How to Identify and Use Passive Voice in English
Voice is an important topic of English grammar. Grammar guides us on how to form a sentence correctly. Voice is a process through which we can form sentences in different formats of verbs. Learning voice is essential for everyone as a part of English grammar. There are two types of voice in English grammar, which are active voice and passive voice. Both the voices are used for different purposes. You should learn active and passive voice and the rules of voice change. After learning the voice theory, you need to practice active and passive voice quizzes from any practice test. In this article, we will discuss the theory of voice change with solved questions.
(Image will be uploaded soon)
What Is Voice?
In English grammar, voice is a state of a verb, which refers to the relationship between action and the participants of the verb. In short, voice describes whether a verb is active or passive. Now, we are giving an example of voice.
The company provides us with essential information.
We are provided with essential information by the company.
The meanings of the above two sentences are the same. But the format of the sentences is different. The relation between the verbs when the subjects are different in the sentences. One will be able to understand better if they solve any active and passive voice practice test.
What Is An Active Voice?
When the subject of a sentence performs the verb's action, it is called an active voice. A sentence in an active voice is formed with a direct, strong, and clear tone. Here, we are giving some examples of active voices below.
The Sun rises in the East.
My mother gifted me this dress.
The above two sentences are constructed in active voice. You can practice some active voice questions to understand the concept better.
What Is A Passive Voice?
When the subject of a sentence has the action, it is called a passive voice. A sentence in passive voice is written using the past participle form of the verb. Now, we are giving some passive voice examples below.
The fish was eaten by the cat.
We were provided with the notes by our class teacher.
Here, both the sentences are written in passive voice. You should practice some passive voice quizzes to learn better.
Rules Of Voice Change
The voice of a sentence can be changed by grammatical changes, which is called voice change. There are some rules for changing a sentence from active to passive. The general rules of voice change are-
The place of subject and object are interchanged from active to passive voice.
Example: Rabindranath Tagore wrote Chokher Bali. (Active)
Chokher Bali was written by Rabindranath Tagore. (Passive)
In some sentences, the subject is omitted when it is changed from active to passive voice due to the unavailability of a specific subject.
Example: Clothes are sold in yards. (Passive)
In passive voice, the 3rd form of the verb is used as the main verb.
Example: My brother plays the guitar. (Active)
The guitar is played by my brother. (Passive)
When active voice is changed to passive voice, the word 'by' is added before the subject in passive voice. But 'by' is not always used. It is replaced with the words 'to,' 'with' in some sentences.
Example: I know him. (Active)
He is known to me. (Passive)
In passive voice, auxiliary verbs are used before the main verb according to the tense of the sentences.
Example: They told me about the incident. (Active)
I was told about the incident by them. (Passive)
Now, we will mention some solved questions for the passive voice quiz. Apart from the general rules, there are some rules for changing pronouns, tenses, and transition words. Go through the solved to know more.
Solved Examples
Identify the sentences in active voice and change them into passive voice.
1. Roma drew the flower.
Ans: Active voice.
The flower was drawn by Roma. (Passive)
2. My mother is baking the cake.
Ans: Active voice.
The cake is being baked by my mother. (Passive)
3. The building plan is approved by the government.
Ans: Passive voice.
4. Sam was reading the Geeta.
Ans: Active voice.
The Geeta was being read by Sam. (Passive)
5. He called me yesterday.
Ans: Active voice.
I was called by him the previous day. (Passive)
6. The shopkeeper sold the necklace.
Ans: Active voice.
The necklace was sold by the shopkeeper. (Passive)
7. The last call was made by the security guard.
Ans: Passive voice.
8. Arya was playing football on the ground.
Ans: Active voice.
Football was being played by Arya on the ground. (Passive)
9. Vamsi cut the cake.
Ans: Active voice.
The cake was cut by Vamsi. (Passive)
10. The tiger was killed by the hunter.
Ans: Passive voice.
FAQs on Passive Voice Quiz: Rules, Examples & Practice
1. What are the basic rules for changing a sentence from Active to Passive Voice?
To change a sentence from Active to Passive Voice, you need to follow three main steps:
The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
The main verb is changed into its past participle (V3) form and is preceded by an appropriate form of the auxiliary verb 'to be' (is, am, are, was, were, being, been).
The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence and is usually introduced by the preposition 'by'.
2. What is the difference between Active Voice and Passive Voice with an example?
The key difference lies in the focus of the sentence. In the Active Voice, the subject performs the action, making the sentence direct and strong. In the Passive Voice, the subject receives the action, shifting the focus to the action or the receiver itself.
Active Example: Rohan wrote the letter.
Passive Example: The letter was written by Rohan.
3. How do you convert a sentence in the Present Continuous Tense to Passive Voice?
To convert a Present Continuous Tense sentence to passive voice, you use the structure: Object + is/am/are + being + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject. The word 'being' is essential to show the continuous action.
For example, the active sentence 'The students are decorating the classroom.' becomes 'The classroom is being decorated by the students.' in the passive voice.
4. Why would a writer choose to use the Passive Voice instead of the Active Voice?
A writer might intentionally use the passive voice for several strategic reasons:
When the person or thing performing the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context (e.g., 'The rules were made to be broken.').
To put more emphasis on the receiver of the action rather than the doer (e.g., 'The Nobel Prize was awarded to her.').
To create a more formal or objective tone, which is common in scientific or official reports (e.g., 'The samples were analysed.').
5. What is the role of an auxiliary verb in forming the passive voice?
Auxiliary verbs, also known as 'helping verbs', are crucial for constructing the passive voice. They work together with the main verb's past participle to correctly indicate the tense of the action. For instance, 'is written' shows present tense, 'was written' shows past tense, and 'will be written' shows future tense. Without the correct auxiliary verb, the sentence would be grammatically incorrect.
6. Do sentences in the passive voice always have to include the 'by' phrase?
No, the 'by' phrase, which identifies the doer of the action (the agent), is often omitted in the passive voice. This is done when the agent is unknown, obvious, or irrelevant to the message. For example, in the sentence 'My car was stolen last night,' the 'by' phrase is left out because we don't know who stole the car. The focus is on the event itself.
7. Can all sentences be converted to the passive voice?
No, not all sentences can be converted. A sentence must have a transitive verb (a verb that takes a direct object) to be changed into the passive voice. Sentences with intransitive verbs (verbs that do not have a direct object), like 'He slept' or 'They arrived,' cannot be made passive because there is no object to become the new subject.
8. Which verb tenses cannot be converted into the passive voice?
While most tenses can be converted, there are four that typically do not have a passive form because it would sound awkward and grammatically complex. These are:
Future Continuous Tense (e.g., will be doing)
Present Perfect Continuous Tense (e.g., have been doing)
Past Perfect Continuous Tense (e.g., had been doing)
Future Perfect Continuous Tense (e.g., will have been doing)
