the basic formula to form active

into passive is →

A – Sub. + Verb + OBJ

P – Obj. + (Be + VIII) + (by+Sub) =

Agent↓

Passive

Sub.

↓

Passive

Obj.

I Basic Pattern

Be = Base form → (used After

medals)

Is/am/ar

e

VI

Was/were

VII

Been

VIII

Being

Continuous

form

↓

Used in

passive of

continuous

tense

Present

Indefinit

e

Past

Indefinit

e

Perfect

Tenses

Passive → (Be + VIII)

↓

Used according to different

tenses

A. Present Indefinite

A - SUB + VI / VI s/es + OBJ.

P -Obj + is/am/are + VIII + by +

(SUB)B. Past Indefinite

A - SUB + VI + OBJ.

P - Obj + was/were+ VIII + by +

(SUB)C. Future Simple & Modals

A - SUB + will / shall / modal + VI + OBJ.

P - Obj + will/Shall/modal + Be + VIII + by + (SUB)

A -H e teaches me

P - I am taught by him.

A - The gardener Plucked flowers

P - Flowers were plucked by the

gardener

A – The postman will deliver the

letters.

P – The letters, will be delivered by

the postman.

A. Present

continuousA – SUB. + is/am/are + VI ing + OBJ.

P – Obj. + is/am/are + Being + VIII + by +

(SUB.)

B. Past continuous

A - SUB + was/were + VI ing + OBJ.

P - Obj + was/were + Being + VIII + by +

(SUB)

C. Future continuous

A - SUB + will/shall + be + VI ing + OBJ.

P - Obj + will/shall + be + Being + VIII + by +

(SUB)

A - She is writing a letter.

P – A letter is being written by her.

A - The farmer was sowing the

seeds.

P – The seeds were being sown by

the farmer

Passive Generally not formed

A. Present Perfect

A - SUB + has/have + VIII + OBJ.

P - Obj + has/have + Been + VIII + by + (SUB)

B. Past Perfect

A - SUB + Had + VIII + OBJ.

P - Obj + Had + Been + VIII + (SUB)

C. Future Perfect

A - SUB + will/shall/Modal + Have + VIII + OBJ.

P - Obj + will/shall/modal + Have + Been + VIII

+ (SUB)

A – I have told a lie.

P – A Lie has been told by me.

A – Tendulkar had thrown the ball

P – The ball had been thrown by

Tendulkar

A – The police must have killed him.

P – He must have been killed by the

police.

Pattern II Interrogative Sentences

Passive of Interrogative Sentence

Yes-No

Question

WH-

Questions

Questions that

starts with

Helping Verb

Questions that

starts with ‘WH’

word

Method of steps to form Passive

S-1. Change yes-no que. Form into

affirmative sentence.

S-2. Form/make Passive of the

sentence according to general rules

S-3. Put the Helping Verb of Passive

sentence Before the subject.

S-4. Put a question Mark (?) at the

end of the sentence

I. Helping Verb

A → H.V + SUB + M.V+ OBJ. ?

P → H.V + OBJ. + VIII + by + SUB. ?

Does he write a letter?

↓

He writes a letter

↓

A letter is written by him

↓

Is a letter written by him.?

II. ‘WH’ word

→ WH

word

Sub (✗)

Obj. (✗)

→ WH word → (Sub.)

(✓)

( WH word + M.V. + Obj.? )

( WH word + H.V. + Sub. + M.V. + Obj.? )

→ WH word → (Obj.) (✓)

( WH word + H.V. + M.V. + Obj. ?( )

II. ‘WH’ word

Pattern (A)

W/H word + H.V. + Sub. + M.V. + Obj.

S-1. Remove the ‘WH’ word of the sentence

and you will get yes-no type question

S-2. Now Change this yes-no form into

Affirmative sentence.

S-3. Form / make passive of this sentence

According to general Rules.

S-4. Put the Helping Verb of Passive sentence

Before the subject.

S-5. Put a question Mark (?) at the end of the

sentence

S-6. Put the ‘WH’ word in the Beginning at the

end of the sentence once Again

Why does he teach the

children.?

↓

Does he teach the children?

↓

He teaches the children

↓

Children are taught by him.

↓

Why are children taught by

him.?

→ WH word → (Sub.) (✓)

( WH word + M.V. + Obj.? )

Exa.

A - Who did this ?

↓

This was done by whom

↓

By whom was this done?

→ WH word → (Obj.) (✓)

( WH word + H.V. + M.V. + Obj.

? )

Exa.

Whom(obj.) have(H.V) you(Sub.) invited(M.V.)?

↓

You have invited whom

↓

Who has been invited by you?

Q. What has he done?

1. What is done by him.

2. What did he do.

3. What he has been done.

4. What has been done by him.

Q. What does she eat?

1. What is being eaten by her.

2. What has been eaten by her.

3. What she is eaten.

4. What is eaten by her.

Order

(Imperative Sentence) Advice / suggestion

Request

Order Advice/Suggestion Request

A – VI + Object

P – Let + Sub + be + VIII

A - Do it at once.

P - You are

ordered/asked to do it

once.

Or

Let it be done at once.

A – VI + Obj.

P – Sub. + should + be +

VIII

A – Love the poor.

P – You are advised to

love the poor.

or

The poor should be

loved.

P – (You are requested

+ to + VI + Obj.)

A – Kindly vacate the

house.

P – You are requested

to vacate the house.

or

To use kindly requested

in incorrect.

Verb that take two objects in the active voice,

can be changed into passive with either of the

objects as subject of the passive. But if the

object denoting a person is not made the

subject of the passive, a suitable preposition

like To, For etc. is put before it.

A – The guard refused him admittance.

P - He was refused admittance by the guard.

OR - Admittance was refused to him by the

guard.

A – I bought my son a pen.

P – My son was bought a pen.

OR - A pen was bought for my son.

A – He promised me a gift.

P – I was promised a gift.

OR - A gift was promised to me.

But when the two objects are the same

person we can form only one passive; that too

with the person as subject only; e.g.

A – They made him king.

P – He was made king.

A – We elected Hari captain.

P – Hari was elected captain.

A - Sub. + is/am/are/was/were + to + VI + Obj.

P - Sub. + is/am/are/was/were + to + be + VIII. +

by + Obj.

A – I am to do it.

P – It is to be done by me.

A - You are to serve him.

P - he is to be served by you.

A – They are to buy a car.

P - A car is to be bought by them.

A – She was to sell the watch.

P - The watch was to be sold by her.

A - Sub. + have/has/had + (to +

VI) + Obj.

↓

P - Sub. + have/has/had + (to +

be + VIII.) + by + Obj.

A – I have to borrow some

money.

P – Some money has to be

borrowed.

A – You have to choose a bride.

P – A bride has to be chosen by

you.

A – There + be (is/am/are etc.) + Noun

+ (to + VI)

↓

P - There + be (is/am/are etc.) + Noun

+ (to + be + VIIII)

A – I have to borrow some money.

P – Some money has to be borrowed.

A – You have to choose a bride.

P – A bride has to be chosen by you.

A – We saw them go out.

P – They were seen to go out.

A – He made us work.

P – We were made to work.

A – They let us go.

P – We were let go.

A – He wants someone to take photographs.

P – He wants photographs to be taken.

1. By making the main verb in the passive or

2. By Advise/Beg, etc. + That – Should + Passive Infinitive. E.g.

A – He urged the employers to increase the salary.

P – The employers were urged to increase the salary.

OR He urged that the salary should be increased.

Passive – It is time + for + noun/pronoun + to be +

VIII.

A – It is time to close the shop.

P – It is time for the shop to be closed.

A – It is time to give the final warning.

P – It is time for the final warning to be given.

↓ (passive)

Verb + that – should + passive infinitive.

A – They demanded to withdraw all troops.

P – They demanded that all troops should be withdrawn.

Advise/insist/propose/Recommend/Suggest + Gerund+ Obj. are usually

expressed in the passive by ‘That - Should’

A – He recommended using bullet-proof glass.

P – He recommended that bullet-proof glass should be used.

A – I know her

P – she is known to me.

OR [The verb KNOW is not an action, rather it’s state.]

A – He annoys me.

P – I am annoyed with him.

OR [The verb ANNOY is not an actin, rather it’s state.]

A – She vexes me.

P – I am vexed at her.

A – Smoke filled the room.

P – The room was filled with smoke.

A – Paint covered the lock

P – The lock was covered with paint.

A – The boy’s work pleased the teacher.

P – The teacher was pleased with the boy’s work.

A – His behavior annoyed me.

P – I was annoyed at his behavior.

A – This book has greatly interested me.

P – I have been greatly interested in this book.

Note: Different verbs take different prepositions. The verb ANNOY

takes WITH when used for a person, and it takes AT when used for a

thing. See some other verbs which preposition they take:

Surprised at, amazed at, astonished at, startled at, contained in,

embodied in, included in, crammed with, decorated with, ornamented

with, thronged with, tired of

A – The rose smells sweet.

P – The rose is sweet when it is smelt.

A – At least the play reads well.

P – At least the play affects the readers well when it is read.

A – These cakes sell well.

P – We sell these cakes successfully.

A – The clothes are soaking.

P – The water is soaking the clothes.

A – The house is building.

P – The house is being built.

A – The drums are beating.

P – The drums are being beaten.

A – You can play with these cubs quite safely.

P – These cubs can be played with quite safely.

A – We must write to him.

P – He must be written to.

A – They threw away the old newspapers.

P – The newspaper were thrown away.

Note : - Some of the verbs that take a preposition:

look at, look after, look down upon, look into, laugh at, smile at, deride at, mock at, fire

at

A – People consider that Mohan is a fool.

P – It is considered that Mohan is a fool.

OR Mohan is considered to be a fool.

A – People said that he was jealous of her.

P – It was said that he was jealous of her.

OR He was said to be jealous of her.

A – People say he is handsome.

P – It is said that he is handsome.

OR He is said to be handsome.

A – They know he has an idea.

P – It is known that he has an idea.

OR He is know to have an idea.

A –They knew he had an idea.

P – It was known that he had an idea.

OR He was known to have had an idea.

A – The public will learn with astonishment that war is imminent.

P – It will be learned/learnt by the public with astonishment that war is imminent.

OR War will be learned/learnt to be imminent by the public with astonishment.

A – They propose to build a dam for irrigation.

P – It is proposed that a dam be / should be built for irrigation.

OR It is proposed to build a dam for irrigation.

OR A dam is proposed to be built for irrigation.

A – He decided to sell the house.

P – He decided that the house should be sold.

OR It was decided that the house be/should be sold.

OR It was decided by him (that) the house be/should be sold.

A – The Greeks expected to win the international trophy.

P – It was expected by the Greeks that they would win the international trophy.

[You cannot say ‘The international trophy was expected to be won by the Greeks.’ This

construction suggests the idea that THE GREEK WIN WAS EXPECTED BY ALL. So, we

can say that if the subject in the active sentence is specific, the passive will always

begin with ‘IT’ here.]

A –They say that he cheats.

P – it is said that he cheats.

OR He is said to cheat.

A – They think that I am dying.

P – It is thought that I am dying.

OR I am thought to be dying.

A – They report that she came back / has come back.

P – It is reported that she came back/ has come back.

OR – She is reported to have come back.

A – They say that she will resign.

P – It is said that she will resign.

OR – She is said to be going to resign.

Note : Clauses after the verbs SAY and KNOW in sentences 3, 4 and 5 are actually THAT-

CLAUSES as THAT after these verbs can always be omitted. So both of these sentences

are exactly equivalent: