Active and Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice

Voice in grammar refers to the relationship between the subject of a sentence and the action performed. There are two main voices: active and passive.

Active Voice

In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. The verb is conjugated to agree with the subject.

• Example: The dog chased the cat.

Here, "dog" is the subject and performs the action of "chasing."

Passive Voice

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. The verb is conjugated using a form of "to be" (is, am, are, was, were, be, been, being) and the past participle of the main verb.

• Example: The cat was chased by the dog.

Here, "cat" is the subject and receives the action of "chasing." The verb "was chased" is in the passive voice.

Why use passive voice?

• To emphasize the object: 
• In some cases, you may want to focus on the object of the action rather than the subject.
• To avoid naming the subject: 
• If you don't know or don't want to mention the subject, passive voice can be used.
• To create a more formal tone: 
• Passive voice is often used in academic and scientific writing.

However, overuse of passive voice can make writing dull and impersonal. It's generally better to use active voice whenever possible to create more engaging and direct writing.

Example:

• Active: The teacher gave the students a test.
• Passive: The students were given a test by the teacher.

The active voice version is more direct and engaging.

Steps to Change Active to Passive Voice

1. Identify the subject and verb: In an active sentence, the subject performs the action. The verb is conjugated to agree with the subject.
2. Place the object before the verb: Move the object of the active sentence to the beginning of the passive sentence. This will become the new subject.
3. Use a form of "to be" and the past participle: Add a form of the verb "to be" (is, am, are, was, were, be, been, being) to the sentence. Then, use the past participle of the main verb.
4. Add "by" and the original subject: If you want to indicate who or what performed the action, add "by" followed by the original subject of the active sentence.

Example:

• Active: The dog chased the cat.
• Passive: The cat was chased by the dog.

Steps:

1. Subject: The dog Verb: chased
2. Object: the cat
3. New subject: the cat Verb: was chased (using "was" and the past participle "chased")
4. By phrase: by the dog

TENSE	Verb in Active Voice	Verb in Passive Voice
Simple Present	V1	am/is/are + V3
Simple Past	V2	was/were + V3
Simple Future/Any modal verb	shall/will/can/may/should/would/could/might + V1	shall/will/can/may/should/would/could/might + be + V3
Present Continuous	am/is/are + V+ing	am/is/are + being + V3
Past Continuous	was/were + V +ing	was/were + being + V3
Present Perfect	has/have + V3	has/have + been + V3
Past Perfect	had + V3	had + been + V3