Active and passive Voice: Rule, Example, Tricks, Practice Exercise

To write properly and clearly, one must be aware of the distinction between the active and passive voices. Both voices serve their purpose in communication, but each is best suited to different situations. Let’s explore what these voices are, how they’re used, and when to choose one over the other.

What do you understand from the voice in grammar?

Voice in grammar is the structure of a verb that indicates whether the action described in the statement is performed by or received by the person or thing being discussed.

• Active Voice: The subject acts.
• Passive Voice: The subject receives the action.

What is Active Voice?

The sentence's subject acts in the active voice. It is direct, clear, and typically preferred in most forms of writing, especially academic, business, and creative content.

Structure of Active Voice:

·       Subject + Verb + Object

Examples of Active Voice:

1. The chef cooked a delicious meal.
2. → (Subject = the chef, Verb = cooked, Object = a delicious meal)
3. She completed the assignment on time.
4. The dog chased the cat.

Why use Active Voice?

• Clarity- Active voice clearly tells who is doing what. It avoids confusion by making the subject and action obvious.
• Conciseness- Active sentences are usually shorter and more straightforward, helping you communicate your message efficiently.
• Energy and engagement- Active voice makes writing feel more dynamic and livelier, which keeps readers interested.
• Stronger tone- In persuasive, academic, or business writing, active voice helps establish a confident and authoritative tone.
• Better for most writing styles- In general, active voice is preferred in
• Essays and reports
• Business communication
• Journalism
• Creative writing
• Speeches and presentations

What is Passive Voice?

When an expression is in the passive voice, the role of acting is given to the subject. Passive constructions are more indirect and are often used when the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or implied.

Structure of Passive Voice:

Object + Auxiliary Verb (be) + Past Participle + (by + Subject)

Examples of Passive Voice:

A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.

1. → (Subject = a delicious meal, Verb = was cooked, Doer = by the chef)
2. The assignment was completed on time.
3. The cat was chased by the dog.

Why use Passive Voice?

• When the subject is unclear or irrelevant: When the individual acting is not well-known, pertinent, or worthy of being mentioned. Beneficial for official declarations, investigations, and news reports.
• To highlight the action or the recipient of the action: When you want to draw attention to what occurred or who was affected, rather than the attacker.
• For a formal or unbiased voice: Passive voice can produce a tone that is more disconnected and unbiased, which is frequently desired in educational, legal, or scientific articles.
• To avoid blame or responsibility, Passive voice can soften the impact of negative information or avoid pointing fingers.
• To maintain sentence flow or cohesion, sometimes passive voice helps maintain a smooth flow between sentences, especially when continuing a topic.

Active vs. Passive Voice Comparison Table-

Feature	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Focus	Subject (doer of the action)	Object (receiver of the action)
Sentence Structure	Subject + Verb + Object	Object + Be Verb + Past Participle (+ by Subject)
Example	The teacher praised the student.	The student was praised by the teacher.
Clarity	More direct and concise	More formal or indirect
Usage	Preferred in most writing	Used for emphasis, formality, or when doer is unknown

 

How do you change Active Voice to Passive Voice in Tenses?

Rearranging a sentence to ensure an action's object turns into the sentence's subject is known as shifting it from active to passive. Use these procedures to change an active sentence to a passive one-

1. Identify the subject, verb, and object.
2. Transfer the item to the position of the subject.
3. Use the appropriate form of the verb “to be” + past participle.
4. You can additionally use "by" to add the subject that was originally written.

Example:

Active: The manager approved the proposal.

Passive: The proposal was approved by the manager.

Tense changes in Passive Voice-

Tense-wise Passive Voice Conversion Rules-

Tense	Passive Structure	Example (Active → Passive)
Simple Present	Obj + is/am/are + past participle + (by S)	She writes a letter → A letter is written by her
Present Continuous	Obj + is/am/are being + past participle + (by S)	They are eating apples → Apples are being eaten by them
Present Perfect	Obj + has/have been + past participle + (by S)	He has done the work → The work has been done by him
Simple Past	Obj + was/were + past participle + (by S)	I wrote a report → A report was written by me
Past Continuous	Obj + was/were being + past participle + (by S)	She was reading a book → A book was being read by her
Past Perfect	Obj + had been + past participle + (by S)	They had finished the job → The job had been finished by them
Simple Future	Obj + will be + past participle + (by S)	He will repair the car → The car will be repaired by him
Future Perfect	Obj + will have been + past participle + (by S)	She will have written the note → The note will have been written by her
Modal Auxiliaries	Obj + modal + be + past participle + (by S)	They can solve it → It can be solved by them
Non‑Convertible Tenses	—	No passive for perfect continuous / future continuous

The format of "to be" that is used determines the verb's tense. Here’s how active and passive sentences look across tenses-

Example table of conversion of sentence active to passive voice-

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Present Simple	She writes a letter.	A letter is written by her.
Past Simple	He cleaned the room.	The room was cleaned by him.
Future Simple	They will deliver the package.	The package will be delivered by them.
Present Perfect	She has sent the invitation.	The invitation has been sent by her.
Past Perfect	He had finished the work.	The work had been finished by him.
Future Perfect	They will have built the house.	The house will have been built by them.
Modals	You should read the instructions.	The instructions should be read by you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When should someone avoid using Passive Voice?

• When it makes the sentence vague or confusing, Passive voice can hide who is doing the action, making your meaning unclear.
• When it creates wordy or awkward sentences, passive voice often uses extra words, which leads to clunky writing.
• When you want to emphasize the doer- If it is important to show who did something, active voice is the better choice.
• In persuasive or engaging writing, Passive voice can sound detached or lifeless, which weakens emotional appeal or reader interest.
• When writing instructions or commands, imperatives and directions should always be in the active voice for clarity.

What are the strategies you should follow to identify Passive Voice?

Passive voice can be tricky, but here are some easy and reliable tips to help you spot it quickly:

• Look for a form of the verb "To Be" + Past Participle- Passive sentences almost always include a form of the verb “to be” followed by a past participle (e.g., was written, is cleaned, has been eaten).

Examples:

• The letter was sent yesterday.
• The food is being prepared.

If you see something like “was opened,” “is made,” “has been stolen” — chances are it's passive voice.

• Ask: "Who is Doing the Action?"- In passive voice, the doer (subject) may be missing or comes after the verb, often introduced with "by."

Examples:

• The homework was completed by Sarah.
• The windows were broken. (We don't know who did it.)

If the person or thing doing the action isn't clearly stated, it may be passive.

• The subject receives the action- If the subject of the sentence is being acted upon, it’s passive voice.

Examples:

• The cake was eaten by the children.
• → The cake (subject) didn’t do anything—it got eaten.
• The building is being painted.
• → The building receives the action.
• Check for wordiness or formal tone- Passive voice often sounds longer, more formal, or impersonal.

Compare:

• Passive: The results were analyzed by the team.
• Active: The team analyzed the results.
• Look for “By + [Agent]”- In passive sentences, the doer is often introduced with “by.”

Examples:

• The novel was written by the author.
• The song was sung by her.

Not all passive sentences include “by,” but if you see it, check for passive structure.

Conclusion-

Writing effectively and clearly requires an understanding of the distinction between the active and passive voice. Your sentences are clear, powerful, and simple to understand when you use the active voice. It emphasizes the subject performing the action, which is perfect for the majority of writing scenarios, particularly in creative, business, and academic writing. On the other hand, the passive voice is useful when the action itself, rather than the person performing it, should be the primary focus, or when the individual acting is unidentified or meaningless.

The active voice is typically chosen for its clarity and conciseness, even though both voices have a place in the English language. Being able to recognize and modify each voice as well as know when to use it will greatly enhance the accuracy and caliber of your communications.

FAQs on Active and Passive Voice-

Q.1 What is active voice?

Ans- Active voice is when the subject acts as a sentence.

Q.2 What is passive voice?

Ans- Passive voice is when the subject receives the action.

Q.3 Which voice is more commonly used in writing?

Ans- Active voice is more common because it's clearer and more direct.

Q.4 When should you use passive voice?

Ans- Use passive voice when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the action or object.

Q.5 How can you identify passive voice?

Ans- Look for a form of the verb “to be” + past participle, often followed by “by.”

Q.6 Is passive voice incorrect?

Ans- No, passive voice is grammatically correct. It’s just used less frequently in casual or direct writing.

Q.7 Can every active sentence be changed to passive?

Ans- Only transitive verbs (verbs with an object) can be converted to passive voice.

Q.8 Does passive voice affect sentence length?

Ans- Yes, passive sentences are usually longer and may seem more formal or wordy.

Q.9 Why is passive voice common in scientific writing?

Ans- It creates an objective tone by focusing on the action or result rather than the person performing it.

Q.10 How do you convert an active sentence to passive?

Ans- Move the object to the subject’s position, use the correct form of “to be”, and add the past participle of the verb.