What is Active and Passive Voice | Active to Passive Voice Rules, Definition, and Examples
This article on Active and Passive voice gives the Definition of Active and Passive voice. There are examples of each and rules to convert active voice in to passive voice. Rules for the identification of passive voice and exercises on active and passive voice have also been given.
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ACTIVE VOICE DEFINITION
Where the subject performs the action stated by the verb is active voice
कृतवाच्य वाक्य में क्रिया द्वारा दर्शाया गया कार्य subject या कर्ता द्वारा किया जाता है।
ACTIVE VOICE EXAMPLE SENTENCES
मैंने राधा को ई मेल भेजा।
I sent an e-mail to Radha.
उसने दरवाज़ा खोला।
He opened the door.
PASSIVE VOICE DEFINITION
कर्मवाच्य वाक्य में object या कर्म कर्ता के स्थान पर आ कर महत्वता लेते हैं। केवल उन वाक्यों में प्रयोग होती है जिनमें सकर्मक क्रिया हो।
In passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb.
The subject may appear in the ‘by the ….’ phrase or may be omitted.
PASSIVE VOICE IDENTIFICATION
- The verb phrase will always include a form of being, such as am, is, was, were, are, or been.
- May include a “by the…” phrase after the verb; the agent performing the action, if named, is the object of the preposition in this phrase.
Related – Present Perfect Tense – Structure, Examples, Exercises
PASSIVE VOICE EXAMPLE SENTENCES
An e-mail was sent to Radha by me.
राधा को मेरे द्वारा ईमेल भेजा गया।
The door was opened by him.
दरवाज़ा उसके द्वारा खोला गया।
CONVERSION FROM ACTIVE TO PASSIVE VOICE EXAMPLES
A: हमने अपना गृहकार्य कर लिया है।
A: We have done our homework.
P: अपना गृहकार्य हमारे द्वारा कर लिया गया है।
P: Our homework has been done by us.
A: शिक्षक ने उसे मॉनिटर नियुक्त किया।
A: The teacher has appointed him as the monitor.
P: वह शिक्षक द्वारा मॉनिटर नियुक्त किया गया है।
P: He has been appointed the monitor by the teacher.
A: मैं भी जीवन मैं सफलता प्राप्त कर सकता हूँ।
A: I can also achieve success in life.
P:जीवन में सफलता मेरे द्वारा भी प्राप्त की जा सकती है।
P: Success in life can also be achieved by me.
Related – Future Perfect Continuous Tense- Definition, Examples, Types, Exercise
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE RULES
Sentences with intransitive verbs (without object) cannot be converted into passive voice).
SENTENCES WHICH DO NOT HAVE PASSIVE VOICE EXAMPLES
A: राम जाता है।
A: Ram goes.
A: वह जल गया है।
A: He has been burnt.
A: साँप मारा गया है।
A: The snake has been killed.
A: हम पढ़ते हैं।
A: We study.
Related – Future Continuous Tense – Definition, Exercise
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE EXERCISE
Translate the following sentences in active and passive voice. The answers follow the questions:-
1. A: हम अपने देश को प्यार करते हैं।
P: हमारा देश हम को प्यार है।
2. A: वह मेरी शादी पर आई थी।
P: मेरी शादी पर वह आई थी।
3. A:मैंने स्लेट तोड़ी थी।
P: स्लेट मेरे द्वारा तोड़ी गई थी।
4. A: बिल्ली ने दूध पी लिया।
P: दूध बिल्ली द्वारा पी लिया गया है।
Answers:
1. A: We love our country.
P: Our country is loved by us.
2. A: She had attended my wedding.
P: My wedding had been attended by her.
3. A: I had broken the slate.
P: The slate had been broken by me.
4. A: The cat has drunk the milk.
P: The milk has been drunk by the cat.
This is a table that shows the change of sentences from Active to Passive voice in different tenses. The tense of the verb in the sentence remains the same during the change from active to passive or vice-versa. Also, the verb of the sentence has to agree with the subject of the sentence. The passive verbs are made up of two main parts: be+ Past participle form of the main verb. The form of the verb ‘be’ changes according to different tenses. The table below shows the formation of passive verbs in different tenses. The perfect continuous tense of both the present and past tense does not have passive forms of the verbs
Related – Past Continuous Tense Definition, Exercises
Present Indefinite Tense
| Type of Sentence | Active Form | Passive Form |
| Affirmative Sentence | Active S + V1(s/es) + O |
Passive S + is/am/are + V3 + Prep+ O |
| He enjoys having coffee in the evening. | Coffee is enjoyed by him in the evening. | |
| Negative | Active S + do/ does not + V1+ O |
Passive S + is/ am/ are not + V3 + Prep+ O |
| He does not love you. | You are not loved by him. | |
| Interrogative | Active Do/Does + S + V1+ O? |
Passive Is/Am/Are + S + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Do you like him? | Is he liked by you? | |
| Negative Interrogative | Active Do/Does + S + not + V1+ O? |
Passive Is/ Am/ Are + S + not + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Does she not help you? | Are you not helped by her? |
Present Continuous Tense
| Type of Sentence | Active Form | Passive Form |
| Affirmative Sentence | Active S + is/ am/ are + V + ing + O |
Passive S + is/am/are + being + V3 + Prep + O |
| She is writing a letter. | A letter is being written by her. | |
| Negative | Active S + is/ am/ are not + V + ing + O |
Passive S + is/ am/ are not + V3 + Prep + O |
| Yuvraj is not painting a picture. | A picture is not being painted by Yuvraj. | |
| Interrogative | Active Is/ Am/ Are + S + V + ing + O? |
Passive Is/ Am/ Are+ S + being + V3+ Prep + O? |
| Are they making chapatis? | Are chapatis being made by them? | |
| Negative Interrogative | Active Is/ Am/ Are + S + not + V + ing + O? |
Passive Is/ Am/ Are + S + not + being + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Is the noise not disturbing the old woman? | Is the old woman not being disturbed by the noise? |
Present Perfect Tense
| Type of Sentence | Active Form | Passive Form |
| Affirmative Sentence | Active S + has/ have + V3 + O |
Passive S + has/ have + been + V3 + Prep + O |
| He has invited all his friends. | All his friends have been invited by him. | |
| Negative | Active S + has/ have not + V3 + O |
Passive S + has/ have not + been + V3 + Prep + O |
| She has not stolen my pen. | My pen has not been stolen by her. | |
| Interrogative | Active Has/ Have + S + V3 + O? |
Passive Has/ Have + S + been + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Have you won the lottery? | Has the lottery been won by you? | |
| Negative Interrogative | Active Has/ Have + S + not + V3 + O? |
Passive Has/ Have + S + not + been + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Has she not stolen your purse? | Has your purse not been stolen by him? |
Past Indefinite Tense
| Type of Sentence | Active Form | Passive Form |
| Affirmative Sentence | Active S + V2 + O |
Passive S + was/ were + V3 + Prep + O |
| .He shot a deer. | A deer was shot by him. | |
| Negative | Active S + did + not + V1 + O |
Passive S + was were + not + V3 + Prep + O |
| .He did not speak the truth. | The truth was not spoken by him. | |
| Interrogative | Active Did + S + V1 + O? |
Passive Was/ Were + S + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Did you eat my pizza? | Was my pizza eaten by you? | |
| Negative Interrogative | Active Did + S + not + V1 + O? |
Passive Was/ Were + S + not + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Did you not beat her? | Was she not beaten by you? |
Past Continuous Tense
| Type of Sentence | Active Form | Passive Form |
| Affirmative Sentence | Active S + was/were + V + ing + O |
Passive S + was/ were + being + V3 + Prep + O |
| He was writing a poem. | A poem was being written by him. | |
| Negative | Active S + was/ were + not + V + ing + O |
Passive S + was/were + not + being + V3 + Prep + O |
| He was not playing cricket. | Cricket was not being played by him | |
| Interrogative | Active Was/ Were + S + V + ing + O? |
Passive Was/ Were + S + being + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Were the players chasing the ball? | Was the ball being chased by the players? | |
| Negative Interrogative | Active Was/ Were + S + not + V + ing + O? |
Passive Was/ Were + S + not + being + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Were the owners not making false promises? | Were false promises not being made by the owners? |
Related – Past Perfect Tense – Definition, Formula, Examples, Exercises
Past Perfect Tense
| Type of Sentence | Active Form | Passive Form |
| Affirmative Sentence | Active S + had + V3 + O |
Passive S + had + been + V3 + Prep + O |
| We had already solved all the problems. | All the problems had already been solved by us. | |
| Negative | Active S + had + not + V3 + O |
Passive S + had + not + been + V3 + Prep + O |
| Ram had not purchased the table. | The table had not been purchased by Ram. | |
| Interrogative | Active Had + S + V3 + O? |
Passive Had + S + been + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Had the batsman made a mistake? | Had a mistake been made by the govt? | |
| Negative Interrogative | Active Had + S + not + V3 + O? |
Passive Had + S + not + been + V3 + Prep + O? |
| Had you not locked the window? | Had the window not been locked by you? |
Related: Active and Passive Voice Example Sentences