active voice and passive

Active & Passive Voice

• Voice is the form a verb takes to indicate whether the subject of the verb performs or receives the action.

• There are two types of voice: active voice and passive voice.

Active Voice

• Active Voice – indicates that the subject of the verb is acting

• Because the subject does or "acts upon" the verb in such sentences, the sentences are said to be in the active voice.

The police arrested the criminal.

Subject is doing the action.

Active voice

The judge is reading the case.

Subject ofthe action

Active voice

He has sold the house.

Subject ofthe action

Active voice

These examples show that the subject is doing the verb's action.

The dog jumped onto the boy.The dog (subject) is doing the jumping (verb).

Kristy will give a book report to the class.Kristy (subject) is doing the giving (verb).

Passive Voice

• In a passive voice sentence, the subject and object flip-flop. The subject becomes the passive recipient of the action.

• Because the subject is being "acted upon" (or is passive), such sentences are said to be in the passive voice.

The criminal was arrested by the police.

Subject is receiving the action.

Passive voice

The case is being read by the judge.

Receiver of the action

Passive voice

The house has been sold by him.

Receiver of the action

Passive voice

• These examples show the subject being acted upon by the verb.

• The boy was jumped on by the dog. – Boy (subject) was being jumped on (verb)

• A book report will be given by Kristy to the class.– Report (subject) will be given (verb).

Reason to use Active Voice

• Most writers prefer to use active voice because it is more direct.

• Compare– Active: The waiter dropped the tray of

food.– Passive: The tray of food was dropped by

the waiter.

Reason to use Active Voice

The active voice is less awkward and clearly states relationship between subject and action.

Compare Passive: Your request for funding has been

denied by the review committee. Active: The review committee denied your

request for funding.

When to use Passive Voice In general, the passive voice is less direct, less

forceful, and less concise than the active voice.

Use the passive voice in the following situations:

Use passive voice when you do not know or do not want to reveal the performer of an action.

Use passive voice when you want to emphasize the receiver of an action.

Examples

• Awkward Passive: My bicycle was repainted by John.• Deliberate Passive: My bicycle was repainted. (The performer is not mentioned and the

emphasis is on the bicycle.)

Pictures and fingerprints are being taken.

The people have been

selected .

How to convert Active voice into Passive voice

• There are twelve tenses in English. All the sentences of twelve tenses in Active voice can not be converted into Passive voice. There are four tenses which can not be converted into Passive voice which are

Continuous Future tense. Continuous Perfect Present tense. Continuous Perfect Past tense. Continuous Perfect Future tense.

How to convert Active voice into Passive voice

• Remaining eight tenses in Active voice can be converted into Passive voice.

• There are five basic rules to convert Active into Passive.

1.Convert Object of Active into Subject in Passive voice.

2.According to tense of Active voice, use auxiliary verb of Passive voice.

3.Always put the main verb into past participle.

How to convert Active voice into Passive voice

4. Now convert Subject of Active voice into Object in Passive voice and put “by” before it.

Example: (Active voice) Mona is writing a letter. subject verb object (Passive voice) A letter is being written by Mona object auxiliary verb main verb subject RULES: 1. 2. 3. 4.

How to convert Active voice into Passive voice

Auxiliary verbs of twelve tenses in Passive voice: ( as per rule no. 2.)

Simple present tense: am, is, are. Simple past tense: was, were. Simple future tense: shall/will be. Continuous present tense: am/are/is being. Continuous past tense: was/were being.

How to convert Active voice into Passive voice

Continuous future tense: ----------------- Perfect present tense: has/have been. Perfect past tense: had been. Perfect future tense: shall/will have been. Cont. Perfect present tense: ---------------- Cont. Perfect past tense: ---------------- Cont. Perfect future tense: -----------------

How to convert Active into Passive

Conversion of pronouns as subject into object, object into subject (as per rule no. 1. and 4.) SUBJECT OBJECT I me we us you you he him she her it it they them

Practice 2

1. She buys a book.

Subject ofthe action

Active voice

2. A book is bought by her .

Receiver of the action

Passive voice

Practice 2

1. Leela ben will ride the bike.

Subject ofthe action

Active voice

2. The bike will be ridden by leela ben .

Receiver of the action

Passive voice

He wrote a letter.

A letter was written by him.

Receiver of theaction

Passive voice

Subject of theaction

Active voice

Practice 2

Jully had sung a song.

Subject ofthe action

Active voice

. A song had been sung by Jully.

Receiver of the action

Passive voice

They will take tea

Tea will be taken by them

Subject is doing the action.

Active voice

receiver ofthe action.

Passive voice

Saleem will have ridden my bicycle.

My bicycle will have been ridden by Saleem.

Subject is doing the action.

Active voice

Receiver ofthe action.

Passive voice