PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, 

JEDDAH- English Section

Academic Year Subject Name class Date Unit 1

2020-2021 Mid Term English Rayem Y6- 24/8/2020 Handout 1

Hashmi 16B

Active and Passive Voice

An action of a subject, in relation to an object, is expressed in two ways. These two
ways of expressing action of a subject are known as Voices.

1. Active Voice
2. Passive Voice
Example:
I write a letter. (Active)
A letter is written by me. (Passive)

In an active sentence, the subject performs the action to the object whereas in a
passive sentence, the subject receives an action.
The rules for changing active voice into passive voice:
1. First of all, identify the subject, object and the main verb.
2. Convert the object into the subject.
3. Use a suitable auxiliary verb, according to the object (singular or plural).
4. Convert the ‘verb’ into ‘past participle’ of the verb.
5. Use the preposition ‘by’.
6. Change the subject into object.

Example:
Active: The driver drives the car.
Passive: The car is driven by the driver.

Direct and indirect objects

Some verbs that have two objects can make two different active sentences, and so two
different passive sentences too. Most of the times, we use the indirect object as the
subject.
Example:
 Active: He gave me the book. / He gave the book to me.

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  You can choose either of the two objects to be the subject of the passive
sentence.
Passive: I was given the book by him. / The book was given to me by him.

 Active: Someone has bought a present for our boss.

Passive: A present has been bought for our boss. /Our boss has been bought a
present.

 Active: She told us a story.

Passive: We were told a story by her. /A story was told to us by her.

 Active: The naughty girl threw the ball at the window.

Passive: The ball was thrown by the naughty girl at the window.

Usage of Passive Voice

The passive voice is used in the following circumstances:

1. It is often used in formal texts e.g. different forms of reports. Active voice makes the
writing clearer and easier to read. Hence, it is used to make texts formal.
Example:
 A great deal of meaning is conveyed by few well-chosen words.
 Our planet is wrapped in a mass of gases.

2. To shift the focus of attention from the agent to the recipient of the action. If the agent
is not important information, it is usually omitted in the passive sentence:

 [Active] The flood killed 24 people. (focus on the flood, the agent)

[Passive] 24 people were killed by the flood. (focus on 24 people, the recipient)
[Passive]

 [Active] The water in the nearby pool reflected her figure. (focus on the water, the
agent)
[Passive] Her figure was reflected in the nearby pool. (focus on her figure, the
recipient)

3. If we want to say who or what performs the action while using the passive voice, we
use the preposition by.
Example:
 This house was built by my father.
 A “Hard day’s Night” was written by the Beatles.

4. When the agent action is obvious or unimportant

Example:
• The windows have been cleaned. (it’ss not important who cleaned)
• The road is being repaired. (we are interested in the road, not in the people who are
doing the repairs.)

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 • The murderer has been arrested. (it’s obvious that the police arrested)
• Smart phones are used for many different things. (It’s obvious that We/People use
smart phones)

5. When the agent is unknown:

• I noticed that a window had been left open. (we don’t know who left it opened)
• Tom's bike has been stolen. (unknown agent)

6. To hide the identity of the agent.

Example:
 She was given a bad advice.
 An error was made in the report.

7. To describe a process. It is used in factual or scientific writing.

Example:
• The specimens were collected and placed on a slide.
• The eggs are beaten until they are creamy.
• The wheel is attached to the axle before the nuts are tightened.

RULES FOR PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE TENSES

A. For SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE use ‘am’, ‘is’ or ‘are’ with a past participle
to form the passive voice.
Example:
 The caretaker locks the doors. (Active)
The doors are locked by the caretaker. (Passive)
 Ben conducts the orchestra. (Active)
The orchestra is conducted by Ben. (Passive)
 The kangaroo carries the baby in its pouch. (Active)
The baby is carried by the kangaroo in its pouch. (Passive)

B. For PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE, use ‘am’, ‘is’ or ‘are’ with ‘being’,
followed by a past participle, to form the passive voice.
Example:
 The waves are washing away the sandcastle. (Active)
The sandcastle is being washed away by the waves. (Passive)
 Our teacher is scolding us. (Active)
We are being scolded by our teacher. (Passive)

A. For SIMPLE PAST TENSE, use ‘was’ or ‘were’ with a past participle to form
the passive voice.
Example:
 Dad drove us home. (Active)
We were driven home by dad. (Passive)

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 The army built this bridge. (Active)
This bridge was built by the army. (Passive)
 Mom read the novel in one day. (Active)
The novel was read by Mom in one day. (Passive)

B. For PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE, use ‘was’ or ‘were’

with being, followed by a past participle, to form the
passive voice.
Example:
 Ms. Lee was making our costumes. (Active)
Our costumes were being made by Ms. Lee. (Passive)
 The police were chasing the thief. (Active)
The thief was being chased by the police. (Passive)

A. For SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE, use ‘shall’ or ‘will’ with ‘be’ followed by a
past participle to form the passive voice.
Most of the time we use shall with pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’ and will with other pronouns
i.e. ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, ‘they’ and ‘you’.
Example:
 Jane will play the role of the princess in the play. (Active)
The role of the princess in the play will be played by Jane. (Passive)
 We shall present the prizes to the winners. (Active)
The prizes will be presented to the winners by us. (Passive)
 The director will give you instructions. (active)
Instructions will be given to you by the director. (passive)

RULES FOR PERFECT TENSES

A. For PRESENT PERFECT TENSE, use ‘has’ or ‘have’ with ‘been’, followed
by a past participle, to form the passive voice.
Example:
 Ali has scored two goals. (Active)
Two goals have been scored by Ali. (Passive)
 The workmen have painted the house. (Active)
The house has been painted by the workmen. (Passive)

B. For PAST PERFECT TENSE, use ‘had’ with ‘been’, followed by a past
participle, to form the passive voice.
Example:
 The big bad wolf had blown down the house of straw. (Active)
The house of straw had been blown down by the big bad wolf. (Passive)
 The hunters had caught a fox. (Active)
A fox had been caught by the hunters. (Passive)

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C. For FUTURE PREFECT TENSE, use ‘will’ or ‘shall’ with ‘have’ and ‘been’,
followed by a past participle, to form the passive voice.
Example:
 They will have elected him their leader. (Active)
He will have been elected their leader. (Passive)
 The child will have completed his test by now. (Active)
The test will have been completed by the child by now. (Passive)