Active vs. Passive Voice: Understanding and Mastering Grammatical Voice

Understanding the difference between active and passive voice is crucial for effective communication in English. Mastering these voices allows you to express your ideas with precision, clarity, and impact.

Whether you are a student, a professional, or an English language learner, this guide will provide you with the knowledge and practice you need to confidently use active and passive voice in your writing and speech.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Definition of Active and Passive Voice
3. Active Voice
4. Passive Voice
5. Structural Breakdown
6. Active Voice Structure
7. Passive Voice Structure
8. Types and Categories of Passive Voice
9. Passive Voice with ‘by’ Agent
10. Passive Voice without ‘by’ Agent
11. ‘Get’ Passive
12. Semi-Passive
13. Examples of Active and Passive Voice
14. Simple Tenses
15. Continuous Tenses
16. Perfect Tenses
17. Modal Verbs
18. Usage Rules for Active and Passive Voice
19. When to Use Active Voice
20. When to Use Passive Voice
21. Impersonal Passive
22. Common Mistakes
23. Practice Exercises
24. Exercise 1: Identifying Active and Passive Voice
25. Exercise 2: Converting Active to Passive Voice
26. Exercise 3: Converting Passive to Active Voice
27. Exercise 4: Choosing the Correct Voice
28. Advanced Topics
29. Cleft Sentences and Passive Voice
30. Passive Reporting Verbs
31. FAQ
32. Conclusion

Definition of Active and Passive Voice

Voice in grammar refers to the relationship between the action (verb) and the participants (subject and object) in a sentence. There are two main types of voice in English: active and passive.

Understanding the difference between them is fundamental to constructing clear and effective sentences.

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. The subject is the agent, the one doing the action. Active voice sentences are generally more direct, concise, and easier to understand. They emphasize who or what is performing the action.

Example: The dog chased the ball. (The dog, the subject, performs the action of chasing.)

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed by the verb. The subject is no longer the agent but the recipient of the action. The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb “to be” (is, are, was, were, been, being) plus the past participle of the main verb. The agent (the one performing the action) may be included in a “by” phrase, but it is often omitted.

Example: The ball was chased by the dog. (The ball, the subject, receives the action of being chased.)

Structural Breakdown

The structure of active and passive sentences differs significantly. Understanding these structures will help you identify and construct sentences in each voice.

Active Voice Structure

The basic structure of an active voice sentence is:

Subject + Verb (+ Object/Complement)

• Subject: The noun or pronoun that performs the action.
• Verb: The action word.
• Object/Complement: The noun or pronoun that receives the action (object) or provides more information about the subject (complement).

Examples:

• The chef cooked the meal. (Subject: chef, Verb: cooked, Object: meal)
• She is happy. (Subject: She, Verb: is, Complement: happy)
• They are singing. (Subject: They, Verb: are singing)

Passive Voice Structure

The basic structure of a passive voice sentence is:

Subject + Be (is/are/was/were/been/being) + Past Participle (+ by Agent)

• Subject: The noun or pronoun that receives the action.
• Be Verb: A form of the verb “to be” that agrees with the subject and tense.
• Past Participle: The third form of the verb (e.g., eaten, written, built).
• by Agent (optional): A phrase indicating who or what performed the action.

Examples:

• The meal was cooked by the chef. (Subject: meal, Be Verb: was, Past Participle: cooked, by Agent: by the chef)
• The letter was written. (Subject: letter, Be Verb: was, Past Participle: written)
• Mistakes were made. (Subject: Mistakes, Be Verb: were, Past Participle: made)

Types and Categories of Passive Voice

The passive voice can be categorized based on whether the agent is included and the specific construction used.

Passive Voice with ‘by’ Agent

This type of passive voice explicitly mentions the agent that performed the action using the preposition “by.”

Example: The book was written by J.K. Rowling.

Passive Voice without ‘by’ Agent

This type of passive voice omits the agent. It is used when the agent is unknown, unimportant, obvious, or when the speaker wants to avoid mentioning the agent.

Example: The window was broken. (The agent is unknown or unimportant.)

‘Get’ Passive

Instead of using “be,” the verb “get” can be used to form the passive voice. The ‘get’ passive often implies that the action happened unexpectedly or unintentionally.

Example: He got fired from his job. (Implies something unexpected happened.)

Semi-Passive

Semi-passive constructions use verbs that describe a state resulting from a previous action. They often involve verbs like “be,” “feel,” “look,” “sound,” and “smell.”

Example: The door is locked. (Implies someone locked the door previously, and now it is in a locked state.)

Examples of Active and Passive Voice

The following tables provide examples of active and passive voice in different tenses.

Simple Tenses

This table presents examples of active and passive voice in simple present, simple past, and simple future tenses.

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Simple Present	She writes a letter.	A letter is written by her.
Simple Past	He painted the house.	The house was painted by him.
Simple Future	They will build a bridge.	A bridge will be built by them.
Simple Present	The cat eats fish.	Fish is eaten by the cat.
Simple Past	The students finished the exam.	The exam was finished by the students.
Simple Future	The company will launch a new product.	A new product will be launched by the company.
Simple Present	The gardener waters the plants.	The plants are watered by the gardener.
Simple Past	The wind blew down the tree.	The tree was blown down by the wind.
Simple Future	The government will implement new policies.	New policies will be implemented by the government.
Simple Present	The baker makes bread.	Bread is made by the baker.
Simple Past	The rain damaged the crops.	The crops were damaged by the rain.
Simple Future	The team will win the championship.	The championship will be won by the team.
Simple Present	The teacher explains the lesson.	The lesson is explained by the teacher.
Simple Past	The detective solved the mystery.	The mystery was solved by the detective.
Simple Future	The artist will create a masterpiece.	A masterpiece will be created by the artist.
Simple Present	The children play games.	Games are played by the children.
Simple Past	The fire destroyed the building.	The building was destroyed by the fire.
Simple Future	The scientist will discover a new element.	A new element will be discovered by the scientist.
Simple Present	The mechanic repairs cars.	Cars are repaired by the mechanic.
Simple Past	The earthquake shook the city.	The city was shaken by the earthquake.
Simple Future	The musician will compose a symphony.	A symphony will be composed by the musician.

Continuous Tenses

This table presents examples of active and passive voice in present continuous, past continuous, and future continuous tenses. Note that the future continuous passive is rarely used.

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Present Continuous	She is writing a letter.	A letter is being written by her.
Past Continuous	He was painting the house.	The house was being painted by him.
Future Continuous	They will be building a bridge.	(Rare) A bridge will be being built by them.
Present Continuous	The cat is eating fish.	Fish is being eaten by the cat.
Past Continuous	The students were finishing the exam.	The exam was being finished by the students.
Future Continuous	The company will be launching a new product.	(Rare) A new product will be being launched by the company.
Present Continuous	The gardener is watering the plants.	The plants are being watered by the gardener.
Past Continuous	The wind was blowing down the tree.	The tree was being blown down by the wind.
Future Continuous	The government will be implementing new policies.	(Rare) New policies will be being implemented by the government.
Present Continuous	The baker is making bread.	Bread is being made by the baker.
Past Continuous	The rain was damaging the crops.	The crops were being damaged by the rain.
Future Continuous	The team will be winning the championship.	(Rare) The championship will be being won by the team.
Present Continuous	The teacher is explaining the lesson.	The lesson is being explained by the teacher.
Past Continuous	The detective was solving the mystery.	The mystery was being solved by the detective.
Future Continuous	The artist will be creating a masterpiece.	(Rare) A masterpiece will be being created by the artist.
Present Continuous	The children are playing games.	Games are being played by the children.
Past Continuous	The fire was destroying the building.	The building was being destroyed by the fire.
Future Continuous	The scientist will be discovering a new element.	(Rare) A new element will be being discovered by the scientist.
Present Continuous	The mechanic is repairing cars.	Cars are being repaired by the mechanic.
Past Continuous	The earthquake was shaking the city.	The city was being shaken by the earthquake.
Future Continuous	The musician will be composing a symphony.	(Rare) A symphony will be being composed by the musician.

Perfect Tenses

This table presents examples of active and passive voice in present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses.

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Present Perfect	She has written a letter.	A letter has been written by her.
Past Perfect	He had painted the house.	The house had been painted by him.
Future Perfect	They will have built a bridge.	A bridge will have been built by them.
Present Perfect	The cat has eaten fish.	Fish has been eaten by the cat.
Past Perfect	The students had finished the exam.	The exam had been finished by the students.
Future Perfect	The company will have launched a new product.	A new product will have been launched by the company.
Present Perfect	The gardener has watered the plants.	The plants have been watered by the gardener.
Past Perfect	The wind had blown down the tree.	The tree had been blown down by the wind.
Future Perfect	The government will have implemented new policies.	New policies will have been implemented by the government.
Present Perfect	The baker has made bread.	Bread has been made by the baker.
Past Perfect	The rain had damaged the crops.	The crops had been damaged by the rain.
Future Perfect	The team will have won the championship.	The championship will have been won by the team.
Present Perfect	The teacher has explained the lesson.	The lesson has been explained by the teacher.
Past Perfect	The detective had solved the mystery.	The mystery had been solved by the detective.
Future Perfect	The artist will have created a masterpiece.	A masterpiece will have been created by the artist.
Present Perfect	The children have played games.	Games have been played by the children.
Past Perfect	The fire had destroyed the building.	The building had been destroyed by the fire.
Future Perfect	The scientist will have discovered a new element.	A new element will have been discovered by the scientist.
Present Perfect	The mechanic has repaired cars.	Cars have been repaired by the mechanic.
Past Perfect	The earthquake had shook the city.	The city had been shaken by the earthquake.
Future Perfect	The musician will have composed a symphony.	A symphony will have been composed by the musician.

Modal Verbs

This table presents examples of active and passive voice with modal verbs.

Modal Verb	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Can	She can write a letter.	A letter can be written by her.
Could	He could paint the house.	The house could be painted by him.
Will	They will build a bridge.	A bridge will be built by them.
Should	She should write a letter.	A letter should be written by her.
Must	He must paint the house.	The house must be painted by him.
Might	They might build a bridge.	A bridge might be built by them.
Can	The cat can eat fish.	Fish can be eaten by the cat.
Could	The students could finish the exam.	The exam could be finished by the students.
Will	The company will launch a new product.	A new product will be launched by the company.
Should	The gardener should water the plants.	The plants should be watered by the gardener.
Must	The wind must blow down the tree.	The tree must be blown down by the wind.
Might	The government might implement new policies.	New policies might be implemented by the government.
Can	The baker can make bread.	Bread can be made by the baker.
Could	The rain could damage the crops.	The crops could be damaged by the rain.
Will	The team will win the championship.	The championship will be won by the team.
Should	The teacher should explain the lesson.	The lesson should be explained by the teacher.
Must	The detective must solve the mystery.	The mystery must be solved by the detective.
Might	The artist might create a masterpiece.	A masterpiece might be created by the artist.
Can	The children can play games.	Games can be played by the children.
Could	The fire could destroy the building.	The building could be destroyed by the fire.
Will	The scientist will discover a new element.	A new element will be discovered by the scientist.
Should	The mechanic should repair cars.	Cars should be repaired by the mechanic.

Usage Rules for Active and Passive Voice

Choosing between active and passive voice depends on the context and the intended emphasis. There are specific situations where each voice is more appropriate.

When to Use Active Voice

Use active voice when:

• You want to emphasize the agent (the one performing the action).
• You want to make your writing more direct, clear, and concise.
• You want to create a sense of action and energy.
• The agent is known and important to the context.

Examples:

• The CEO announced the company’s profits. (Emphasizes the CEO’s action)
• The team developed the new software. (Highlights the team’s achievement)

When to Use Passive Voice

Use passive voice when:

• You want to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action rather than the agent.
• The agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
• You want to avoid assigning blame or responsibility.
• You are writing in a scientific or technical context where objectivity is important.

Examples:

• Mistakes were made. (Avoids assigning blame)
• The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment. (Focuses on the experiment, common in scientific writing)
• The road is being repaired. (The agent doing the repair is not important)

Impersonal Passive

The impersonal passive is often used in academic or formal writing, particularly to report opinions, beliefs, or findings in a detached and objective manner. It often involves verbs like “believe,” “say,” “think,” “know,” and “report.”

Examples:

• It is believed that the Earth is round.
• It is said that honesty is the best policy.
• It is known that exercise is beneficial for health.

Common Mistakes

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using active and passive voice:

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
The report was wrote by him.	The report was written by him.	Incorrect past participle (“wrote” instead of “written”).
The cat was chase by the dog.	The cat was chased by the dog.	Incorrect past participle (“chase” instead of “chased”).
She is being please by the gift.	She is being pleased by the gift.	Incorrect past participle (“please” instead of “pleased”).
The food is cook by my mother.	The food is cooked by my mother.	Incorrect past participle (“cook” instead of “cooked”).
The letter was send yesterday.	The letter was sent yesterday.	Incorrect past participle (“send” instead of “sent”).
The car is repair by the mechanic.	The car is repaired by the mechanic.	Incorrect past participle (“repair” instead of “repaired”).
The book was steal from the library.	The book was stolen from the library.	Incorrect past participle (“steal” instead of “stolen”).
Overusing passive voice unnecessarily.	Use active voice for clarity and directness.	Passive voice can make sentences verbose and unclear.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding of active and passive voice with the following exercises.

Exercise 1: Identifying Active and Passive Voice

Identify whether each sentence is in active or passive voice.

Question	Answer
1. The chef prepared the meal.	Active
2. The car was washed by John.	Passive
3. The dog barked loudly.	Active
4. The report was written by the committee.	Passive
5. She sings beautifully.	Active
6. The cake was eaten.	Passive
7. The students are studying hard.	Active
8. The house is being built.	Passive
9. The rain is falling.	Active
10. The window was broken by the wind.	Passive

Exercise 2: Converting Active to Passive Voice

Convert the following active sentences into passive sentences.

Question	Answer
1. The cat caught the mouse.	The mouse was caught by the cat.
2. The teacher graded the exams.	The exams were graded by the teacher.
3. The company launched a new product.	A new product was launched by the company.
4. The artist painted the portrait.	The portrait was painted by the artist.
5. The storm destroyed the city.	The city was destroyed by the storm.
6. The mechanic fixed the car.	The car was fixed by the mechanic.
7. The author wrote the novel.	The novel was written by the author.
8. The gardener planted the flowers.	The flowers were planted by the gardener.
9. The chef prepared the dinner.	The dinner was prepared by the chef.
10. The students submitted the assignments.	The assignments were submitted by the students.

Exercise 3: Converting Passive to Active Voice

Convert the following passive sentences into active sentences.

Question	Answer
1. The letter was written by her.	She wrote the letter.
2. The house was painted by him.	He painted the house.
3. The bridge will be built by them.	They will build the bridge.
4. The car is being repaired by the mechanic.	The mechanic is repairing the car.
5. The cake has been eaten by the children.	The children have eaten the cake.
6. The report was submitted by the team.	The team submitted the report.
7. The song was sung by the choir.	The choir sang the song.
8. The problem was solved by the engineer.	The engineer solved the problem.
9. The movie was directed by the filmmaker.	The filmmaker directed the movie.
10. The plants are watered by the gardener.	The gardener waters the plants.

Exercise 4: Choosing the Correct Voice

Choose the correct voice (active or passive) to complete each sentence.

Question	Answer
1. The new policy _______ (will implement / will be implemented) next year.	will be implemented
2. The students _______ (are writing / are being written) the essays.	are writing
3. The book _______ (was publish / was published) in 2020.	was published
4. The company _______ (develops / is developed) innovative solutions.	develops
5. The project _______ (is completing / is being completed) on time.	is being completed
6. The scientist _______ (discovered/was discovered) a new species.	discovered
7. The food _______ (is preparing/is being prepared) by the chef.	is being prepared
8. The email _______ (sent/was sent) yesterday.	was sent
9. The children _______ (are playing/are being played) in the park.	are playing
10. The report _______ (will review/will be reviewed) by the manager.	will be reviewed

Advanced Topics

For advanced learners, understanding how active and passive voice interact with other grammatical structures can enhance your writing skills.

Cleft Sentences and Passive Voice

Cleft sentences are used to emphasize a particular part of a sentence. They can be combined with the passive voice to create nuanced emphasis.

Example:

• Active: John broke the window.
• Cleft (emphasizing John): It was John who broke the window.
• Cleft with Passive (emphasizing the window): It was the window that was broken by John.

Passive Reporting Verbs

Passive reporting verbs are used to report statements, beliefs, or opinions in a formal and impersonal way. These constructions often begin with “It is said,” “It is believed,” “It is reported,” etc.

Examples:

• It is said that exercise is good for your health.
• It is believed that the economy will improve next year.
• It is reported that the suspect has been arrested.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about active and passive voice:

1. What is the difference between active and passive voice?

   In active voice, the subject performs the action (e.g., The dog chased the ball). In passive voice, the subject receives the action (e.g., The ball was chased by the dog).

2. When should I use passive voice?

   Use passive voice when you want to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action, when the agent is unknown or unimportant, or when you want to avoid assigning blame.

3. Can all active sentences be converted to passive?

   No, only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be converted to passive voice. Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take a direct object) cannot be used in the passive voice.

4. Is it wrong to use passive voice?

   No, it is not inherently wrong, but overuse of passive voice can make your writing unclear and less engaging. Use it strategically when it serves a specific purpose.

5. How do I identify passive voice in a sentence?

   Passive voice sentences contain a form of the verb “to be” (is, are,

   were, was, been, being) plus the past participle of the main verb. Also, look for a “by” phrase indicating the agent, although it may be omitted.

Conclusion

Mastering active and passive voice is essential for effective and versatile writing. By understanding the structures, usage rules, and common mistakes associated with each voice, you can make informed decisions about how to best express your ideas.

Practice the exercises provided in this guide to reinforce your knowledge and improve your ability to use active and passive voice with confidence and precision. Whether you aim to write clear and direct prose or convey information objectively, a solid grasp of grammatical voice will undoubtedly enhance your communication skills.