What Is Active and Passive Voice?

What Is Active and Passive Voice?

Understanding active and passive voice is essential for improving English writing and speaking skills. Both structures describe actions, but they focus on different parts of the sentence.

Explanation of Active and Passive Voice

✔ Active Voice
In active voice, the subject performs the action. This structure makes sentences direct, clear, and engaging.

• Structure: Subject + Verb + Object

• Example: The teacher explains the lesson.

✔ Passive Voice
In passive voice, the focus shifts to the object receiving the action. The subject may be omitted if it's unnecessary or unknown.

• Structure: Object + to be (in the correct tense) + Past Participle (+ by + subject [optional])

• Example: The lesson is explained (by the teacher).

Examples of Active and Passive Voice in Different Tenses

✔ Present Simple

• Active: She writes emails every day.

• Passive: Emails are written every day (by her).

✔ Past Simple

• Active: They watched a movie.

• Passive: A movie was watched (by them).

✔ Future Simple

• Active: He will fix the car.

• Passive: The car will be fixed (by him).

✔ Present Perfect

• Active: She has completed the project.

• Passive: The project has been completed (by her).

✔ Past Continuous

• Active: They were repairing the road.

• Passive: The road was being repaired (by them).

Common Mistakes and Corrections

❌ Incorrect: The book was writing by the author.
✔ Correct: The book was written by the author. (Use "written" instead of "writing.")

❌ Incorrect: The meeting was cancelled the manager.
✔ Correct: The meeting was cancelled by the manager. (Include "by" when mentioning the doer.)

❌ Incorrect: He has being completed the project.
✔ Correct: He has completed the project. (Active voice)
✔ Correct: The project has been completed (by him). (Passive voice – use "been," not "being.")

4 Exercises on Active and Passive Voice

✔ Exercise 1: Convert the following active sentences into passive voice.

1. She prepares breakfast every morning.

2. They are watching a new movie.

3. He wrote a best-selling novel.

4. The manager has approved the application.

✔ Exercise 2: Convert the following passive sentences into active voice.

1. The documents were signed by the CEO.

2. The house was being painted by my father.

3. The test will be completed by the students.

4. A new law has been introduced by the government.

✔ Exercise 3: Identify whether the sentence is in active or passive voice.

1. The emails are being checked by the assistant.

2. The students finished the project on time.

3. The invitations have been sent out.

4. She will write the report.

✔ Exercise 4: Rewrite the sentence in passive voice where appropriate.

1. Someone stole my phone last night.

2. They will announce the winners soon.

3. People speak English in many countries.

4. The police arrested the suspect yesterday.