Understanding the active and passive voice is crucial for effective communication in English. Mastering these grammatical structures allows you to write and speak with clarity, precision, and stylistic variety.
Whether you’re an ESL student, a seasoned writer, or simply looking to improve your grammar skills, this comprehensive guide will provide you with a solid understanding of the active and passive voice, complete with examples, exercises, and advanced topics.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Definition of Active and Passive Voice
- Structural Breakdown
- Types and Categories of Passive Voice
- Examples
- Usage Rules
- Common Mistakes
- Practice Exercises
- Advanced Topics
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Definition of Active and Passive Voice
The active voice indicates that the subject of the sentence performs the action. It’s direct and clear, emphasizing the doer of the action. In contrast, the passive voice indicates that the subject receives the action. The emphasis shifts from the doer to the receiver of the action. Understanding the difference between these two voices is paramount for constructing grammatically correct and stylistically appropriate sentences.
In active sentences, the subject is the agent, while in passive sentences, the subject is the recipient of the action. The choice between active and passive voice depends on the desired emphasis and the context of the sentence.
The active voice tends to be more concise and direct, whereas the passive voice can be useful when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or to maintain a certain tone.
Structural Breakdown
Active Voice Structure
The basic structure of an active voice sentence follows the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order. The subject performs the action, the verb expresses the action, and the object receives the action.
Structure: Subject + Verb + (Object)
Examples:
- The cat chased the mouse. (Subject: cat, Verb: chased, Object: mouse)
- She sings beautifully. (Subject: She, Verb: sings)
- They are building a new house. (Subject: They, Verb: are building, Object: a new house)
Passive Voice Structure
The passive voice inverts the active voice structure. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
A form of the auxiliary verb “be” is used, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Often, the original subject (the actor) is introduced with the preposition “by,” but this is not always necessary.
Structure: Subject + Be + Past Participle + (by + Agent)
Examples:
- The mouse was chased by the cat. (Subject: mouse, Verb: was chased, Agent: cat)
- The song is sung beautifully by her. (Subject: song, Verb: is sung, Agent: her)
- A new house is being built by them. (Subject: A new house, Verb: is being built, Agent: them)
Types and Categories of Passive Voice
Passive Voice with ‘by’ Phrase
This is the most common form of the passive voice, where the agent (the person or thing performing the action) is explicitly mentioned using the preposition “by.” This form is used when it’s important to know who or what performed the action.
Example: The book was written by Jane Austen.
Passive Voice without ‘by’ Phrase
In many cases, the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context. In such cases, the “by” phrase is omitted.
This form is often used in scientific writing, news reports, and formal contexts.
Example: The window was broken. (It’s not important or known who broke it.)
‘Get’ Passive
Instead of using “be,” the verb “get” can be used to form the passive voice. The ‘get’ passive is more informal and often implies that something happened unexpectedly or unintentionally.
Example: He got fired from his job. (Implies it was unexpected or unfortunate)
Passive Reporting Verbs
Certain verbs, like “say,” “believe,” “think,” and “report,” are often used in the passive voice to report opinions or beliefs in a more formal or impersonal way.
Example: It is said that the company is going bankrupt.
Examples
The following tables provide examples of active and passive voice in different tenses.
Simple Present Examples
This table illustrates the conversion between active and passive voice in the simple present tense. The active voice describes habitual actions or general truths, while the passive voice emphasizes the receiver of the action.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| She writes letters. | Letters are written by her. |
| The dog chases the ball. | The ball is chased by the dog. |
| They build houses. | Houses are built by them. |
| He eats apples. | Apples are eaten by him. |
| We clean the house. | The house is cleaned by us. |
| The sun rises in the east. | (No Passive Form – Intransitive Verb) |
| She sells seashells. | Seashells are sold by her. |
| He drives a car. | A car is driven by him. |
| They watch movies. | Movies are watched by them. |
| We drink coffee. | Coffee is drunk by us. |
| She plays the piano. | The piano is played by her. |
| The chef cooks delicious meals. | Delicious meals are cooked by the chef. |
| The teacher teaches students. | Students are taught by the teacher. |
| The gardener waters the plants. | The plants are watered by the gardener. |
| The artist paints portraits. | Portraits are painted by the artist. |
| The baker bakes bread. | Bread is baked by the baker. |
| The mechanic fixes cars. | Cars are fixed by the mechanic. |
| The writer writes books. | Books are written by the writer. |
| The singer sings songs. | Songs are sung by the singer. |
| The programmer writes code. | Code is written by the programmer. |
| The doctor treats patients. | Patients are treated by the doctor. |
| The lawyer defends clients. | Clients are defended by the lawyer. |
| The police officer enforces the law. | The law is enforced by the police officer. |
| The judge makes decisions. | Decisions are made by the judge. |
| The referee controls the game. | The game is controlled by the referee. |
| The manager manages the team. | The team is managed by the manager. |
| The supervisor oversees the work. | The work is overseen by the supervisor. |
Simple Past Examples
This table provides examples of sentences in the simple past tense, both in active and passive voice. The simple past is used to describe actions that were completed in the past.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| She wrote a letter. | A letter was written by her. |
| The dog chased the ball. | The ball was chased by the dog. |
| They built a house. | A house was built by them. |
| He ate an apple. | An apple was eaten by him. |
| We cleaned the house. | The house was cleaned by us. |
| She sold seashells. | Seashells were sold by her. |
| He drove a car. | A car was driven by him. |
| They watched a movie. | A movie was watched by them. |
| We drank coffee. | Coffee was drunk by us. |
| She played the piano. | The piano was played by her. |
| The chef cooked a delicious meal. | A delicious meal was cooked by the chef. |
| The teacher taught the students. | The students were taught by the teacher. |
| The gardener watered the plants. | The plants were watered by the gardener. |
| The artist painted a portrait. | A portrait was painted by the artist. |
| The baker baked bread. | Bread was baked by the baker. |
| The mechanic fixed the car. | The car was fixed by the mechanic. |
| The writer wrote a book. | A book was written by the writer. |
| The singer sang a song. | A song was sung by the singer. |
| The programmer wrote code. | Code was written by the programmer. |
| The doctor treated the patient. | The patient was treated by the doctor. |
| The lawyer defended the client. | The client was defended by the lawyer. |
| The police officer enforced the law. | The law was enforced by the police officer. |
| The judge made a decision. | A decision was made by the judge. |
| The referee controlled the game. | The game was controlled by the referee. |
| The manager managed the team. | The team was managed by the manager. |
| The supervisor oversaw the work. | The work was overseen by the supervisor. |
| The student answered the question. | The question was answered by the student. |
| The child broke the toy. | The toy was broken by the child. |
Simple Future Examples
This table showcases the active and passive voice in the simple future tense. The simple future describes actions that will happen in the future.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| She will write a letter. | A letter will be written by her. |
| The dog will chase the ball. | The ball will be chased by the dog. |
| They will build a house. | A house will be built by them. |
| He will eat an apple. | An apple will be eaten by him. |
| We will clean the house. | The house will be cleaned by us. |
| She will sell seashells. | Seashells will be sold by her. |
| He will drive a car. | A car will be driven by him. |
| They will watch a movie. | A movie will be watched by them. |
| We will drink coffee. | Coffee will be drunk by us. |
| She will play the piano. | The piano will be played by her. |
| The chef will cook a delicious meal. | A delicious meal will be cooked by the chef. |
| The teacher will teach the students. | The students will be taught by the teacher. |
| The gardener will water the plants. | The plants will be watered by the gardener. |
| The artist will paint a portrait. | A portrait will be painted by the artist. |
| The baker will bake bread. | Bread will be baked by the baker. |
| The mechanic will fix the car. | The car will be fixed by the mechanic. |
| The writer will write a book. | A book will be written by the writer. |
| The singer will sing a song. | A song will be sung by the singer. |
| The programmer will write code. | Code will be written by the programmer. |
| The doctor will treat the patient. | The patient will be treated by the doctor. |
| The lawyer will defend the client. | The client will be defended by the lawyer. |
| The police officer will enforce the law. | The law will be enforced by the police officer. |
| The judge will make a decision. | A decision will be made by the judge. |
| The referee will control the game. | The game will be controlled by the referee. |
| The manager will manage the team. | The team will be managed by the manager. |
| The supervisor will oversee the work. | The work will be overseen by the supervisor. |
| The student will answer the question. | The question will be answered by the student. |
| The child will break the toy. | The toy will be broken by the child. |
Present Continuous Examples
This table demonstrates the use of active and passive voice in the present continuous tense. The present continuous is used to describe actions that are happening now or around now.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| She is writing a letter. | A letter is being written by her. |
| The dog is chasing the ball. | The ball is being chased by the dog. |
| They are building a house. | A house is being built by them. |
| He is eating an apple. | An apple is being eaten by him. |
| We are cleaning the house. | The house is being cleaned by us. |
| She is selling seashells. | Seashells are being sold by her. |
| He is driving a car. | A car is being driven by him. |
| They are watching a movie. | A movie is being watched by them. |
| We are drinking coffee. | Coffee is being drunk by us. |
| She is playing the piano. | The piano is being played by her. |
| The chef is cooking a delicious meal. | A delicious meal is being cooked by the chef. |
| The teacher is teaching the students. | The students are being taught by the teacher. |
| The gardener is watering the plants. | The plants are being watered by the gardener. |
| The artist is painting a portrait. | A portrait is being painted by the artist. |
| The baker is baking bread. | Bread is being baked by the baker. |
| The mechanic is fixing the car. | The car is being fixed by the mechanic. |
| The writer is writing a book. | A book is being written by the writer. |
| The singer is singing a song. | A song is being sung by the singer. |
| The programmer is writing code. | Code is being written by the programmer. |
| The doctor is treating the patient. | The patient is being treated by the doctor. |
| The lawyer is defending the client. | The client is being defended by the lawyer. |
| The police officer is enforcing the law. | The law is being enforced by the police officer. |
| The judge is making a decision. | A decision is being made by the judge. |
| The referee is controlling the game. | The game is being controlled by the referee. |
| The manager is managing the team. | The team is being managed by the manager. |
| The supervisor is overseeing the work. | The work is being overseen by the supervisor. |
| The student is answering the question. | The question is being answered by the student. |
| The child is breaking the toy. | The toy is being broken by the child. |
Past Continuous Examples
This table provides examples of sentences in the past continuous tense, both in active and passive voice. The past continuous is used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| She was writing a letter. | A letter was being written by her. |
| The dog was chasing the ball. | The ball was being chased by the dog. |
| They were building a house. | A house was being built by them. |
| He was eating an apple. | An apple was being eaten by him. |
| We were cleaning the house. | The house was being cleaned by us. |
| She was selling seashells. | Seashells were being sold by her. |
| He was driving a car. | A car was being driven by him. |
| They were watching a movie. | A movie was being watched by them. |
| We were drinking coffee. | Coffee was being drunk by us. |
| She was playing the piano. | The piano was being played by her. |
| The chef was cooking a delicious meal. | A delicious meal was being cooked by the chef. |
| The teacher was teaching the students. | The students were being taught by the teacher. |
| The gardener was watering the plants. | The plants were being watered by the gardener. |
| The artist was painting a portrait. | A portrait was being painted by the artist. |
| The baker was baking bread. | Bread was being baked by the baker. |
| The mechanic was fixing the car. | The car was being fixed by the mechanic. |
| The writer was writing a book. | A book was being written by the writer. |
| The singer was singing a song. | A song was being sung by the singer. |
| The programmer was writing code. | Code was being written by the programmer. |
| The doctor was treating the patient. | The patient was being treated by the doctor. |
| The lawyer was defending the client. | The client was being defended by the lawyer. |
| The police officer was enforcing the law. | The law was being enforced by the police officer. |
| The judge was making a decision. | A decision was being made by the judge. |
| The referee was controlling the game. | The game was being controlled by the referee. |
| The manager was managing the team. | The team was being managed by the manager. |
| The supervisor was overseeing the work. | The work was being overseen by the supervisor. |
| The student was answering the question. | The question was being answered by the student. |
| The child was breaking the toy. | The toy was being broken by the child. |
Usage Rules
When to Use Active Voice
The active voice should be used in most situations because it is direct, clear, and concise. It emphasizes the doer of the action, making the sentence more engaging and easier to understand.
Use active voice when:
- You want to emphasize the person or thing performing the action.
- You want to make your writing more direct and engaging.
- You want to avoid ambiguity.
- The actor is more important than the action itself.
When to Use Passive Voice
The passive voice is useful in specific situations where the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the action itself. Use passive voice when:
- The actor is unknown or irrelevant.
Example: The window was broken. - You want to emphasize the action rather than the actor.
Example: Mistakes were made. - You want to avoid assigning blame or responsibility.
Example: The error was discovered. - You are writing in a formal or scientific style.
Example: The experiment was conducted.
Exceptions and Special Cases
Some situations dictate the use of one voice over the other, even if it seems counterintuitive. For instance, in scientific writing, the passive voice is often preferred to maintain objectivity.
Additionally, some verbs are rarely used in the passive voice, such as intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take an object).
Common Mistakes
One common mistake is using the passive voice unnecessarily, leading to wordy and unclear sentences. Another mistake is using the wrong form of the auxiliary verb “be” or the past participle.
Finally, forgetting to include “by + agent” when it’s important to identify the actor is also a frequent error.
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| The report was written by. | The report was written. (If the writer is unknown or unimportant) or The report was written by John. |
| Mistakes were make. | Mistakes were made. |
| The cat was chased. (omitting important information) | The cat was chased by the dog. (If it’s important to know who chased the cat) |
| The letter is write by her. | The letter is written by her. |
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Identifying Active and Passive Voice
Identify whether the following sentences are in active or passive voice.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. The chef cooked the meal. | Active |
| 2. The meal was cooked by the chef. | Passive |
| 3. She is reading a book. | Active |
| 4. The book is being read by her. | Passive |
| 5. They built the house. | Active |
| 6. The house was built by them. | Passive |
| 7. He sings a song. | Active |
| 8. A song is sung by him. | Passive |
| 9. We are cleaning the car. | Active |
| 10. The car is being cleaned by us. | Passive |
Exercise 2: Converting Active to Passive Voice
Convert the following active sentences to passive voice.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. The dog chased the ball. | The ball was chased by the dog. |
| 2. She wrote a letter. | A letter was written by her. |
| 3. They are building a house. | A house is being built by them. |
| 4. He eats apples. | Apples are eaten by him. |
| 5. We clean the house. | The house is cleaned by us. |
| 6. The cat drank the milk. | The milk was drunk by the cat. |
| 7. The teacher graded the papers. | The papers were graded by the teacher. |
| 8. The gardener watered the flowers. | The flowers were watered by the gardener. |
| 9. The artist painted the picture. | The picture was painted by the artist. |
| 10. The baker baked the bread. | The bread was baked by the baker. |
Exercise 3: Converting Passive to Active Voice
Convert the following passive sentences to active voice.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. The ball was chased by the dog. | The dog chased the ball. |
| 2. A letter was written by her. | She wrote a letter. |
| 3. A house is being built by them. | They are building a house. |
| 4. Apples are eaten by him. | He eats apples. |
| 5. The house is cleaned by us. | We clean the house. |
| 6. The milk was drunk by the cat. | The cat drank the milk. |
| 7. The papers were graded by the teacher. | The teacher graded the papers. |
| 8. The flowers were watered by the gardener. | The gardener watered the flowers. |
| 9. The picture was painted by the artist. | The artist painted the picture. |
| 10. The bread was baked by the baker. | The baker baked the bread. |
Exercise 4: Choosing the Correct Voice
Choose the correct voice (active or passive) for the following sentences.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. The report (was written / wrote) by the committee. | was written |
| 2. The committee (wrote / was written) the report. | wrote |
| 3. The window (was broken / broke) last night. | was broken |
| 4. Someone (broke / was broken) the window last night. | broke |
| 5. The new policy (will be implemented / will implement) next month. | will be implemented |
| 6. The company (will implement / will be implemented) the new policy next month. | will implement |
| 7. The cake (was eaten / ate) quickly. | was eaten |
| 8. The children (ate / were eaten) the cake quickly. | ate |
| 9. The problem (is being solved / is solving) by the team. | is being solved |
| 10. The team (is solving / is being solved) the problem. | is solving |
Advanced Topics
Cleft Sentences
Cleft sentences are complex sentence structures used to emphasize a specific part of a sentence. They often use a form of “be” followed by “that” and can involve passive constructions to shift focus.
For example, instead of saying “John broke the vase,” you could say “It was John who broke the vase” or “It was the vase that was broken by John,” each emphasizing different aspects of the event. Cleft sentences offer a sophisticated way to manipulate sentence structure for emphasis.
Pseudo-Passive
Pseudo-passive constructions involve verbs that appear in the passive voice but function more like adjectives describing the state of the subject. These verbs
are often related to emotions or states of being.
For instance, “He is worried” uses a form of “be” + past participle (“worried”), but it describes his current emotional state rather than an action being performed on him. Understanding pseudo-passive constructions helps to differentiate them from true passive voice and use them appropriately.
FAQ
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”).
When should I use passive voice?
Use passive voice when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the action rather than the actor.
How do I convert a sentence from active to passive voice?
Identify the subject, verb, and object in the active sentence. The object becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
Use a form of “be” + past participle of the verb, and add “by + agent” if necessary.
What are common mistakes to avoid when using active and passive voice?
Avoid using passive voice unnecessarily, using the wrong form of “be,” and omitting “by + agent” when it’s important.
Is it always better to use active voice?
While active voice is generally preferred for clarity and directness, passive voice has its uses in specific situations where the actor is unknown or the emphasis is on the action.
Can all active sentences be converted to passive?
No, only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be converted to passive voice. Intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive voice.
What is the ‘get’ passive?
The ‘get’ passive uses “get” instead of “be” to form the passive voice. It’s more informal and often implies something happened unexpectedly or unintentionally.
What are passive reporting verbs?
Passive reporting verbs are verbs like “say,” “believe,” “think,” and “report” used in the passive voice to report opinions or beliefs formally or impersonally.
How does the passive voice affect the tone of a sentence?
The passive voice can make a sentence sound more formal, objective, or impersonal. It can also soften the impact of negative information by removing the actor.
Are there any specific writing styles where passive voice is more common?
Yes, passive voice is more common in scientific writing, news reports, and formal contexts where objectivity and emphasis on the action are important.
Conclusion
Mastering the active and passive voice is an essential skill for effective communication. By understanding the structures, rules, and nuances of each voice, you can write and speak with greater clarity, precision, and stylistic flexibility.
Whether you’re crafting a formal report, telling a story, or simply engaging in everyday conversation, the ability to choose the appropriate voice will significantly enhance your ability to convey your message effectively. Keep practicing and experimenting with both voices to refine your skills and become a more confident and effective communicator.