There are two types of voice in English grammar.

1. Active Voice
2. Passive Voice

 

What is Voice?

The voice of a verb determines whether the subject performs or receives the action.

So we can say

Active Voice: Subject performs the action.

Passive Voice: Subject receives the action.

We can determine voice of a sentence from the form of the verb.

The basic structure of an active voice sentence is as below

Subject + Verb + Object

Ex: Deepika writes a letter. (Active Voice)

The basic structure of a passive voice sentence is as below.

Object + Verb + Subject

Ex: A letter is written by Deepika. (Passive Voice)

You can see in above examples that real meaning of the sentence does not change by changing the voice of a sentence.

Active voice is mostly used in general writing.

 

Passive voice is used in following cases

• When subject is not known.
  Ex: The mobile was stolen yesterday.

• When it is not necessary to tell about the subject.
  Ex: The thief was arrested.

• Intentionally hiding the subject of a sentence.
  Ex: Women are not treated equally

• When importance is given to object.
  Ex: The sparrow must be saved.

• Sometimes passive voice better explains the subject.

 

Basic rules to change the voice

• Interchange the places of subject and object.
• Make the subject of active sentence agent (=doer) of passive sentence.
• Always third form (past participle) of verb is used in passive voice.
• Proper form of ‘to be’ should be placed before verb.
• All the sentences can not be changed into passive voice. Only the sentences with transitive verbs can be changed into passive.
  (Click here to see what is transitive sentences and what kind of sentences can not be changed into passive voice)
• Change of subject from active voice to passive voice is given below.

Active Voice	Passive Voice
I	Me
He	Him
She	Her
You	You
They	Them
It	It
We	Us
Who	Whom

 

 

Passive voice of sentences with two objects.

Sometimes we have two objects in sentence. Make any one of the two objects subject of the passive sentence.

Study the example shown below.

Voice	Subject	Verb	Object 1	Object 2
Active	Waiter	served	the food	to us.
Passive	The food	was served	to us	by waiter.
Passive	We	were served	the food	by waiter.

 

 

Active and Passive Voice tense wise rules.

Active and Passive Voice with Modal Verbs.

Active and Passive Voice of Interrogative Sentences.

Active and Passive Voice of Imperative Sentences.

Active and Passive Voice practise exercise.

Active and Passive Voice Interrogative Sentences Practice Exercise.