter A letter is written by him
She plays cricket Cricket is played by her
He sells book Books are sold by him
I have made some tea Tea has been made by me

Active Voice and Passive Voice Rules Chart
The rules for an active and passive voice for different types of tenses are given here,
such as:
 Present simple tense

 Present continuous tense
 Present perfect tense
 Past simple tense
 Past continuous tense
 Past perfect tense
 Future simple tense
 Future perfect tense
But there are no passive voice formation for these tenses:
 Present Perfect Continuous Tense

 Past Perfect Continuous Tense
 Future Perfect Continuous Tense
 Future Continuous Tense
Present Simple Tense
Active Voice Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb – Example
is/am/are)
Subject + V1+s/es+ object Object+ is/am/are+ V3+ by + subject
Subject + Do/does+ not + Object + is/am/are+ not + V3+ by Active: He writes an essay
V1 + Object Subject Passive: An essay is written by him
Does+ Subject+ V1+Object Is/am/are + Object+ V3+ by subject
Present Continuos Tense
Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb-

Active Voice Example
is/am/are + being)
Object+ is/am/are+ being+ V3+ by + Active: Sam is playing guitar

Subject + is/am/are+ v1+ ing + object
subject
Passive: The guitar is played by
Sam
Subject + is/am/are+ not+ v1+ ing+ Object + is/am/are+ not + being+V3+
object by Subject
Is/am/are+ subject+v1+ing + object Is/am/are + Object+ V3+ by subject

Present Perfect Tense

has/have +been)
Object+ has/have+ been+ V3+ by +

Subject + has/have+ v3+ object
subject
Active: Ram created this masterpiece
Subject + has/have+ not+ v3+ Object + has/have+ not + been+V3+

Passive: The masterpiece is created by Ram
object by Subject
Has/Have + Object+ been+V3+ by

Has/have+ subject+ v3 + object
subject
Past Simple Tense

was/were)
Subject + V2+ object Object+ was/were V3+ by + subject Active: Rama paid the bills
Subject +did+ not+v1+ object Object + was/were+ not +V3+ by

Subject
Did+ subject+V1+ object Was/were + Object+ V3+ by subject Passive: The bills were paid by Rama
Past Continuous Tense

was/were + being)
Subject + was/were + v1+ing+ Object+ was/were +being+V3+ by +
object. subject
Active: Asha was learning English
Subject +was/were+ not+v1+ing Object + was/were+ not +being+V3+ Passive: English was being learned by
+ object by Subject Asha
Was/were+ Subject + V1+ing + Was/were + Object+ being+v3+ by+
object subject
Past Perfect Tense
Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb- had

+been)
Subject + had + v3+ object. Object+ had+been +V3+ by + subject Active: Hina won the match
Subject +had+ not+v3+ Object + had+ not +been+V3+ by
Passive: The match had been won b
object Subject
Hina
Had+ Subject + V3+ object Had + Object+ been+v3+ by+ subject
Future Simple Tense
Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb- will+

be)
Subject + will+ v1+ object Object+ will+ be +V3+ by + subject

Active: Manu will write a letter
Subject +will + not+ Passive: A letter will be written by

Object + will+ not +be+V3+ by Subject
V1+object Manu
Will+ Subject + V1+ object Will + Object+ be +v3+ by+ subject
Future Perfect Tense
Active Voice Passive Voice Example
Subject + will+ have +v3+ Object+ will+ have+ been +V3+ Active: India will have won the matc
object. by + subject
Passive: The match will have won by
Subject + will+ have +not+v3+ Object + will+ have

object. +not+been+v3+ subject
Will + object+have+been+v3+by
Will+ Subject+have+v3+ object India
+subject
Noun and Pronoun for Active and Passive
See how the pronoun in active voice has to be converted into pronoun in passive voice
with the help of this table.
Active Voice Pronoun Passive Voice Pronoun
I Me
We Us
He Him
She Her
They Them
You You
It It
FAQ’s on Active and Passive Voice Rules
Question 1.
What is active voice? Give example.
Answer:
When an activity performed by the subject is communicated by the action word, it is an
active voice. Dynamic voice is utilized when more clear connection and lucidity are
needed between the subject and the action word. For example, “Rita is playing
badminton” is an active voice.
Question 2.
What is passive voice? Give example.
Answer:
When the activity communicated by the action word is gotten by the subject, it is a
passive voice. Passive voice is utilized when the practitioner of the activity isn’t known
and the focal point of the sentence is on the activity and not the subject. For example,
“Badminton is being played by Rita”.
Question 3.
What are the basic rules for active voice and passive voice?
Answer:
The basic three rules are:
 The subject becomes the object and the object becomes the subject
 Use third form of verb such as is/ am/ are/ was/ were/ been/ being, as per
the tenses in passive voice
 Active pronoun changes to passive pronoun, like ‘I’ changes to ‘me’.
 There is no passive voice of present/ past/ future perfect continuous and
future continuous sentences
 Use “by” before subject in passive voice
What Is Voice in Grammar? (with
Examples)
Voice is the term used to describe whether a verb is active or passive.
In other words, when the subject of the verb is doing the action of the
verb (e.g., "The dog bit the postman."), the verb is said to be in
the active voice. When the subject of the verb is being acted upon (e.g.,
"The postman was bitten."), the verb is said to be in the passive voice.
So, the voice of a verb tells us whether the subject is acting or being
acted upon.
What Is the Active Voice?

If the subject is performing the action, then the verb is said to be in
the active voice. Look at this:
What Is the Passive Voice?
If the subject is having the action done to it, then the verb is said to be in
the passive voice. Look at this:
Printable and Sendable Test

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True or false? The voice of a verb tells us whether it is active or passive.

A. True
B. False
2
not attempted
Select the sentence in the active voice.

A. I like pies.
B. The pies were eaten.
C. The pies are being eaten.
3
not attempted
Select the sentence in the passive voice.

A. The postman bit the dog.
B. The dog bit the postman.
C. The postman was bitten by the dog.
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Easy Examples of Voice
Here are some more examples of verbs (shown in bold) in the active
voice.
 Lee ate the pies.
(Lee is the subject of the verb. The subject is doing the
action of the verb.)
 We play hopscotch.
(We is the subject of the verb. The subject is doing the
action of the verb.)
 The sharks will attack the cage.
(The sharks is the subject of the verb. The subject is doing
the action of the verb.)
Here are some more examples of verbs in the passive voice.
 The pies were eaten by Lee.
(The pies is the subject of the verb. The subject is being
acted upon.)
 Hopscotch is played by us.
(Hopscotch is the subject of the verb. The subject is being
acted upon.)
 The cage will be attacked by the sharks.
(The cage is the subject of the verb. The subject is being
acted upon.)
Real-Life Examples of Voice

In the examples above, the actions of the verbs (to eat, to play, to attack)
are obvious physical activities. Remember though that not all verbs
describe such obvious activities. This is particularly true for verbs in the
active voice. The verbs in these four examples are all in the active voice.
 Dogs sniff good smells with their left nostril.
 I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but
I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of
England too. (Queen Elizabeth I)
 The voice of Mickey Mouse and the voice of Minnie
Mouse became husband and wife in real life.
 Only a quarter of the Sahara Desert is sandy.
Here are some verbs in the passive voice with less obvious actions.
 At one time, Melbourne was known as Batmania.
 Philosophy was considered science once. (Satirist PJ
O'Rourke)
Only a verb that acts on something else (called a transitive verb) can be
written in the passive voice.
 More people are killed taking selfies than in shark attacks.
(To kill is a transitive verb; i.e., you kill something.)
 That tiny pocket in jeans was designed to store pocket
watches.
(To design is a transitive verb; i.e., you design something.)
 Avocados were named after the Nahuatl word for testicles.
(To name is a transitive verb; i.e., you name something.)
If a verb is intransitive (i.e., it does not act on something else), it will
always be in the active voice.
 Being English, I always laugh at anything about the lavatory
or bottoms. (Actress Elizabeth Hurley)
(To laugh is an intransitive verb. You can't laugh a dog, for
example.)
 Anybody who smiles automatically looks better. (Actress
Diane Lane)
(To smile and to look are intransitive verbs. You can't smile
a dog or look a dog, for example.)
 Our noses and ears grow throughout our lives.
(Here, to grow is an intransitive verb.)
Other common intransitive verbs are to cry, to die, to disappear, and to
wait. Remember that these cannot be used in the passive voice. As
intransitive verbs don't act on something (i.e., have no objects), there is
nothing to become the subject of a verb in the passive voice.
It gets a little bit more complicated because some verbs, like to grow,
can be intransitive or transitive.
 I grew tomatoes.
(Here, to grow is transitive. That means we can make it
passive.)
 Tomatoes were grown by me.
(This is the passive version.)
 The beanstalk grew quickly.
(Here, to grow means to get bigger. In this meaning, it is
intransitive. That means we can't make it passive. The
beanstalk was got bigger quickly. That's nonsense.)
Read more about transitive verbs and intransitive verbs.
Here's something else to look out for. It is extremely common for verbs in
the active voice and the passive voice to be used after words
like can, cannot, may, might, must, and should (called modal auxiliary
verbs).
 He who is to be a good ruler must have been ruled.
(Philosopher Aristotle)
(Is is in the active voice. Have been ruled, which follows the
modal must, is in the passive voice.)
 Canadians say "sorry" so much that The Apology Act was
passed in 2009, declaring that an apology cannot be
used as evidence of admission of guilt.
(Was passed is in the passive voice. Be used, which follows
the modal cannot, is also in the passive voice.)
It is common for verbs in the active voice and passive voice to appear in
the same sentence.
 Theodore Roosevelt owned a pet hyena, which was
given to him by an Ethiopian emperor.
(Owned is in the active voice. Was given is in the passive
voice.)
 My music was considered uncool, but I always felt a
connection with the audience. (Singer David Cassidy)
(Was considered is in the passive voice. Felt is in the active
voice.)
 The scary thing is that in my lifetime, 95 per cent of the
world's rhinos have been killed.
(Is is in the active voice. Have been killed is in the passive
voice.)
Why Voice in Grammar Is Important

There are four good reasons to care about grammatical voice.
(Reason 1) The active voice offers some
great benefits.
Writers tend to opt for the active voice over the passive voice for the
following reasons:
 (Reason 1) The active voice is more succinct.
 (Reason 2) The active voice is more direct.
 (Reason 3) The active voice is more informative.
 (Reason 4) The active voice is more authoritative.
 (Reason 5) The active voice is more engaging.
(NB: Each of these benefits is explained in more detail on the active
sentences page.)
(Reason 2) The passive voice offers some

great benefits.
Here are four benefits of the passive voice.
 (Reason 1) The passive voice can be used to avoid blame.
 (Reason 2) The passive voice shows a neutral or objective
tone.
 (Reason 3) The passive voice is often appropriate when the
doer of the verb is obvious, unimportant or unknown.
 (Reason 4) The passive voice allows you to focus on what's
important by bringing it to the front of your sentence.
(NB: Each of these benefits is explained in more detail on the passive
sentences page.)
(Reason 3) Use both the active and passive

voice, as required.
Even though the passive voice has its benefits, the bias for the active
voice is so strong that proofreaders (real people) and grammar checkers
(computer programs) will often try "to correct" a passive construction to
an active one.
Have the confidence to ignore your grammar checker. Use the active
voice and the passive voice, as required, to control the flow of text and to
stress the most important parts of your sentences. Look at these
sentences written in active voice:
 King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. He placed limits
on his powers and proclaimed certain liberties.
Now compare the mixed sentences telling the same information:
 In 1215, the Magna Carta was signed by King John. He
placed limits on his powers and proclaimed certain liberties.
There are two important things happening in our second example. First,
we've made the Magna Carta the subject of the sentence to highlight
what we're talking about. Second, we've ended our sentence with King
John. As the first word of the second sentence is He, our text now flows
smoothly.
(Reason 4) Are you even dealing with the

passive voice?
It's not uncommon for proofreaders and grammar checkers to identify
something as passive voice that is, in fact, active voice.
Proofreaders and grammar checkers look for passive-voice

constructions by finding a form of the verb "to be"
(e.g., am, are, is, was, were, has been, have been, had been, will
be, will have been, being, be) followed by a past participle (i.e., the form
of the verb that typically ends in -ed or -en). Most of the time, this system
works.
Form of the verb to Past
Passive voice
be participle
am licensed I am licensed to kill.
was developed It was developed last year.
has been seen He has been seen in France.
will have been eaten It will have been eaten by

then.
Remember that modals like can, cannot, could, might, and should can
also feature.
Form of
the Past
Modal Passive voice
verb to Participle
be
canno be licensed I cannot be licensed to kill.

t
might be developed It might be developed last year.
should have seen He should have been seen in

been France.
could have eaten It could have been eaten by then.

been
However, some constructions that look like the passive voice aren't.
Here's an example:
 I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should
have been more specific. (Actress Lily Tomlin)
(There is no past participle after have been.)
Here's an example of something that looks a lot like passive voice but
isn't:
 All the mistakes I have ever made in my life have been
when I have been drunk. (Artist Tracy Emin)
(There is no past participle after have been. Here, drunk is
an adjective and not part of the verb, even though drunk is
the past participle of to drink. Confused? Think of it like this:
the subject of the verb (I) is not being acted upon.)
This is passive voice:
 I have been drunk under the table by Russian sailors.
(Here, the subject of the verb (I) is being acted upon. "The
Russian sailors drank me under the table" is an active-voice
version.)
Here's another example of something that looks a lot like passive voice
but isn't:
 Europeans were scared of eating tomatoes when they were
introduced.
(Were is in the active voice. Were introduced is in the
passive voice. Here, were scared looks like it's in the
passive voice, especially because scared is the past
participle of to scare. However, scared is not part of the verb
in this example. It's an adjective meaning afraid.)
So, it's quite understandable why some proofreaders and grammar
checkers confuse the passive voice with an active-voice sentence that
features the verb "to be" in one of its forms. Here's a pretty good trick to
avoid that mistake, and it's fun.
If you can include the term "by zombies" after your verb and it still makes
sense, then you're dealing with the passive voice. (Thanks to Dean of
Academics and Deputy Director Rebecca Johnson for this tip.)
 The car could have been stolen…by zombies.
(This makes sense. Therefore, have been stolen is in the
passive voice.)
 The car could have been illicit…by zombies.
(This makes no sense. Therefore, have been illicit is in the
active voice.)
As a native English speaker, you're probably already great at deciding
between active and passive voice. You are pretty safe to let your instinct
guide you, but, as a general rule, you should try to use the active voice
unless you specifically want one of the benefits offered by the passive
voice.
Here's a great example of a proofreader trying way too hard to avoid the
passive voice:
 When the author of Diabetes for Dummies (Dr Alan Rubin)
wrote "The patient was comatose and was given thyroid
hormone," his editors changed it to "The patient was
comatose and took thyroid hormone." In response to this
edit, Rubin said: "These are extremely sick patients. They
can't take care of themselves. They have to be passive
whether Wiley [style guide] likes it or not."
(Better a passive sentence than an inappropriate one.)
Key Points
 Develop a bias for active sentences over passive sentences because
active sentences are shorter, more direct, more informative, more
authoritative, and easier to absorb.
 Don't be dogmatic about using active sentences though because
passive sentences are also useful for avoiding blame, portraying a
neutral tone, and focussing on the recipient of the action of a verb rather
than the doer.
What Is the Subject of a Sentence? (with

Examples)
The subject of a sentence is the person or thing doing the action or
being described.
 Lee ate the pie.
(Lee is the subject of the sentence. Lee is doing the action.)
 Lee is chubby.
(Lee is the subject of the sentence. Lee is being described.)
In these two sentences, the verbs are ate and is. Lee is the subject of
these verbs. That's what makes Lee the subject of the sentences.
Easy Examples of Subjects

Every sentence must have a verb, and every verb must have a subject.
In the examples below, the verbs are shown in bold and the subjects are
shaded.
 The New York phone book contained 22 Hitlers before
World War II.
 The world’s youngest pope was 11 years old.
 All butterflies taste with their feet.

 The King of Hearts is the only king without a moustache.
 Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.

 Digital currency will be the greatest social network of all.
(Entrepreneur Tyler Winklevoss)
The subject of a sentence is a noun (or a pronoun) and all the modifiers
that go with it. In the six examples above, the simple
subjects are book, pope, butterflies, king, person, and currency. All the
other words that have been shaded as part of the "complete subjects"
are modifiers.
A sentence has one main subject, which is the subject of the main verb.
However, a sentence can include other subjects that are the subjects of
other verbs. Look at these examples:
 Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system.
(Venus is the main subject. It is the subject of the main
verb is.)
 Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
(Venus is still the main subject. It is still the subject of the
main verb is, but the sentence contains another subject and
another verb.)
 It is the second brightest object in the night sky.
(Remember that subjects can be pronouns too.)
More about Subjects

There are three common terms related to subjects: simple subject,
complete subject, and compound subject.
Simple Subject
 Pierre puts a lot of garlic in his food.
(Pierre is the subject. This is an example of a simple
subject. A simple subject is just one word without
any modifiers.)
Complete Subject
 That boy puts a lot of garlic in his food.
(That boy is an example of a complete subject. It is the
simple subject (in this case, boy) plus all modifiers.)
Let's look at this example again:
 The world’s youngest pope was 11 years old.
(The world's youngest pope is the complete subject. Pope is
the simple subject. The, world’s and youngest are
modifiers.)
Compound Subject
 Pierre and Claudette put a lot of garlic in their food.
(Pierre and Claudette is a compound subject. That just
means it's made up of more than one element.)
 That new boy from Paris and the tall girl with the long
hair put a lot of garlic in their food.
(This is a compound subject. You can think of it as two
complete subjects, each of which contains a simple
subject, boy and girl.)
NB: A complete subject will be a noun phrase or a noun clause.
Even More about Subjects

Here are the main ways that a subject appears in a sentence:
The subject performs an action:

 My dog bit the postman.
The subject is described:
 My dog is boisterous.
(When the subject is being described, the verb will be
a linking verb.)
The subject is identified:
 My dog is the one in the middle.
(When the subject is being identified (which is just another
way of being described), the verb will be a linking verb.)
The subject has an action done to it:
 My dog was taken to the vet.
(When the subject has an action done to it, the sentence is
called a passive sentence.)
The subject of a sentence is one of the basic parts of a sentence. The
other basic part is the predicate. The predicate tells us something about
the subject (i.e., it tells us what action the subject is performing, or it
describes the subject).
Read more about predicates.

Why the Subject of a Sentence Is Important
There is an excellent reason to care about subjects: subject-verb
agreement.
Subject-verb agreement means using the right version of the verb to

agree with the subject. That's easier than it sounds. It just means saying
"The dog is happy" and not "The dog are happy." (NB: Changing a verb
to match its subject is called conjugating a verb or verb conjugation.)
Even though verb conjugation is a simple idea, writers often incorrectly

give a singular subject a plural verb or a plural subject a singular verb.
When this happens, we say there is no subject-verb agreement. A
subject and its verb must agree.
Below are the 15 most common issues that cause writers issues with
subject-verb agreement.
(Issue 1) Modifiers get between the simple

subject and its verb and confuse writers.
Sentences can get complicated, but writers are pretty good at making
the subject and the main verb agree.
 Simon, who is the oldest of the four brothers and who, just
as he did before last year's contest, has been suffering back
spasms, is expected to take the first leg.
The biggest issue occurs with shorter constructions, typically in a format
like a list of ideas or a range of factors.
 A container of nuts and bolts were found in the cellar.
(This is wrong. It should be was. The simple subject
is container, which is singular.)
 A range of factors have been considered.
(This is wrong. It should be has. The simple subject
is range, which is singular.)
This is covered in more detail on the entry for prepositional phrases.
(Issue 2) Terms like as well as do not form
a compound subject.
Terms like as well as, along with, and together with do not compound the
subject like and does.
 Jack and his son are visiting tomorrow.
(The word and creates a compound subject.)
 Jack together with his son is visiting tomorrow.
(The terms together with does not create a compound
subject.)
(Issue 3) Or and nor do not conjoin.
Unlike and, the conjunctions or and nor do not conjoin.
 Jack or his daughter is visiting tomorrow.
Compare that with these:
 Jack and his daughter are visiting tomorrow.
 Neither Jack nor his daughter are visiting tomorrow.
(This should be is because nor does not conjoin;
i.e., or does not add to the number of the subject.)
There's a quirk though. Look at this example:
 Neither Jack nor his daughters are visiting tomorrow.
(This is correct because one of the nouns in the compound
subject is plural.)
The example above sounds right because the noun nearest the verb
(daughters) is plural. To some, it sounds awkward when the plural noun
is the first one.
 Neither his daughters nor Jack are visiting tomorrow.
(This is correct for the same reason; i.e., one of the nouns in
the compound subject is plural.)
The words or and nor (called conjunctions) usually appear in the
pairings either/or and neither/nor (called correlative conjunctions).
You should also be aware that there is a reasonably well-followed rule

called the Proximity Rule, which offers different guidance. Under the
Proximity Rule, the verb is determined by the nearest noun to the verb.
 Neither cakes nor chocolate is going to give you the
nutrients you need.
(This is correct under the Proximity Rule
because chocolate (singular) is the nearest noun to the
verb, but it is wrong under the standard ruling
because cakes (plural) is part of the compound subject.)
So, should you follow the standard ruling or the Proximity Rule? For
consistency, adopt the same convention as those around you. If you
can't find any examples, pick one that doesn't grate on your ear and be
consistent.
Here's a good tip: Reword your subject to adhere to both rules.

 Neither chocolate nor cakes are going to give you the
nutrients you need.
(Now both rules are satisfied.)
(Issue 4) Either and neither are singular.
When used by themselves (i.e., as pronouns), either and neither are
singular. Writers are often tempted to treat them as plural because they
seem to refer to two things.
 Beef or lamb? Either is preferable to tofu.
 Neither of the sisters is eligible to attend.
Read more about either and neither.
(Issue 5) Collective nouns can be singular

or plural.
A collective noun is a word that represents a group
(e.g., board, team, jury). A collective noun can be singular or plural
depending on the sense of the sentence.
 The jury is late returning to the courtroom.
(When a collective noun is considered as one unit, treat it as
singular.)
 The jury are all wearing different coloured shirts.
(When the focus is on the individuals in the group, treat your
collective noun as plural.)
Often, it's difficult to make a decision on whether to opt for singular or
plural. A good trick is to precede your collective noun with words
like members of, which forces you to go plural.
 The members of the jury are late returning to the
courtroom.
Read more about treating collective nouns as singular or plural.
(Issue 6) Some words that look plural
aren't, and some words that are plural in
Latin aren't in English.
The words listed below often cause issues with subject-verb agreement:
Word Singular or Plural?
agenda Singular
(even though it is the plural of agendum)
criteria Plural
(Unlike data and agendum, criteria has retained its
plural status because the singular criterion is still
in common usage.)
data Singular nowadays

(even though it is the plural of datum)
measles Singular
media Singular or Plural

(Treat media like a collective noun as opposed to
the plural of medium.)
news Singular
Plural only words Plural but note that "a pair of [insert word]" is
like glasses, pliers, singular.
scissors, trousers,
underpants
There is more on this topic in the entry for number.
(Issue 7) The expression more than one is
singular.
Somewhat counterintuitively (given its meaning), more than one is
singular.
 More than one person was involved in this robbery.
(Issue 8) None can be singular or plural.
The indefinite pronoun none can be singular or plural. However, be
aware that treating none as plural might irk some of your readers as
many people believe none can only be singular.
 None of the team is ready.
(This is the safest option, and, let's face it, it sounds more
highbrow.)
 None of the team are ready.
(If going singular with none sounds too highbrow for you,
you are safe to go plural these days. Hey, live on the edge.)
Here's a tip: If your none translates best as "not one of," then treat it as
singular. If it translates best as "not any of," then treat it as plural. If this
doesn't work for your example, then try to treat it as singular. If treating it
as singular grates on your ear too much, be brave and go for plural.
If you're facing the "his/their dilemma" (see also Issue 12), then
treat none as plural.
 None of the team has polished their boots.
 None of the team have polished their boots. (This is far
tidier.)
(Issue 9) Terms like half of, the majority of,
and a percentage of can be singular or
plural.
Expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a proportion of,
and a majority of are singular when they refer to something singular but
plural when they refer to something plural.
 The majority of my blood is Asian. (Golfer Tiger Woods)
 Half of my employees are women. (Businesswoman
Christie Hefner)
 Seventy percent of success in life is showing up. (Actor
Woody Allen)
 If eighty percent of your sales come from twenty percent of
all of your items, just carry those twenty percent. (US
politician Henry Kissinger)
(Issue 10) Number of is plural...most of the
time.
The term number of will nearly always be plural.
 Lee, a number of cakes have been stolen from the buffet.
 A good number of my friends are married, which seems
very old-fashioned. (Actress Allison Williams)
Be aware though that number can be singular when referring to an
arithmetical value.
 The number of women was sixty-four.
 The number of women were sixty-four.
(Issue 11) Words like all and some can be

singular or plural.
All, any, more, most, and some (types of indefinite pronoun) are singular
when they refer to something singular but plural when they refer to
something plural.
 All of the bread has been stolen.
 All of the biscuits have been stolen.
 All of Scottish cuisine is based on a dare. (Actor Mike
Myers)
 Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been
haircuts. (Singer Jim Morrison)
(Issue 12) There's no suitable possessive
determiner to agree with words
like someone, and anyone.
Anyone, each, everyone, no one, nobody, and someone are singular.
(These words are types of indefinite pronoun.)
 The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it
alive. (Author Robert Heinlein)
 Nobody is ever met at the airport when beginning a new
adventure. (Film producer Elizabeth Warnock Fernea)
That all seems pretty straightforward. However, if you use a word
like his and her (called possessive determiners) later in the same
sentence, problems start to arise.
 Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his
head examined.
What if the person isn't male? Here are two good options:
(Option 1) Reword your sentence to make it all plural.

 People who go to a psychiatrist should have their heads
examined.
(Option 2) Use their instead of his.
 Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have their head
examined.
The English language doesn't have a gender-neutral singular pronoun
for people. This flaw has compelled us to treat their as singular as well
as plural. Read more about treating they and their as singular
(Issue 13) The positive element governs the

verb.
When a subject has a positive element and a negative element, make
your verb agree with the positive one.
 The CEO not the board members makes the final
decision.
(The CEO is the positive element. The board members is
the negative element.)
 The prawns not the fish were responsible for the vomiting
outbreak.
(The positive element is the prawns. The negative element
is the fish.)
(Issue 14) Each is singular, but its
modifiers often confuse writers.
The word each is often used in a prepositional phrase (e.g., each of the
cars, each of the boxes). If this prepositional phrase is the subject, don't
be fooled by the plural modifiers (cars and boxes). The word each is the
subject, and the verb must be singular. For example:
 Each of the guide dogs is assigned a trainer.
(Issue 15) The subject is plural, but the
concept is singular.
It's not that common, but there are times when the subject and verb don't
have to agree. Look at this example:
 Alpacas in a field is a fairly common sight these days.
(This is correct even though alpacas (the simple subject) is
clearly plural. Here, our subject is a concept, which is
singular.)
 Leaving a list of passwords, increasing your life insurance
and writing a will, gives you peace of mind while you are on
operations.
(Here, we have a compound subject that looks plural, but if
you envisage this list of tasks as a singular concept
(perhaps under an imaginary heading like "sorting your life
out"), then it is possible to use a singular verb.)
(You might also have noticed that the subject ends with a
comma. This is not a popular practice (and it will definitely
annoy some people), but a comma can be used to end a
complex compound subject to group it neatly for your
readers.)
Read more about using a comma to group an awkward subject.
Key Points
As a native English speaker, you will be good at making your subject and verb agree.
Be aware of the following traps though:
Don't be distracted by plural modifiers. For example:

 His collection of coins are valuable.
Terms like as well as and together with do not behave like and. For example:
 Jack as well as Jill are happy.
Or and nor do not behave like and. For example:
 Neither Jack nor Jill are outside.
 Neither Jack nor his daughters are outside.
(Remember that if one of the nouns is plural, go plural.)
Either and neither are singular. For example:
 Neither are an option.
Collective nouns can be singular or plural. For example:
 My team is outside.
 My team are running off in different directions.
Plural in Latin does not necessarily mean plural in English. For example:
 This data is corrupted.
 These data are corrupted.
(Marking this as wrong is harsh. No, it isn't. I've changed my mind.)
More than one is singular. For example:
 More than one check is a re-check.
None can be singular or plural. For example:
 None of us is a volunteer.
 None of the souffles are presentable.
With all, any, most, and some and expressions like half of, the majority of, and a
percentage of, the noun that follows determines the verb. For example:
 Some of the cheese is missing.
 Half of the cheeses are missing.
Number of is plural unless it refers to an arithmetical value. For example:
 A number of pies are missing.
 The number of missing pies is 4.
What Is an Object? (with Examples)

An object is a noun (or pronoun) that is governed by a verb or
a preposition. There are three kinds of object:
 Direct Object (e.g., I know him.)
 Indirect Object (e.g., Give her the prize.)
 Object of a Preposition (e.g., Sit with them.)
The direct object of a verb is the thing being acted upon. You can find
the direct object by finding the verb and asking "what?" or "whom?". In
each example below, the verb is in bold and the direct object is shaded.
 Please pass the butter.
(Step 1: Find the verb. Verb = pass)
(Step 2: Ask "what?". Q: Pass what? A: the butter)
 I don't have a bank account because I don't know my
mother's maiden name. (Comedienne Paula Poundstone)
(Step 1: Find the verbs. Verbs = don't have and don't know)
(Step 2: Ask "what?" for each verb. Q: Don't have what?
Don't know what? A: a bank account and my mother's
maiden name.)
Direct objects can be pronouns too.
 Don't eat me. I have a wife and kids! Eat them! (Homer
Simpson)
(Step 1: Find the verbs. Verbs = don't eat, have, and eat)
(Step 2: Ask "what?" for each verb. Q: Don't eat whom?
Have what? Eat whom? A: me, a wife and kids, and them)
The verb could be a phrasal verb (e.g., to put down, to give up, to
recover from).
 My cat is recovering from a massive stroke. (Comedian
Darren Walsh)
(Step 1: Find the verb. Verb = is recovering from)
(Step 2: Ask "what?". Q: Is recovering from what? A: a
massive stroke)
It can get complicated.
 The cat wants to eat our goldfish.
(Step 1. Find the verb. Verb = wants)
(Step 2. Ask "what?". Q: Wants what? A. to eat our goldfish)
(That seems easy enough, but note that the direct
object has its own verb and direct object. (Q: Eat what?
A: our goldfish.))
Don't forget that the term noun does not usually mean a single word. An
object can be a single-word noun (e.g., dog, goldfish, man), a pronoun
(e.g., her, it, him), a noun phrase (e.g., the doggy in window, to eat our
goldfish, a man about town), or a noun clause (e.g., what the dog
saw, how the goldfish survived, why man triumphed).
Read more about direct objects.
Examples of Indirect Objects

The indirect object is the recipient or beneficiary of the action (more
often than not, it's a person). You can find the indirect object by finding
the verb and direct object (see above) and then asking "for or to
whom?". In each example below, the direct object is bold and the indirect
object is shaded.
 Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.
(Actress Marilyn Monroe)
(Q: Give the right shoes to whom? A: a girl)
 Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy. (Author F.
Scott Fitzgerald)
(Q: Show a hero to whom? A: me)
(Q: Write a tragedy for whom? A: you)
 Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do,
and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. (General
George Patton)
(Q: Never tell "how to do things" to whom? A: people)
(Q: Tell "what to do" to whom? A: them)
Often, the words to or for will be present, making identification easier.
 When giving jewellery as a present, I'm
giving protection to someone I care about. (Actress Sofia
Boutella)
Indirect objects aren't always people. Every now and again, you might
have to ask "for or to what?" as opposed to "whom?".
 Be ashamed to die until you have won some
victory for humanity. (Educational reformer Horace Mann)
Read more about indirect objects.
Examples of Objects of Prepositions

The noun (or pronoun) governed by a preposition (i.e., words like "in,"
"on," "at," "by," "near") is known as the object of a preposition. In each
example below, the preposition is bold and the object of the preposition
is shaded.
 Lee lives near Brighton.
 He lives among us.
When talking about the object of a preposition, grammarians like to
sharpen the focus, so the term "object of a preposition" refers to the
head noun in any noun phrase. All the other words in the phrase are
relegated to "modifiers." In each example below, the preposition is bold,
the object of the preposition (i.e., the head noun) is also bold and
shaded, and the modifiers are just shaded.
 Lee lives near a pub.
(The object of the preposition is "pub," and "a" is a modifier.)
 He lives among his old friends..
 When I was younger, I felt like a man trapped inside a
woman’s body. Then I was born. (Comedian Yianni
Agisilaou)
It can get complicated.
 You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of
eating jellybeans. (President Ronald Reagan)
(In this example, "his" and "of eating jellybeans" are
modifiers for "way." Of note though, "of" is a preposition with
its own object of a preposition, "eating.")
Here's a quirk. When the object of the preposition is a noun clause,
there's no head noun, so the whole clause is described as the object of
the preposition.
 I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together .
Riveting! (Comedian Stewart Francis)
Read more about objects of prepositions.
More about Objects

Here are three more noteworthy points related to objects:
Only transitive verbs can have a direct or indirect object.
When a verb has a direct object, it is called a transitive verb. Some verbs
do not take objects. They are known as intransitive verbs.
 Malcolm fell very badly.
(Step 1: Find the verb. Verb = fell)
(Step 2: Ask "what?". Q: Fell what? A: Nothing. You can't
fall something.)
(Therefore, there's no direct object. The verb "to fall" is
intransitive.)
Read more about intransitive verbs
Linking verbs don't have a direct object.
Don't confuse subject complements with direct objects. If you ask

"what?" with a linking verb, you'll find a subject complement not the
direct object.
 Peter is happy.
(Step 1: Find the verb. Verb = is)
(Step 2. Ask "What?". Q: Is what? A: happy.)
(On this occasion, "happy" is not the direct object. This is
because "is" (i.e., the verb "to be") is a linking verb.)
Look at this example:
 You are a funny guy. I will kill you last.
(Here, "a funny guy" is not a direct object. It's a subject
complement following the linking verb "are" (i.e., "to be").
The verb "will kill" (i.e., "to kill") is a transitive verb (so not a
linking verb) and "you" is its direct object.)
Read more about subject complements.
Read more about linking verbs.
Objects are in the objective case.
Objects are always in the objective case. In English, this only affects

pronouns (but not all pronouns).
 She saw him.
(The pronoun "him" (the direct object of "saw") is the
objective-case version of "he.")
 Give them the money.
(The pronoun "them" (the indirect object of "give") is the
objective-case version of "they.")
 Dance with her.
(The pronoun "her" (the object of the preposition "with") is
the objective-case version of "she.")
Here is a list of personal pronouns with their objective-case versions:
Personal Objective Case
Comment
Pronoun Version
I me
you you no change
he him
she her
it it no change
we us
they them
who whom This one causes errors.

Read about who/whom.
whoever whomever This one causes errors.

Read
about whoever/whomever.
Verbals can have direct objects too.
A verbal is a word derived from a verb. Verbals function as adjectives or

nouns. Verbals can be infinitives (e.g., "to read," "to think"), gerunds
(e.g., "reading," "thinking"), and participles (e.g., "reading," "thinking" -
they look the same as gerunds).
Here is an example of an infinitive (in bold) with a direct object:

 As a kid, I was made to walk the plank. We couldn’t afford a
dog. (Comedian Gary Delaney)
("To walk" is an infinitive. Q: To walk what? A: the plank)
Read more about infinitives.
Here is an example of a gerund (in bold) with a direct object:

 Driving a time machine is annoying because your kids are
always asking "Are we then yet?". (Comedian Paul Taylor)
("Driving" is a gerund. Q: Driving what? A: a time machine)
Read more about gerunds.
Here is an example of a participle (in bold) with a direct object:

 Watching the London Marathon, I notice one runner
dressed as a chicken and another as an egg. I thought:
"This could be interesting." (Comedian Paddy Lennox)
("Watching" is a participle. Q: Watching what? A: the
London Marathon)
Read more about participles.
Why Objects Are Important

Yup, that's a lot of terminology for stuff you do naturally, but there are
three good reasons to think more carefully about objects.
(Reason 1) Don't confuse "who" and

"whom."
"Who" is never an object, but "whom" always is. So, use "who" for a
subject but "whom" for an object. For example:
 The paper slates whom?
("Whom" as a direct object)
 Show whom the money?
("Whom" as an indirect object)
 I met two rugby players, one of whom was a little too good
at dancing.
("Whom" as the object of a preposition)
It's the same deal with "whoever" and "whomever." Use "whoever" for
the subject of a verb but "whomever" for an object.
This means "who" and "whoever" almost never follow a preposition. It

can happen though.
 Islam was interpreted to give the ruler absolute power,
which was a convenient interpretation for whoever was the
ruler. (Egyptian Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei)
(Here, even though it follows the preposition "for,"
"whoever" is correct. It's the subject of the noun clause
"whoever was the ruler.")
Writers never confuse pairings like "he/him" and "they/them." Well,
they're no different from the "who/whom" pairing. Read more
about who and whom.
(Reason 2) Use the correct verb after using

an object of a preposition.
The object of a preposition cannot be the subject of a verb.
 Lee's box of magazines are under the stairs.
 Lee's box of magazines is under the stairs.
Don't be fooled by the proximity of the object of the preposition (here,
"magazines") to the verb. You must ensure the subject (here, "box") and
the verb agree in number.
However, the situation is different with some expressions (e.g., "half of,"
"a proportion of"). With these, the object of the preposition does
influence the verb.
 Half of the cakes are missing.
(Here, "cakes" means that "half" is treated as plural.)
 Half of the cake is missing.
(Here, "cake" means that "half" is treated as singular.)
Read more about subject-verb agreement.
(Reason 3) Use "if" and "whether"

correctly.
Writers are sometimes unsure whether to use "if" or "whether" after a
preposition. Use "whether."
 It's a moral question about whether we have the right to
exterminate species. (Naturalist Sir David Attenborough)
(Put another way: Use "whether," not "if," to head up a noun
clause that's the object of a preposition.)
Read more about if and whether.
Key Points
 "Who is like "he," and "whom" is like "him." Use "whom" for an object.
Use "who" for a subject.
 Who shot whom? He shot him.
 Just because the object of your preposition is close to the verb, don't
treat it as the verb's subject.
 A long list of issues were considered.
(This should be "was considered." The subject is "list" not
"issues.")
 With expressions "like half of," "the majority of," and "a percentage of,"
the object of the preposition determines the verb.
 The majority of the cake has been eaten.
 The majority of the cakes have been eaten.
 Active and Passive voice rules

 Active and Passive voice rules for Present Indefinite Tense
 Here we have some active and passive rules for present
Indefinite Tense.
Passive Voice Main Verb-

Types of
Active Voice V3 Helping Verb- is, am, are Use of Helping verb
Sentences
Do/ Does
Subject + V1 + s/es + New subject + Is /am /are + V3 + by + Is- He, She, It and
Simple
Object New Object Singular Noun
Subject + do/ does+ not + N. Subject + is/ am/ are + not + V3 + ‘Not’ is always placed
Negative
V1 + Object by + N Subject at 3ed Place.
Do/ does + Subject + V1 Is/ am/ are + N. Subject + V3 + by +

Interrogative
+ Object N. Object
Interrogative Do/ Does + Subject + not Is/ am/ are + N. subject + V3 + by + N.

Negative + V1 + Object Object

Examples: –
Active voice: Geeta writes a Noble.

Passive Voice: A Noble is written by Geeta
Active voice: He plays football.
Passive Voice: Football is played by him.
Active voice: Sonu does not read Science.
Passive Voice: Science is not read by Sonu.
Active voice: They do not meet the manager.
Passive Voice: The manager is not meat by them.
Active voice: Does he cook the food?
Passive Voice: Is the food cooked by him?
Active voice: Do you learn English?
Passive Voice: Is English learned by you?
Active voice: Do you not play the music?
Passive Voice: Is the music not played by you?
Active voice: Does Radha not clear the IAS exams?
Passive Voice: Are the IAS exams not cleared by Radha?
Active voice: Does he not teach me?
Passive Voice: Am I not taught by him?
Active and Passive voice rules for Present Continuous
Tense
Here we have some active and passive voice rules for present
Continuous Tense.
Passive Voice
Types of
Active Voice Main Verb– V3 Use of Helping verb
Sentences
Helping Verb– Is/ am/ are
Is– He, She, It and

Subject + is/ am/ are + V1 + New subject + is/ am/ are + being + Singular Noun
Simple
ing + Object V3 + by + New Object Are– You, We, They
Am– I
Subject + is/ am/ are + not + N. Subject + is/ am/ are + not + ‘Not’ is always placed
Negative
V1 +ing + Object being + V3 + by + N Subject at 3ed Place.
Is/ am/ are + Subject + V1 + is/ am/ are + N. Subject + being + V3

Interrogative
ing + Object + by + N. Object
Interrogative Is/ am/ are + Subject + not + is/ am/ are + N. subject + not + being

Negative V1 + ing + Object + V3 + by + N. Object
Active and Passive Voice Example with Answers of Present

Continuous Tense
Examples: –
Active voice: He is playing hockey.
Passive Voice: Hockey is being played by him.
Active voice: Ram is driving a car.
Passive Voice: A car is being driven by Ram.
Active voice: You are not solving the sums.

Passive Voice: The sums are not being solved by you.
Active voice: I am not running a race.
Passive Voice: A race is not being run by me.
Active voice: Is he teaching me?
Passive Voice: Am I being taught by him?
Active voice: Whom are you abusing?
Passive Voice: Who is being abused by you?
Active voice: Why are you telling lies?
Passive Voice: Why are lies being told by you?
Active voice: Why are they disturbing her?
Passive Voice: Why is she being disturbed by them?
Active voice: Is she not helping you?
Passive Voice: Are you not being helped by her?
Active and Passive voice rules for Present Perfect

Tense
Perfect Tense.
Types of Passive Voice Main Verb- V3 Helping
Active Voice Use of Helping verb
Sentences Verb- Has/ have + been
Has– He, She, It and

Subject + has/ have + V3 New subject + Has/ have + been + V3 + Singular Noun
Simple
+ Object by + New Object Have– You, I, We,
They
Subject + has/ have + not N. Subject+ Has/ have +not + been +V3 ‘Not’ is always placed
Negative
+ V3 + Object + by + N Subject at 3ed Place.
Has/ have + Subject + Has/ have + N. Subject + been + V3 + by

Interrogative
V3 + Object + N. Object
Interrogative Has/ have + Subject + Has/ have + N. subject + been + V3 + by

Negative not + V3 + Object + N. Object
Active and Passive Voice rules Example with Answers of

Present Perfect Tense
Examples: –
Active voice: They have delivered the food.
Passive Voice: The food has been delivered by them.
Active voice: Roshani has read Holy Books.
Passive Voice: Holy books have been read by Roshani.
Active voice: You have not completed your project.
Passive Voice: Your project has not been completed by you.
Active voice: He has not stolen my purse.
Passive Voice: My purse has not been stolen by him.

Active voice: Has Sharda policed her shoes?
Passive Voice: Her shoes have not been policed by Sharda?
Active and Passive voice rules for Past Indefinite

Tense
Here we have some active and passive voice rules for Past
Indefinite Tense.
Types of Passive Voice Main Verb-

Sentences V3 Helping – Did
New subject + was/ were + V3 + by + Was– He, She, It, I, etc

Simple Subject + V2 + Object
New Object Were– You, They, Them
Subject + did + not + V1 N. Subject+ was/ were +not + +V3 + ‘Not’ is always placed at
Negative
+ Object by + N Subject 3ed Place.
Did + Subject + V1 + Was/ were + N. Subject + V3 + by +

Interrogative
Object N. Object
Interrogative Did + Subject + not + Was/ were + N. subject + V3 + by +

Negative V1 + Object N. Object
Active and Passive Voice Example with Answers of Past

Indefinite Tense
Examples: – Some important examples of active and passive

voice rules. All of these examples are important for the exam.
Active voice: Edison invented the first gramophone.
Passive Voice: The first gramophone was invented by Edison.
Active voice: I took tea yesterday.

Passive Voice: Teas was taken by me yesterday.
Active voice: We did not sing songs.
Passive Voice: Songs were not sung by us.
Active voice: He did not steal my purse.
Passive Voice: My purse was not stolen by him.
Active voice: Did Sharda police her shoes?
Passive Voice: Were her shoes policed by Sharda?
Active voice: Who crushed the old lady?
Passive Voice: By whom was the old lady crushed?
Active voice: Did you tell lies?
Passive Voice: Were you told lies?
Active voice: Did they disturb her?
Passive Voice: Was she disturbed by them?
Active voice: Did she not help you?
Passive Voice: Were you not helped by her?
Active and Passive voice rules for Past Continuous

Tense
Continuous Tense.
Passive Voice
Types of
Active Voice Main Verb– V3 Use of Helping verb
Sentences
Helping Verb– Was/ were
Subject + Was/ were + V1 + New subject + Was/ were + being + Was– He, She, It, I, etc
Simple
ing + Object V3 + by + New Object Were– You, They, hem
Subject + Was/ were + not N. Subject + Was/ were + not + being ‘Not’ is always placed
Negative
+ V1 +ing + Object + V3 + by + N Subject at 3ed Place.
Was/ were + Subject + V1 + Was/ were + N. Subject + being + V3

Interrogative
ing + Object + by + N. Object
Interrogative Was/ were + Subject + not Was/ were + N. subject + not + being

Negative + V1 + ing + Object + V3 + by + N. Object
Active voice: The cat was drinking milk.
Passive Voice: Milk was being drunk by the cat..
Active voice: He was taking food yesterday.
Passive Voice: Food was being taken by him yesterday.
Active voice: We were not singing songs.
Passive Voice: Songs were not being sung by us.
Active voice: She was not washing my Cloths.
Passive Voice: My Cloths were not being washed by her.
Active voice: Was She insulting her brother?

Passive Voice: Was her brother being insulted by her?
Active voice: What was Pawan doing?
Passive Voice: What was being done by Pawan?
Active voice: Whom were you scolding?
Passive Voice: Who was being scolded by you?
Active voice: Were they disturbing her?
Passive Voice: Was she being disturbed by them?
Active voice: Was she not helping the poor?
Passive Voice: Was the poor not being helped by her?
Active and Passive voice rules for Past Perfect Tense
Here we have some active and passive voice rules for past Perfect
Tense.
Types of Passive Voice Main Verb- V3

Sentences Helping Verb- Had + been
Subject + had + V3 + New subject + had + been + V3 + by

Simple
Object + New Object
Subject + had + not + V3 N. Subject+ had +not + been +V3 + ‘Not’ is always placed at
Negative
+ Object by + N Subject 3ed Place.
Had + Subject + V3 + Had + N. Subject + been + V3 + by +

Interrogative
Object N. Object
Interrogative Had + Subject + not + Had + N. subject + been + V3 + by +

Negative V3 + Object N. Object
Active and Passive Voice rules Example with Answers of Past

Perfect Tense
Examples: –
Active voice: They had delivered the food.
Passive Voice: The food had been delivered by them.
Active voice: Principal had read English Books.
Passive Voice: English books had been read by Principal.
Active voice: You had not cooked the food.
Passive Voice: Food had not been cooked by you.
Active voice: He had not stolen my purse.
Passive Voice: My purse had not been stolen by him.
Active voice: Had Neetu policed her shoes?
Passive Voice: had Her shoes not been policed by Neetu?
Active and Passive voice rules for Future Indefinite

Tense
Here we have some active and passive voice rules for Future
Indefinite Tense.
Types of Passive Voice Main Verb-
Sentences V3 Helping – Shall/ Will
Subject + shall/ will + V1 New subject + shall/ will + be + V3 + Will– He, She, It, etc
Simple
+ Object by + New Object Shall- I, We
Subject + shall/ will + not N. Subject+ shall/ will +not + be +V3 ‘Not’ is always placed
Negative
+ V1 + Object + by + N Subject at 3ed Place.
Shall/ will + Subject + V1 Shall/ will + N. Subject + V3 + by +

Interrogative
+ Object N. Object
Interrogative Shall/ will + Subject + not Shall/ will + N. subject + V3 + by +

Negative + V1 + Object N. Object
Active and Passive Voice Example with Answers of Future

Indefinite Tense
Examples: – Some important examples of active and passive

voice rules. All of these examples are important for the exam.
Active voice: I shall write many letters.
Passive Voice: Many letters will be written by me.
Active voice: She will do a lot of work.
Passive Voice: A lot of work will be done by her.
Active voice: You will attain the science quiz.
Passive Voice: The science quiz will be attained by you.
Active voice: Manmohan Singh will not elect minister.
Passive Voice: Minister will not be elected by Monmohan

Singh
Active voice: Will Ram not prepare GK Quiz?
Passive Voice: GK quiz will not be prepared by Ram?
Active voice: Who will not play Football?
Passive Voice: By whom will football not be played?
Active voice: Will you tell lies?
Passive Voice: Will you be told lies?
Active and Passive voice rules for Future Perfect

Tense
Passive Voice Main Verb- V3

Types of
Active Voice Helping Verb- Will/ shall Use of Helping ve
Sentences
Have + been
Subject + Will/ shall + have + Subject + Will/ shall + have + been

Simple
V3 + Object + V3 + Object
Subject + Will/ shall + not + Subject + Will/ shall + not + have + ‘Not’ is always pla
Negative
have + V3 + Object been + V3 + Object at 3ed Place.
Will/ shall + Subject + have + Will/ shall + Subject + have + been

Interrogative
V3 + Object + V3 + Object
Interrogative Will/ shall + Subject + not + Will/ shall + Subject + not + have +

Negative have + V3 + Object been + V3 + Object
Here we have some active and passive voice rules for Future
Perfect Tense.
Active and Passive Voice rules Example with Answers of

Future Perfect Tense
Examples: –
Active voice: She will have cooked the meal.
Passive Voice: The meal have been cooked by her.
Active voice: They will have considered the matter.
Passive Voice: English books had been read by Principal.
Active voice: The matter will have been considered by them.
Active voice: Shall I not scolded him?
Passive Voice: Will he not have been scolded by me?
Active voice: Who will have robbed you?
Passive Voice: By whom will you have been robbed?
Active and passive voice rules for Imperative

Sentences
There are some active and passive rules for imperative sentences.
Which is most important for the competition exams.
 The active to passive voice formula is Let + New object

+ be/ not be + V3.
 Request, Education, and Order sentences can be
changed by using You are requested to/ advised to/
ordered to.
 Please and kindly like words removed from the
sentences. read more
Active voice Passive voice
Close the window. Let the window be closed.
Do not oppress the poor. Let the poor not be oppressed.
Open the Door. Let the door be opened.
Download active and passive voice rules Chart
Here we have a chart of active and passive voice rules. In this

chart there are all active and passive voice rules in picture form.
This chart makes active and passive voice rules understandable.
active and passive voice rules chart pdf
What is the rules of active and passive voice?
Ans. 1. First of all change subject.

2. Use Third form of Verb (vIII).
3. Use ‘by’ before new object
What is passive voice formula?

Ans. Passive voice formula is Sub + is/ am/ are + v3 + Object.
How many tenses are used in passive voice?
Ans. There are only 08 tenses are used in active and passive voice.
Read more.
Which tenses are not used in Passive voice?
Ans. 1. Present Perfect Continuous tense.

2. Past perfect continuous tense.
3. Future continuous tense.
4. Future perfect continuous tense.
Practice Exercise
Active: They have built this robot themselves.
Passive: This robot has been built by them themselves.
Active: The judge advised them to settle the matter.
Passive: They were advised by the judge to settle the matter.
Active: You are spending too much time on this matter.
Passive: Too much time is being spent by you on this matter.
Active: He will have advised her.
Passive: She will have been advised by him.
Active: That scientist discovered a new pill to stimulate the appetite.
Passive: A new pill was discovered by that scientist to stimulate the appetite.
Active: He is running a hospital these days.
Passive: A hospital is being run by him these days.
Active: You must do your duty.

Passive: Your duty must be done by you.
Active: No one ever taught me how to play the guitar.
Passive: I was never taught by anyone how to play the guitar.
Active: One must do one’s duty.

Passive: Duty must be done (by all).
Active: The man could not climb the tree.

Passive: The tree could not be climbed by the man.
Active: I have proved all his calculations wrong.

Passive: All his calculations have been proven wrong by me.
Active: Who is disturbing you?

Passive: By whom are you being disturbed?
Active: I would have attended the meeting if it were possible.

Passive: The meeting would have been attended by me if it were possible.
Active: We have to do it very early in the morning.

Passive: It has to be done by us very early in the morning.
Active: She will have finished the paper by 1 o’clock.

Passive: The paper will have been finished by her by 1 o’clock.
Active: Has he made all the necessary arrangements?

Passive: Have all the necessary arrangements been made by him?
Active: You should switch off the inverter when changing a fuse.
Passive: The inverter should be switched off while changing a fuse.
Active: He asked me to wait there.

Passive: I was asked by him to wait there.
Active: She should have helped her friends.

Passive: Her friends should have been helped by her.
Active: You cannot expect him to understand these problems.

Passive: He can’t be expected to understand these problems.
Active: He will have closed his shop by now.
Passive: His shop will have been closed by him by now.
Active: You could have solved this question.

Passive: This question could have been solved by you.
Active: You should return the book next week.

Passive: The book should be returned by you next week.
Active: They can’t put you in prison.

Passive: You can’t be put in prison by them.
Active: The owner himself showed her the house.

Passive: She was shown the house by the owner himself.
Active: We ought to respect our elders.

Passive: Our elders ought to be respected by us.
Active: She always gives me gifts at new year.

Passive: I am always given gifts by her at new year.
Active: Did you paint these pictures in your house?

Passive: Were these pictures painted in your house?
Active: We should obey our teachers.

Passive: Our teachers should be obeyed by us.
Active: They rejected his proposal.

Passive: His proposal was rejected by them.
Active: Let them do it now.

Passive: Let it be done by them now.
Active: He can help you.

Passive: You can be helped by him.
Active: He will rob them if they are not cautious.

Passive: They will be robbed by him if they are not cautious.
Active: They did not tell me anything about the situation.
Passive: I was not told anything about the situation.
Active: They might win the match.

Passive: The match might be won by them.
Active: Post this letter.

Passive: Let this letter be posted.
Active: Cut your shirt according to your requirement.

Passive: Let your shirt be cut according to your requirement.
Active: They have decided to increase the level.

Passive: It has been decided to increase level.
Active: Never tell a lie.

Passive: Let a lie never be told.
Active: He performed a dance for the first time last week.

Passive: His dance was performed for the first time last week.
Active: Do not pluck flowers.

Passive: Let flowers not be plucked.
Active: They will look after you.

Passive: You will be looked after by them.
Active: Tell him to go.

Passive: Let him be told to go.
Active: They promised Rahul a new phone on his birthday.

Passive: Rahul was promised a new phone on his birthday.
Active: Did they not tell you to be here by 8 o’clock?

Passive: Were you not told to be here by 8 o’clock?
Active: Have they carried out his orders?

Passive: Have his orders been carried out by them?
Active: Mom will have to amuse him with riddles.
Passive: He will have to be amused by mom with riddles.
Active: Please sit here and wait till I come back.

Passive: You are requested to wait here till I come back.
Active: Ravi chose his words with care.

Passive: Words were chosen with care by Ravi.
Active: Is he running a race?

Passive: Is a race being run by him?
Active: Has someone told her about her result?

Passive: Has she been told about her result?
Active: It shocked me to hear that someone had bothered you.

Passive: I was shocked to hear that you had been bothered by someone.
Active: Everyone knows that he is a footballer.

Passive: He is known to be a footballer.
Active: Do they like my teachers?

Passive: Are my teachers liked by them?
Active: Work hard.

Passive: You are advised to work hard.
Active: Can you solve this question?

Passive: Can this question be solved by you?
Active: Let him sing a song.

Passive: Let a song be sung by him.
Active: Please shut the door.

Passive: You are requested to shut the door.
Active: Who teaches you Maths?

Passive: By whom are you taught Maths?
Active: Hurry up, please.
Passive: You are requested to hurry up.
Active: Did you grow vegetables?

Passive: Were vegetables grown by you?
Active: It is time to take a cup of coffee.

Passive: It is time for a cup of coffee to be taken.
Active: Did he win the match?

Passive: Was the match won by him?
Active: She ran fast to win the race.

Passive: She ran fast for the race to be won.
Active: This bottle contains water.

Passive: Water is contained in this bottle.
Active: Why do you blame me?

Passive: Why am I blamed by you?
Active: Does this guy sell grocery?

Passive: Is grocery sold by this guy?
Active: My progress satisfied my parents.

Passive: My parents were satisfied with my progress.
Active: Were they singing songs?

Passive: Were songs being sung by them?
Active: They know my father.

Passive: My father is known to them.
Active: Ravi married Asha.

Passive: Asha was married to Ravi.
Active: Sugar tastes sweet.

Passive: Sugar is sweet when tasted.
Active: It is now time to close the doors.
Passive: It is now time for the doors to be closed.
Active: He hopes to win a medal.

Passive: It is hoped that he will win a medal.
Active: Her failure shocked us.

Passive: We were shocked at her failure.
Active: The rose smells great.

Passive: The rose is great when smelt.
Active: I want to buy a pen.

Passive: I want a pen to be bought.
Active: People take this meal all over the world.

Passive: This meal is taken by people all over the world.
Active: You cannot please him.

Passive: He cannot be pleased with you.
Active: The gardener is watering the flowers.

Passive: The flowers are being watered by the gardener.
Active: He has invited me.

Passive: I have been invited by him.
Active: The news of his departure shocked us.

Passive: We were shocked at the news of his departure.
Active: They have insulted us.

Passive: We have been insulted by them.
Active: I had never seen such a lovely girl before.

Passive: Such a lovely girl had never been seen by me before.
Active: I do not love him.

Passive: He is not loved by me.
Active: I had sold the old books.
Passive: The old books had been sold by me.
Active: They had prepared many things.

Passive: Many things had been prepared by them.
Active: Did he consult you?

Passive: Were you consulted by him?
Active: He had not seen this place before.

Passive: This place had not been seen by him before.
Active: I will never forget your behavior.

Passive: Your behavior will never be forgotten by me.
Active: The lady had already cooked food.

Passive: Food had already been cooked by the lady.
Active: We were expecting her.

Passive: She was being expected by us.
Active: The peon has done it.

Passive: It has been done by the peon.
Active: The issue is being looked into by the judge.

Passive: The judge is looking into the issue.
Active: We have painted the windows.

Passive: The windows have been painted by us.
Active: They have won the match.

Passive: The match has been won by them.
Active: The rich must help the poor.

Passive: The poor must be helped by the rich.
Active: My uncle helped me.

Passive: I was helped by my uncle.
Active: They will help me.
Passive: I will be helped by them.
Active: They wrote several letters.

Passive: Several letters were written by them.
Active: The doctor treats these patients well.

Passive: These patients are treated well by the doctor.
Active: I do not understand this problem.

Passive: This problem is not understood by me.
Active: He writes stories.

Passive: Stories are written by him.
Active: He sang a song.

Passive: A song was sung by him.
Active: They will not disobey you.

Passive: You will not be disobeyed by them.
Active: The laborers will repair the road.

Passive: The road will be repaired by the laborers.
Active: The teacher corrected my homework.

Passive: My homework was corrected by the teacher.
Active: It is time to say prayers.

Passive: It is time for prayers to be said.
Active: We must follow the rules.

Passive: The rules must be followed.
Active: Somebody gave her something on her birthday.

Passive: Something was given to her on her birthday. / She was given something on her
birthday.
Active: Did you say something?

Passive: Was something said by you?
Active: He does not obey his teachers.
Passive: His teachers are not obeyed by him.
Active: It is necessary to write this poem.

Passive: It is necessary for this poem to be written.
Active: They are watching cricket.

Passive: Cricket is being watched by them.
Active: We should serve our country.

Passive: Our country should be served by us.
Active: Children like chocolates.

Passive: Chocolates are liked by children.
Active: The girl is flying a kite.

Passive: A kite is being flown by the girl.
Active: He will teach a new lesson today.

Passive: A new lesson will be taught by him today.
Active: My mother was telling a story.

Passive: A story was being told by my mother.
Active: We can buy this but not that one.

Passive: This can be bought by us but not that one.
Active: People will remember him.

Passive: He will be remembered by people.
Active: We are not wasting time here.

Passive: Time is not being wasted by us here.
Active: The boys are drawing the pictures.

Passive: The pictures are being drawn by the boys.
Active: Get out of my house.

Passive: You are ordered to get out of my house.
Active: There is no money to waste.
Passive: There is no money to be wasted.
Active: A child cannot throw it.

Passive: It cannot be thrown by a child.
Active: They laughed at me.

Passive: I was laughed at by them.
Active: You might have heard his name.

Passive: His name might have been heard by you.
Active: He might do it.

Passive: It might be done by him.
Active: Who has broken the cup?

Passive: By whom has the cup been broken?
Active: Has he returned the pens?

Passive: Have the pens been returned by him?
Active: Will you have read the magazine by tomorrow?

Passive: Will the magazine have been read by you by tomorrow?
Active: Have they finished their assignments?
Passive: Have their assignments been finished by them?
Active: What have you made?

Passive: What has been made by you?
Active: They have built this robot themselves.
Passive: This robot has been built by them themselves.
Active: The judge advised them to settle the matter.
Passive: They were advised by the judge to settle the matter.
Active: You are spending too much time on this matter.
Passive: Too much time is being spent by you on this matter.
Active: He will have advised her.
Passive: She will have been advised by him.
Active: That scientist discovered a new pill to stimulate the appetite.
Passive: A new pill was discovered by that scientist to stimulate the appetite.
Active: He is running a hospital these days.
Passive: A hospital is being run by him these days.
Active: You must do your duty.
Passive: Your duty must be done by you.
Active: No one ever taught me how to play the guitar.
Passive: I was never taught by anyone how to play the guitar.
Active: One must do one’s duty.
Passive: Duty must be done (by all).
Active: The man could not climb the tree.
Passive: The tree could not be climbed by the man.
Active: I have proved all his calculations wrong.
Passive: All his calculations have been proven wrong by me.
Active: Who is disturbing you?
Passive: By whom are you being disturbed?
Active: I would have attended the meeting if it were possible.
Passive: The meeting would have been attended by me if it were possible.
Active: We have to do it very early in the morning.
Passive: It has to be done by us very early in the morning.
Active: She will have finished the paper by 1 o’clock.
Passive: The paper will have been finished by her by 1 o’clock.
Active: Has he made all the necessary arrangements?
Passive: Have all the necessary arrangements been made by him?
Active: You should switch off the inverter when changing a fuse.
Passive: The inverter should be switched off while changing a fuse.
Active: He asked me to wait there.
Passive: I was asked by him to wait there.
Active: She should have helped her friends.
Passive: Her friends should have been helped by her.
Active: You cannot expect him to understand these problems.
Passive: He can’t be expected to understand these problems.
Active: He will have closed his shop by now.
Passive: His shop will have been closed by him by now.
Active: You could have solved this question.
Passive: This question could have been solved by you.
Active: You should return the book next week.
Passive: The book should be returned by you next week.
Active: They can’t put you in prison.
Passive: You can’t be put in prison by them.
Active: The owner himself showed her the house.
Passive: She was shown the house by the owner himself.
Active: We ought to respect our elders.
Passive: Our elders ought to be respected by us.
Active: She always gives me gifts in the new year.
Passive: I am always given gifts by her in the new year.
Active: Did you paint these pictures in your house?
Passive: Were these pictures painted in your house?
Active: We should obey our teachers.
Passive: Our teachers should be obeyed by us.
Active: They rejected his proposal.
Passive: His proposal was rejected by them.
Active: Let them do it now.
Passive: Let it be done by them now.
Active: He can help you.
Passive: You can be helped by him.
Active: He will rob them if they are not cautious.
Passive: They will be robbed by him if they are not cautious.
Active: They did not tell me anything about the situation.
Passive: I was not told anything about the situation.
Active: They might win the match.
Passive: The match might be won by them.
Active: Post this letter.
Passive: Let this letter be posted.
Active: Cut your shirt according to your requirement.
Passive: Let your shirt be cut according to your requirement.
Active: They have decided to increase the level.
Passive: It has been decided to increase the level.
Active: Never tell a lie.
Passive: Let a lie never be told.
Active: He performed a dance for the first time last week.
Passive: His dance was performed for the first time last week.
Active: Do not pluck flowers.
Passive: Let flowers not be plucked.
Active: They will look after you.
Passive: You will be looked after by them.
Active: Tell him to go.
Passive: Let him be told to go.
Active: They promised Rahul a new phone on his birthday.
Passive: Rahul was promised a new phone on his birthday.
Active: Did they not tell you to be here by 8 o’clock?
Passive: Were you not told to be here by 8 o’clock?
Active: Have they carried out his orders?
Passive: Have his orders been carried out by them?
Active: Mom will have to amuse him with riddles.
Passive: He will have to be amused by mom with riddles.
Active: Please sit here and wait till I come back.
Passive: You are requested to wait here till I come back.
Active: Ravi chose his words with care.
Passive: Words were chosen with care by Ravi.
Active: Is he running a race?
Passive: Is a race being run by him?
Active: Has someone told her about her result?
Passive: Has she been told about her result?
Active: It shocked me to hear that someone had bothered you.
Passive: I was shocked to hear that you had been bothered by someone.
Active: Everyone knows that he is a footballer.
Passive: He is known to be a footballer.
Active: Do they like my teachers?
Passive: Are my teachers liked by them?
Active: Work hard.
Passive: You are advised to work hard.
Active: Can you solve this question?
Passive: Can this question be solved by you?
Active: Let him sing a song.
Passive: Let a song be sung by him.
Active: Please shut the door.
Passive: You are requested to shut the door.
Active: Who teaches you Maths?
Passive: By whom are you taught Maths?
Active: Hurry up, please.
Passive: You are requested to hurry up.
Active: Did you grow vegetables?
Passive: Were vegetables grown by you?
Active: It is time to take a cup of coffee.
Passive: It is time for a cup of coffee to be taken.
Active: Did he win the match?
Passive: Was the match won by him?
Active: She ran fast to win the race.
Passive: She ran fast for the race to be won.
Active: This bottle contains water.
Passive: Water is contained in this bottle.
Active: Why do you blame me?
Passive: Why am I blamed by you?
Active: Does this guy sell groceries?
Passive: Are groceries sold by this guy?
Active: My progress satisfied my parents.
Passive: My parents were satisfied with my progress.
Active: Were they singing songs?
Passive: Were songs being sung by them?
Active: They know my father.
Passive: My father is known to them.
Active: Ravi married Asha.
Passive: Asha was married to Ravi.
Active: Sugar tastes sweet.
Passive: Sugar is sweet when tasted.
Active: It is now time to close the doors.
Passive: It is now time for the doors to be closed.
Active: He hopes to win a medal.
Passive: It is hoped that he will win a medal.
Active: Her failure shocked us.
Passive: We were shocked at her failure.
Active: The rose smells great.
Passive: The rose is great when smelt.
Active: I want to buy a pen.
Passive: I want a pen to be bought.
Active: People take this meal all over the world.
Passive: This meal is taken by people all over the world.
Active: You cannot please him.
Passive: He cannot be pleased with you.
Active: The flowers are being watered by the gardener.
Passive: The gardener is watering the flowers.
Active: He has invited me.
Passive: I have been invited by him.
Active: The news of his departure shocked us.
Passive: We were shocked at the news of his departure.
Active: They have insulted us.
Passive: We have been insulted by them.
Active: I had never seen such a lovely girl before.
Passive: Such a lovely girl had never been seen by me before.
Active: I do not love him.
Passive: He is not loved by me.
Active: I had sold the old books.
Passive: The old books had been sold by me.
Active: They had prepared many things.
Passive: Many things had been prepared by them.
Active: Did he consult you?
Passive: Were you consulted by him?
Active: He had not seen this place before.
Passive: This place had not been seen by him before.
Active: I will never forget your behavior.
Passive: Your behavior will never be forgotten by me.
Active: The lady had already cooked food.
Passive: Food had already been cooked by the lady.
Active: We were expecting her.
Passive: She was being expected by us.
Active: The peon has done it.
Passive: It has been done by the peon.
Active: The issue is being looked into by the judge.
Passive: The judge is looking into the issue.
Active: We have painted the windows.
Passive: The windows have been painted by us.
Active: They have won the match.
Passive: The match has been won by them.
Active: The rich must help the poor.
Passive: The poor must be helped by the rich.
Active: My uncle helped me.
Passive: I was helped by my uncle.
Active: They will help me.
Passive: I will be helped by them.
Active: They wrote several letters.
Passive: Several letters were written by them.
Active: The doctor treats these patients well.
Passive: These patients are treated well by the doctor.
Active: I do not understand this problem.
Passive: This problem is not understood by me.
Active: He writes stories.
Passive: Stories are written by him.
Active: He sang a song.
Passive: A song was sung by him.
Active: They will not disobey you.
Passive: You will not be disobeyed by them.
Active: The laborers will repair the road.
Passive: The road will be repaired by the laborers.
Active: The teacher corrected my homework.
Passive: My homework was corrected by the teacher.
Active: It is time to say prayers.
Passive: It is time for prayers to be said.
Active: We must follow the rules.
Passive: The rules must be followed.
Active: Somebody gave her something on her birthday.
Passive: Something was given to her on her birthday. / She was given something on her
birthday.
Active: Did you say something?
Passive: Was something said by you?
Active: He does not obey his teachers.
Passive: His teachers are not obeyed by him.
Active: It is necessary to write this poem.
Passive: It is necessary for this poem to be written.
Active: They are watching cricket.
Passive: Cricket is being watched by them.
Active: We should serve our country.
Passive: Our country should be served by us.
Active: Children like chocolates.
Passive: Chocolates are liked by children.
Active: The girl is flying a kite.
Passive: A kite is being flown by the girl.
Active: The students were solving the problems.
Passive: The problems were being solved by the students.
Active: He is betraying me.
Passive: I am being betrayed by him.
Active: You are going through this lesson.
Passive: This lesson is being gone through by you.
Active: Many worship the rising sun.
Passive: The rising sun is worshipped by many.
Active: He will teach a new lesson today.
Passive: A new lesson will be taught by him today.
Active: My mother was telling a story.
Passive: A story was being told by my mother.
Active: We can buy this but not that one.
Passive: This can be bought by us but not that one.
Active: People will remember him.
Passive: He will be remembered by people.
Active: We are not wasting time here.
Passive: Time is not being wasted by us here.
Active: The boys are drawing the pictures.
Passive: The pictures are being drawn by the boys.
Active: Get out of my house.
Passive: You are ordered to get out of my house.
Active: There is no money to waste.
Passive: There is no money to be wasted.
Active: A child cannot throw it.
Passive: It cannot be thrown by a child.
Active: They laughed at me.
Passive: I was laughed at by them.
Active: You might have heard his name.
Passive: His name might have been heard by you.
Active: He might do it.
Passive: It might be done by him.
Active: Who has broken the cup?
Passive: By whom has the cup been broken?
Active: Has he returned the pens?
Passive: Have the pens been returned by him?
Active: Have they finished their assignments?
Passive: Have their assignments been finished by them?
Active: What have you made?
Passive: What has been made by you?

Active and Passive Voice Rules

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Active and Passive Voice Rules

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Active and Passive Voice Rules | Rules,

Examples, Exercise of Active and Passive Voice

In English, the verb represents that subject, whether an object or a person, of a

What is the Voice of Verb?

Active Voice: When an activity performed by the subject is communicated by the action

Active and Passive Voice Examples

Active Voice Examples Passive Voice Examples

Sita reads a book A book is read by Sita

He writes a letter A letter is written by him

She plays cricket Cricket is played by her

He sells book Books are sold by him

I have made some tea Tea has been made by me

 Present simple tense

But there are no passive voice formation for these tenses:

 Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Simple Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb – Example

V1 + Object Subject Passive: An essay is written by him

Does+ Subject+ V1+Object Is/am/are + Object+ V3+ by subject

Present Continuos Tense

Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb-

Object+ is/am/are+ being+ V3+ by + Active: Sam is playing guitar

Passive: The guitar is played by

Is/am/are+ subject+v1+ing + object Is/am/are + Object+ V3+ by subject

Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb-

Object+ has/have+ been+ V3+ by +

Active: Ram created this masterpiece

Subject + has/have+ not+ v3+ Object + has/have+ not + been+V3+

Has/Have + Object+ been+V3+ by

Past Simple Tense

Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb-

Subject +did+ not+v1+ object Object + was/were+ not +V3+ by

Past Continuous Tense

Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb-

Subject + was/were + v1+ing+ Object+ was/were +being+V3+ by +

Was/were+ Subject + V1+ing + Was/were + Object+ being+v3+ by+

Past Perfect Tense

Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb- had

Had+ Subject + V3+ object Had + Object+ been+v3+ by+ subject

Future Simple Tense

Passive Voice (Auxiliary Verb- will+

Subject + will+ v1+ object Object+ will+ be +V3+ by + subject

Subject +will + not+ Passive: A letter will be written by

Will+ Subject + V1+ object Will + Object+ be +v3+ by+ subject

Future Perfect Tense

Active Voice Passive Voice Example

Passive: The match will have won by

Subject + will+ have +not+v3+ Object + will+ have

Noun and Pronoun for Active and Passive

Active Voice Pronoun Passive Voice Pronoun

FAQ’s on Active and Passive Voice Rules

What Is the Active Voice?

Printable and Sendable Test

True or false? The voice of a verb tells us whether it is active or passive.

Select the sentence in the active voice.

Select the sentence in the passive voice.

Real-Life Examples of Voice

Why Voice in Grammar Is Important

(Reason 2) The passive voice offers some