ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE

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Barry Newton
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1 ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE When the subject of a sentence does something, i.e. if the subject of a sentence is the doer of some action, we say that the sentence or the verb of that sentence is in Active Voice. When the subject of a sentence does not do anything, i.e. if the subject is not the doer of any action but allows the Object of the preposition to do something to it, we say that the sentence or the verb of that sentence is in PASSIVE VOICE. Difficult to understand. Let s make it easy. The cat killed the rat. Active Voice The cat = subject of the sentence Killed = verb of the sentence The rat = the object of the verb Now, who killed whom? = the cat the subject of the sentence killed the rat the object of the verb. We say that this sentence or the verb of this sentence is in Active Voice because the subject the cat does the killing. Let s see what this sentence is about The rat was killed by the cat. PASSIVE VOICE The rat = subject of the sentence was killed = verb of the sentence the cat = the object of the preposition by Though the rat is actually the subject of the sentence, it is not doing anything but passively allowing the cat which is the object of the preposition by to kill it. As the subject of the sentence does not do anything but allows passively something to be done to it, we say that this sentence or the verb of this sentence is in PASSIVE VOICE. 1

2 Changing Assertive sentences into the passive: 1. To change an Active Voice into Passive, the Verb must be a TRANSITIVE VERB, i.e. the Verb must have, at least, one direct or indirect object because that object becomes the subject of the Passive Voice sentence. me us you him her it them whom I We You He She It They Who 2. The Subject of the Active sentence becomes the Object of the preposition. I We You He She It They Who (by) me (by) us (by) you (by) him (by) her (by) it (by) them (by) whom 2

3 3. Use the form of verb to be (is, are, etc.) between subject and object in the passive voice. 4. Verb should be changed to past participle (3 rd form) 5. Use by before object. 6. Order of the words in Active Voice is changed. Active Voice: Subject + Verb+ Object. [doing action] + [action] + [receiving action]. Shantanu writes a letter. Passive Voice: Object + Helping Verb + Main Verb + By + Subject. [person or thing receiving action] + [be] + [action or past participle of verb] + [by] + [person or thing doing action]. A letter is written by Shantanu. 7. Change of Pronoun: I me We us You you He him She her They them It it 8. Following changes required in each tense. The formula of active voice is a common structure of a sentence; it should consist of subject, verb and object. If we want to change the structure into passive voice, we should change some of the elements in the sentence. The formula both of the voices are shown below: Active voice 3

4 S + V + O + adjective/adverb Examples They punched the thief yesterday. The boy makes toys. Passive voice S + to be + V III + by + O + Adjective/adverb Examples The thief was punched by them yesterday. Toys are made by boys. Now just apply following formulas for different tenses. Tenses Patterns Simple present S+V+O S (Subject) +V(Verb) +O(Object) Am / are / is + Past participle (V III ) give Am / are / is given Present continuous S+ is/am/are+ Ving + O Am / are / is being + Pas participle (V III ) Is/am/are giving am being given Simple past S+V 2 +O Was / were + Past participle (V III ) gave Was/were given Past continuous S+ was/were+ Ving + O Was / were being + Past participle (V III ) 4

5 Was/were giving Was/were being given Present prefect S + have/has + V 3 + O Have / has been + Past participle (V III ) Have/has given Have / has been given Past perfect S + had + V 3 + O Had been + Past participle (V III ) Had given Had been given Will future Shall/will give Will be + Past participle (V III ) Shall be/will be given Future perfect S + will/shall+ have+ V 3 + O Will have been + Past participle (V III ) will/shall have given Will/shall have been given Going to future Am / are / is going to be + Past participle (V 3 ) Modal Auxiliaries Will/shall/can/may/would/should/ Modal + be + past participle could/might/must/ought to, etc. Changing Imperative sentences into the passive: Sentences which express request, order, advice, suggestion, prohibition etc., are called imperative sentences. The imperative sentence in the passive voice has the following structure: Object + V 1 The imperative sentence in the passive voice has the following structure: Let + object + be + past participle(v 3 ) 5

6 Examples: 1. Clean your room. Let your room be cleaned. 2. Complete the work. Let the worked be completed. 3. Learn your lesson. Let your lesson be learnt. 4. Turn off the television. Let the television be tuned off. 5. Bring it home. Let it be brought home. Note:A. When we change imperative sentence into Active to Passive, we should use let for non-living things or other animals except human beings. In case of human beings should is more appropriate. 1. Help the poor. The poor should be helped. 2. Respect your parents. Your parents should be respected. B. We can use order, request, advice, etc only when imperative sentences have intransitive verbs or if the object of sentences is not mentioned. 1. Work hard. (No object) You are advised to work hard. 2. Get out. (No object) You are ordered to get out. 6

7 3. Please lend me some money. You are requested to lend me some money. 4. Go there. You are requested to go there. Sentences begin with Let 1. Let him buy a book. Let a book be bought. 2. Let us forget the bad event. Let the bad event be forgotten. Changing Interrogative sentences into the passive: When interrogative sentences are changed from active to passive, the interrogative character (except do, does or did) of the sentences has to be retained even in the transformed form. Note that who is changed into by whom and whom into who. 1. Do I disturb him? (Active) Is he disturbed by me? (Passive) 2. Who teaches you English? By whom are you taught English? Tenses Simple present Do/does+ S+V+O Does she hate me still? Who/wh -word + S+V(s,es)+O Who teaches you English? Which book do you want? Patterns Is/am/are + O + V 3 + by +S Am I still hated by him? By whom/ wh -word + is/am/are + O + V 3 (by +S) By whom are you taught English? Which book is wanted by you? 7

8 Present continuous Wh -word /Is/am/are + S+Ving + O Is she running behind the bus? Why are you cracking a joke? Wh -word / Is/am/are + O +being + V3+? Is the bus being run behind by her? Why a joke being cracked by you? Simple past Wh-word/did+S+V 1 +O+? Did he make a program with you? Why did he tell you such pathetic story? Past continuous Wh-word/ was/were + S+Ving + O Was he reading the newspaper? Who was accompanying you to the museum? Present prefect Wh -word /have/has + S+V 3 + O? Have you watched the movie? Why has she asked you about this matter? Past perfect Wh -word / had + S+V 3 + O? Had he bought new pencil? Why had she paid no attention to my question? Simple Future Wh-word/Shall/will + S+V+O+? Wh-word/ was/were+o+v3+by+s? Was a program with you made by him? Why were you told such a pathetic story by him? Wh-word/ was/were + O+ being + V3+by+S? Was the newspaper being read by him? By whom, were you being accompanied to the museum? Wh word/ have/has +O+been+V 3 + by+s? Has the movie been watched by you? Why have you been asked about this matter? Wh word/had +O+been+V 3 + by+s? Had new pencil been bought by him? Why had no attention been paid to my question by him? Wh-word/Shall/will + O+be+V 3 +by+o+? 8

9 Will I write a letter? Will a book be written by me? Who will bell the cat? By whom, will the cat be belled? Future perfect wh -word + Shall/will + S+ Wh-word/Shall/will+O+have+been+V 3 +by+o+? have+v 3 + O? Will they have sent the message? Will the message have been sent by them? Why will he have denied the fact? Why the fact have been denied by him? Some other passive constructions: Change the voice in the following sentences: 1. Dr. M.Prince Brigham was putting Dave's case forcefully. Dave's case was being put forcefully by Dr.M.Prince. 2. Together they found a solution. A solution was found by them together. 3. He could not read X rays. X rays could not be read by him. 4. Recording for the Blind celebrated two significant events. Two significant events were celebrated by Recording for the Blind. 5. My doctor advised me to go home. I was advised by my doctor to go home 6. We designed it all into the Mac. It was all designed into the Mac by us. 7. Nature has fashioned me to be short and poor. I have been fashioned by Nature to be short and poor. 8. The tempest tore the branches and uprooted plants. The branches were torn and the plants were uprooted by the tempest. 9. My parents set the foundation of my life. The foundation of my life was set by my parents. 10. The white ants once destroyed them. 9

10 They were once destroyed by the white ants. 11. The spies ignored the sleepy town of Bhubaneshwar. The sleepy town of Bhubaneshwar was ignored by the spies. 12. His mother also joined the others. The others were joined by his mother also. 13. RFB's volunteers taped some 30 volumes for David. Some 30 volumes for David were taped by RFB's volunteers. 14. Together they found a solution. A solution was found by them together. 15. I started a company Next. Next, a company was started by me. 16. Apple bought Next. Next was bought by Apple. 17. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. The lightness of being a beginner replaced the heaviness of being successful. 18. The rose heard her neighbour's words. Her neighbours words were heard by the rose. 19. Nature heard the conversation of the violet and the rose. The conversation of the violet and the rose was heard by nature. 20. My father was given a jeep by the government. The government gave my father a jeep. 21. The jeep's driver was treated with respect (by us). We treated the jeep's driver with respect. 22. We were taught not to call him by his name (by our father). Our father taught us not to call him by his name. 23. She was operated for cataract (by a doctor). A doctor operated her for cataract. 10

11 24. I didn't mind vegetable shopping. Vegetable shopping was not minded by me. 25. He was warned again and again (by people). People warned him again and again. 26. Carter enlisted the support of George Dean. The support of George Dean was enlisted by Carter. 27. Cats stalked him. He was stalked by cats. 28. Every student in South Melbourne planted at least one tree. At least one tree was planted by every student in South Melbourne. 29. Sam was joined by galahas, swallows, cockatoos, silver eyes and predators. Galahas, swallows, cockatoos, silver eyes and predators joined Sam. 30. Residents wrote letters defending Sam. Letters defending Sam were written by residents. 31. The council denied the petition. The petition was denied by the council. 32. He sought a bride. A bride was sought by him. 33. He was struck by a car. A car struck him. 34. Drinking water was provided by quite a few service organizations. Quite a few service organizations provided drinking water. 35. Year after year the monsoon brings floods. Year after year floods are brought by the monsoon. 36. They did a good job. A good job was done by them. 37. Not a single pest was to be seen (by us). We did not see a single pest. 11

12 38. The panchayat promoted milk as an alternative source of income. Milk was promoted as an alternative source of income by the 39. The village also formed its own milk co-operative. Its own milk co-operative was formed by the village also. 40. He was eventually trounced by the goddess. The goddess eventually trounced him. 41. Pilots take no special joy in walking. No special joy is taken by pilots in walking. 42. India carries a historical baggage of caste discrimination. A historical baggage of caste discrimination is carried by India. 43. Community organisations play a major role in decision-making. A major role in decision making is played by community organizations. 44. He is called Hari Puttar in Punjabi (by people). People call him Hari Puttar in Punjabi. 45. The universal appeal of the Harry Potter books has created publishing history. Publishing history has been created by the universal appeal of Harry Potter. 46. She dismisses the Potter phenomenon as part of the dumping down of our culture. The Potter phenomenon is dismissed by her as part of the dumping down of our culture. 47. Money, love and success bring only temporary joy. Only temporary joy is brought by money, love and success. 48. A musician discovers joy when he manages to express himself in his music. Joy is discovered by a musician when he manages to express himself in his music. 49. In 1992, I wrote a book 'Towards Globalisation. A book titled 'Towards Globalisation' was written by me in Some would decry the goal of civilized India. The goal of civilized India would be decried by some. 51. I would ensure healthcare and good education for all. 12

13 Healthcare and good education for all would be ensured by me. 52. Humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly. Ecosystems have been changed more rapidly by humans. 53. Last week, we celebrated the wedding of my daughter. The wedding of my daughter was celebrated by us last week. 54. My generation loosened the shackles of religion. The shackles of religion were loosened by my generation. 55. If we can imagine a future, we can create it. If we can imagine a future, it can be created by us. 56. I did not know you were so fair. It was not known to me that you were so fair. 57. I must leave it more beautiful. It must be left more beautiful by me. 58. I could have overlooked greed. Greed could have been overlooked by me. 59. I still enjoy buying plump, fresh vegetables. Buying plump, fresh vegetables is still enjoyed by me. 60. Let me give you an anecdote. Let an anecdote be given to you by me. 61. Will he write a book? Will a book be written by him? 62. Has he written a novel? Has a novel been written by him? 63. Who gave you this book? By whom was this book given to you? 13

14 64. Who can save our country? By whom can our country be saved? 65. Do you read the book? Is the book read by you? 66. Do you eat rice? Is rice eaten by you? 67. Who eats rice? By whom is rice eaten? 68. Who taught you English? By whom were you taught English? 69. What do you want? What is wanted by you? 14

2. A DESCRIPTION OF TENSES. such as Djuharie and George. Djuhari says Tenses is grammatical category that

2. A DESCRIPTION OF TENSES. such as Djuharie and George. Djuhari says Tenses is grammatical category that 2. A DESCRIPTION OF TENSES 2.1 Definition of Tenses The are many definitions of tenses which are proposed by grammarians, such as Djuharie and George. Djuhari says Tenses is grammatical category that locates