Active and Passive Voice Concept and Rules

What is a Voice?

• Usually in every sentence, there is a subject, verb and an object.
• The voice of a verb tells whether the subject of the sentence performs or receives the action.
• The voice of the verb shows whether the subject is the ‘doer’ of the action (Active) or the subject is the receiver of the action (Passive).
• Therefore, there are two types of Voice as described in the table below:

Voice	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Meaning	The subject performs the action expressed by the verb.	The subject receives the action expressed by the verb.
Usage	When more clarity and straightforward relation is required between verb and subject.	When the action is the focus, not the subject or when the doer is unknown.
Examples	The rain washed the car.	The car was washed by the rain.

***Both the sentences mean the same thing. But in the first sentence, The rain (the subject) is the doer of the action (washed) and in the second sentence, the car (the subject) is the receiver of the action (was washed).***

Uses of Passive Voice

Though Active Voice is more forceful and direct (When more clarity and straightforward relation is required between verb and subject.), the Passive Voice is used in the following conditions:

1. When we don’t want to mention the doer of the action, as:

- Boys were found playing.

2. When we do not know who is the doer of the action, as:

- My bicycle has been stolen.

3. When we want to emphasize the recipient of the action, as:

- The old man was found dead.

General rules for changing Active Voice into Passive Voice:

• Identify the subject, the verb and the object. (S+V+O)
• Change the object into subject.
• Put the suitable helping verb or auxiliary verb.
• Change the verb into past participle of the verb.
• Add the preposition "by“.
• Change the subject into object.

***Remember***

• When you change from Active to Passive Voice, the main verb will always be in Past Participle (verb 3).
• The choice of auxiliary verb tense depends on the tense of the main verb. When the main verb is in the present tense, employ the present tense auxiliary verb; conversely, opt for the past tense auxiliary verb when the main verb is in the past tense.

Formation of Passive Voice.

The Passive Voice of a verb is formed by adding some form of the verb ‘to be’ to the Past Participle of the Verb, as, shown below:

The above formation (rule) can be summed up in the following three ways.

Be + PP (for Simple Tenses) Be + being + PP (for Continuous Tenses) Has/have + been + PP (for Perfect Tenses)

‘Be’ form of verb

Tense	Present	Past
Singular	is	was
Plural	am/are	were

***The following tenses cannot be changed into passive voice. (Cases where no passive form exists)***

Present Perfect Continuous:

• She has been writing a letter.

Past Perfect Continuous

• He had been cleaning the house.

Future Continuous:

• I will be filing all the documents tomorrow.

Future Perfect Continuous:

• I will have been serving tea for customers at this hotel for twenty years by then.

Intransitive verb which do not take objects:

• I eat.
• I am living here.
• I have travelled by train.
• I went there.
• I waited for a long time.