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English Grammar - Active and Passive Voice
Active and passive voice are two fundamental aspects of English grammar that shape the way sentences are constructed and understood. Mastering these concepts is crucial for effective communication and writing. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to active and passive voice, suitable for learners of all levels in India. We will cover definitions, differences, transformations, and provide numerous examples to ensure clarity.
In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. Active voice sentences are usually clear and direct. They follow a straightforward structure: Subject + Verb + Object.
In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb. Passive voice sentences can sometimes be less direct or less clear than active voice sentences. They follow the structure: Object + Verb + Subject (optional). The focus is on the action and the object, rather than who is performing the action.
To convert a sentence from active voice to passive voice, follow these steps:
While active voice is generally preferred for its clarity and directness, there are situations where passive voice is more appropriate:
When the doer is unknown:
When the doer is unimportant:
To emphasize the action or the receiver of the action:
In scientific or technical writing:
Convert the following active voice sentences into passive voice:
Active: The manager approved the budget.
Active: The children are playing games.
Active: They will announce the results tomorrow.
Active: Someone has cleaned the room.
Active: The teacher will check the assignments.
Understanding the differences between active and passive voice, and knowing when to use each, is crucial for effective communication. While active voice is generally preferred for its clarity and directness, passive voice has its place in emphasizing actions or when the doer is unknown or unimportant. With practice and awareness, you can master the use of both voices to enhance your writing and communication skills.
Here are 10 easy sentences with the active and passive voice highlighted at the end of each sentence.
The cat (subject) chased (verb) the mouse (object).
The chef (subject) cooked (verb) the meal (object).
The teacher (subject) taught (verb) the lesson (object).
The gardener (subject) watered (verb) the plants (object).
The author (subject) wrote (verb) a book (object).
The police (subject) caught (verb) the thief (object).
The artist (subject) painted (verb) the picture (object).
The dog (subject) bit (verb) the postman (object).
The engineer (subject) designed (verb) the bridge (object).
The singer (subject) sang (verb) a song (object).
Here are 10 advanced complex sentences with the active and passive voice highlighted at the end of each sentence.
The scientist (subject) who conducted (verb) the research (object) published (verb) the findings (object) in a renowned journal.
The committee (subject) will review (verb) the applications (object) and announce (verb) the selected candidates (object) next month.
Although the team (subject) had prepared (verb) the presentation (object) thoroughly, unforeseen technical issues (subject) delayed (verb) the start (object).
The artist (subject) whose work (object) was exhibited (verb) in the gallery (object) received (verb) rave reviews (object) from critics.
By the time the company (subject) realized (verb) the mistake (object), significant damage (object) had already been done (verb).
The project manager (subject) who was assigned (verb) the task (object) ensured (verb) that all deadlines (object) were met (verb) on time.
While the engineers (subject) were designing (verb) the new system (object), they discovered (verb) several critical flaws (object) in the old one.
Despite the fact that the proposal (object) was initially rejected (verb) by the board (subject), it was eventually approved (verb) after revisions (object) were made (verb).
The novel (object), which the author (subject) had spent (verb) years writing (verb), was finally published (verb) to critical acclaim (object).
The volunteers (subject) who organized (verb) the event (object) raised (verb) a significant amount of money (object) for charity.
Here are 10 easy quiz questions on active and passive voice, each with four answer options and the correct answer provided.
Identify the passive voice sentence: a) The dog chased the cat.
b) The cat was chased by the dog.
c) The cat chased the dog.
d) The dog was chasing the cat.
Convert the active sentence “She sings a song” to passive voice: a) A song is sung by her.
b) A song was sung by her.
c) A song will be sung by her.
d) A song is singing by her.
Which of the following sentences is in active voice? a) The cake was eaten by the children.
b) The children eat the cake.
c) The cake is eaten by the children.
d) The cake was being eaten by the children.
Convert the active sentence “He will finish the work” to passive voice: a) The work will finish by him.
b) The work will be finished by him.
c) The work is finished by him.
d) The work was finished by him.
Identify the active voice sentence: a) The book was written by the author.
b) The author writes the book.
c) The book is being written by the author.
d) The book will be written by the author.
Convert the passive sentence “The homework was completed by the student” to active voice: a) The student completes the homework.
b) The student completed the homework.
c) The homework completes the student.
d) The homework is completing the student.
Which sentence is in passive voice? a) The chef prepares the meal.
b) The meal is being prepared by the chef.
c) The chef is preparing the meal.
d) The chef prepared the meal.
Convert the active sentence “They are building a new school” to passive voice: a) A new school is being built by them.
b) A new school was being built by them.
c) A new school is built by them.
d) A new school will be built by them.
Identify the active voice sentence: a) The car is being driven by John.
b) John drives the car.
c) The car was driven by John.
d) The car is driven by John.
Convert the passive sentence “The letter was written by Sarah” to active voice: a) Sarah writes the letter.
b) Sarah wrote the letter.
c) The letter writes Sarah.
d) The letter is written by Sarah.
Here are 10 medium difficulty quiz questions on active and passive voice, each with four answer options and the correct answer provided.
Convert the active sentence “The manager is reviewing the report” to passive voice: a) The report is reviewed by the manager.
b) The report was reviewed by the manager.
c) The report is being reviewed by the manager.
d) The report has been reviewed by the manager.
Identify the passive voice sentence: a) The committee will announce the decision tomorrow.
b) The decision was announced by the committee.
c) The committee announced the decision yesterday.
d) The decision will be announced by the committee tomorrow.
Convert the passive sentence “The essay was written by the student in one night” to active voice: a) The student writes the essay in one night.
b) The student was writing the essay in one night.
c) The student wrote the essay in one night.
d) The student has written the essay in one night.
Which of the following sentences is in active voice? a) The house had been painted by the workers.
b) The workers had painted the house.
c) The house was being painted by the workers.
d) The house will be painted by the workers.
Convert the active sentence “They have postponed the meeting” to passive voice: a) The meeting has been postponed by them.
b) The meeting was postponed by them.
c) The meeting is postponed by them.
d) The meeting has postponed by them.
Identify the active voice sentence: a) The cake was being decorated by the chef.
b) The chef decorated the cake.
c) The cake had been decorated by the chef.
d) The cake was decorated by the chef.
Convert the passive sentence “A beautiful song was sung by the choir” to active voice: a) The choir sings a beautiful song.
b) The choir sang a beautiful song.
c) The choir has sung a beautiful song.
d) The choir is singing a beautiful song.
Which sentence is in passive voice? a) The teacher will give a test tomorrow.
b) The students are taking the test.
c) The test is being given by the teacher.
d) The teacher gave a test yesterday.
Convert the active sentence “He had completed the assignment before the deadline” to passive voice: a) The assignment had been completed by him before the deadline.
b) The assignment has been completed by him before the deadline.
c) The assignment is completed by him before the deadline.
d) The assignment was completed by him before the deadline.
Identify the passive voice sentence: a) The engineer designed the new bridge.
b) The new bridge is designed by the engineer.
c) The new bridge was designed by the engineer.
d) The engineer was designing the new bridge.
Here are 10 advanced quiz questions on active and passive voice, each with four answer options and the correct answer provided.
Convert the active sentence “Researchers are studying the effects of climate change on coral reefs” to passive voice: a) The effects of climate change on coral reefs are studied by researchers.
b) The effects of climate change on coral reefs are being studied by researchers.
c) The effects of climate change on coral reefs have been studied by researchers.
d) The effects of climate change on coral reefs will be studied by researchers.
Identify the passive voice sentence: a) The board has approved the new policy after much debate.
b) The new policy has been approved by the board after much debate.
c) The board will approve the new policy after much debate.
d) The new policy will be approved by the board after much debate.
Convert the passive sentence “The manuscript had been reviewed by several experts before publication” to active voice: a) Several experts reviewed the manuscript before publication.
b) Several experts had reviewed the manuscript before publication.
c) Several experts have reviewed the manuscript before publication.
d) Several experts are reviewing the manuscript before publication.
Which of the following sentences is in active voice? a) The final report is being prepared by the team.
b) The team is preparing the final report.
c) The final report had been prepared by the team.
d) The final report was prepared by the team.
Convert the active sentence “They will have completed the project by the end of the month” to passive voice: a) The project will have been completed by the end of the month.
b) The project will be completed by the end of the month.
c) The project is being completed by the end of the month.
d) The project has been completed by the end of the month.
Identify the passive voice sentence: a) The committee presented the findings during the conference.
b) The findings were presented by the committee during the conference.
c) The committee has presented the findings during the conference.
d) The committee was presenting the findings during the conference.
Convert the passive sentence “A comprehensive analysis was conducted by the research team” to active voice: a) The research team conducts a comprehensive analysis.
b) The research team had conducted a comprehensive analysis.
c) The research team was conducting a comprehensive analysis.
d) The research team conducted a comprehensive analysis.
Which sentence is in passive voice? a) The teacher assigned the homework after the lecture.
b) The homework is assigned by the teacher after the lecture.
c) The homework was assigned by the teacher after the lecture.
d) The teacher has assigned the homework after the lecture.
Convert the active sentence “By the time we arrived, they had already started the meeting” to passive voice: a) The meeting had already been started by the time we arrived.
b) The meeting has already been started by the time we arrived.
c) The meeting was already started by the time we arrived.
d) The meeting is already started by the time we arrived.
Identify the passive voice sentence: a) The company will launch the new product next quarter.
b) The new product is being launched by the company next quarter.
c) The new product will be launched by the company next quarter.
d) The company has launched the new product next quarter.
