Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Active and Passive Voice - Imperative Sentences (order, request, command, advice)

Usually, the Imperative Sentence in Active Voice:

- Begins with a verb.

- For all imperatives, the subject is you.

- Begins with 'You' when the object is not mentioned or if you want to put emphasis on the person.


If the verb in the Active Voice expresses order, command, or advice etc., the word 'Let' is usually placed at the beginning of the Passive Voice.

Let + object + be + PP (For positive sentence)

Let not + object + be + PP (For negative sentence)

Let + object + not + be + PP (For negative sentence)

Examples

Active Voice: Open the door.

Passive Voice: Let     the door     be     opened. (by you)

                        Let +    object    +  be + PP

Active Voice: Do not give the order.

Passive Voice: Let     not     the order     be     given. (by you)

                        Let +   not + object +    be +     PP

Active Voice: Do not pluck the flowers.

Passive Voice: Let     not     the flowers     be     plucked. (or by you.)

                        Let +    not + object     +    be    +     PP


Another form of the Passive Voice is with the verb 'should' + be (or Be/Get)

Examples

Active Voice: Keep your words.

Passive Voice: Your words should be kept.

Active Voice: Obey your teachers.

Passive Voice: Your teachers should be obeyed.

Active Voice: Prepare for the worst.

Passive Voice: Be/Get prepared for the worst.


If the sentence begins with 'Please' in Active Voice, 'You are requested to' is used in the Passive Voice. An intransitive verb may be changed into Passive with 'You are requested to/advised to', etc.

Examples

Active Voice: Please do this work

Passive Voice: You are requested to do this work.

Active Voice: Please do not smoke.

Passive Voice: You are advised not to smoke.

Active Voice: Go home.

Passive Voice: You are advised to go home.