The Form of Active Voice and Passive Voice in Tenses

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. The basic structure of an active voice sentence is:

Subject + Verb + Object

For example:

• The boy kicked the ball.
• The girl ate the apple.
• The man read the book.

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject of a sentence receives the action expressed by the verb. The basic structure of a passive voice sentence is:

Subject + Be + Past Participle of the Verb + By + Object

For example:

• The ball was kicked by the boy.
• The apple was eaten by the girl.
• The book was read by the man.

Forms of Active and Passive Voice in Different Tenses

The following table shows the forms of active and passive voice in different tenses:

When to Use Active Voice and Passive Voice

Active voice is generally more direct and concise than passive voice. However, there are some cases where passive voice is more appropriate:

• When the focus is on the action rather than the doer of the action.
• When the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.
• When the doer of the action is obvious from the context.
• When you want to create a more formal or impersonal tone.

Active voice and passive voice are two important grammatical structures in English. By understanding the forms and uses of active and passive voice, you can improve your writing skills and communicate more effectively.

Common Mistakes while Converting the Voice of a Sentence

When converting the voice of a sentence, there are several common mistakes that people make. These mistakes can lead to confusion and ambiguity in the meaning of the sentence.

1. Using the wrong tense

One of the most common mistakes is using the wrong tense when converting the voice of a sentence. For example, if you want to convert the sentence “The boy kicked the ball” from active voice to passive voice, you would need to use the past participle of the verb “kick” (kicked) and the appropriate form of the verb “to be” (was). The correct passive voice sentence would be “The ball was kicked by the boy.”

2. Using the wrong pronoun

Another common mistake is using the wrong pronoun when converting the voice of a sentence. For example, if you want to convert the sentence “I gave the book to her” from active voice to passive voice, you would need to use the object pronoun “her” as the subject of the passive voice sentence. The correct passive voice sentence would be “The book was given to her by me.”

3. Omitting the preposition

When converting a sentence from active voice to passive voice, it is important to include the preposition that follows the verb in the active voice sentence. For example, if you want to convert the sentence “The cat sat on the mat” from active voice to passive voice, you would need to include the preposition “on” in the passive voice sentence. The correct passive voice sentence would be “The mat was sat on by the cat.”

4. Using an unnecessary object

When converting a sentence from active voice to passive voice, it is important to make sure that the object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence. However, there are some cases where the object of the active voice sentence is not necessary in the passive voice sentence. For example, if you want to convert the sentence “The boy ate the apple” from active voice to passive voice, you would not need to include the object “the apple” in the passive voice sentence. The correct passive voice sentence would be “The apple was eaten by the boy.”

5. Using an ambiguous pronoun

When converting a sentence from active voice to passive voice, it is important to make sure that the pronoun used as the subject of the passive voice sentence is clear and unambiguous. For example, if you want to convert the sentence “The man gave the woman the book” from active voice to passive voice, you could use either “the man” or “the woman” as the subject of the passive voice sentence. However, it would be better to use “the woman” as the subject, since this makes it clear who received the book. The correct passive voice sentence would be “The book was given to the woman by the man.”

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure that your sentences are clear and unambiguous when you convert them from active voice to passive voice.

Characteristics of Voices of Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences are those that express a command, request, advice, or instruction. They are typically identified by the use of the base form of the verb, without the addition of a subject. For example:

• “Sit down!”
• “Please be quiet.”
• “Don’t touch that!”

Characteristics of Voices of Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences can be either active or passive voice.

Active Voice

In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. For example:

• “Sit down!” (You are the one who is sitting down.)
• “Please be quiet.” (You are the one who is being quiet.)

Passive Voice

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action expressed by the verb. For example:

• “Be seated!” (Someone else is sitting you down.)
• “Please remain silent.” (Someone else is making you be quiet.)

Other Characteristics of Imperative Sentences

In addition to voice, imperative sentences can also be classified according to their mood and tone.

Mood

The mood of an imperative sentence is the speaker’s attitude towards the action being expressed. Imperative sentences can be either indicative or subjunctive.

• Indicative mood expresses a fact or a command. For example:

  • “Sit down!”
  • “Please be quiet.”

• Subjunctive mood expresses a wish, a suggestion, or a possibility. For example:

  • “Would you please sit down?”
  • “I suggest you be quiet.”

Tone

The tone of an imperative sentence is the speaker’s emotional attitude towards the action being expressed. Imperative sentences can have a variety of tones, including:

• Commanding tone: expresses a strong command or order. For example:

  • “Sit down!”
  • “Don’t touch that!”

• Requesting tone: expresses a polite request. For example:

  • “Please sit down.”
  • “Would you mind being quiet?”

• Advising tone: expresses a suggestion or advice. For example:

  • “I suggest you sit down.”
  • “You should be quiet.”

Imperative sentences are a powerful tool for expressing commands, requests, advice, and instructions. By understanding the different characteristics of imperative sentences, you can use them effectively to communicate your message clearly and effectively.

Passive Voice in Infinitive Verbs

Infinitive verbs are verbs that are not conjugated and are usually preceded by the word “to.” They can be used in both active and passive voice.

Active Voice

In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb. For example:

• The boy kicked the ball.

Passive Voice

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb. For example:

• The ball was kicked by the boy.

Passive Voice with Infinitive Verbs

Infinitive verbs can be used in passive voice by adding the word “to be” before the infinitive verb. For example:

• The ball is to be kicked by the boy.

Rules for Forming Passive Voice with Infinitive Verbs

There are a few rules to follow when forming passive voice with infinitive verbs:

• The subject of the sentence must be in the objective case.
• The verb “to be” must be in the correct tense.
• The infinitive verb must be in the passive voice form.

Examples of Passive Voice with Infinitive Verbs

Here are some examples of passive voice with infinitive verbs:

• The book is to be read by the student.
• The car is to be washed by the mechanic.
• The house is to be built by the contractor.

Passive voice with infinitive verbs can be used to express a variety of ideas. They are often used when the focus of the sentence is on the action being performed rather than the person or thing performing the action.

Points to Remember while converting the Voice of a sentence

1. Subject and Object

• In active voice, the subject performs the action, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action.
• The subject of an active voice sentence becomes the object of the passive voice sentence, and the object of an active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.

2. Verb Tense

• The verb in an active voice sentence is in the active voice form, while the verb in a passive voice sentence is in the passive voice form.
• The passive voice is formed by using a form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, be, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

3. Sentence Structure

• Active voice sentences have a subject-verb-object structure, while passive voice sentences have a subject-verb-object-by structure.
• The “by” phrase in a passive voice sentence indicates who or what performed the action.

4. Emphasis

• Active voice sentences emphasize the doer of the action, while passive voice sentences emphasize the receiver of the action.
• Active voice sentences are generally more concise and direct than passive voice sentences.

5. When to Use Passive Voice

• Passive voice should be used when the focus is on the receiver of the action or when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.
• Passive voice can also be used to create a more formal or impersonal tone.

6. Examples

• Active voice: The dog chased the cat.

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

• Active voice: She wrote a letter.

• Passive voice: A letter was written by her.

• Active voice: They are building a new house.

• Passive voice: A new house is being built by them.

Active and Passive voice examples with answers:

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action.

Examples:

• The boy kicked the ball.
• The girl ate the apple.
• The man read the book.

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action.

Examples:

• The ball was kicked by the boy.
• The apple was eaten by the girl.
• The book was read by the man.

How to Change from Active to Passive Voice

To change a sentence from active to passive voice, follow these steps:

1. Make the object of the active voice sentence the subject of the passive voice sentence.
2. Change the verb to the past participle form.
3. Add the appropriate form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, or been).
4. Add “by” followed by the agent of the action (the person or thing that performed the action).

Examples:

• Active voice: The boy kicked the ball.

• Passive voice: The ball was kicked by the boy.

• Active voice: The girl ate the apple.

• Passive voice: The apple was eaten by the girl.

• Active voice: The man read the book.

• Passive voice: The book was read by the man.

When to Use Active and Passive Voice

Active voice is generally more concise and direct than passive voice. However, there are some cases where passive voice can be more effective.

For example, passive voice can be used to:

• Emphasize the object of the sentence.
• De-emphasize the agent of the action.
• Create a more formal or objective tone.

Examples:

• Active voice: The boy kicked the ball.
• Passive voice: The ball was kicked by the boy.

In the first sentence, the emphasis is on the boy who kicked the ball. In the second sentence, the emphasis is on the ball that was kicked.

• Active voice: The girl ate the apple.
• Passive voice: The apple was eaten by the girl.

In the first sentence, the emphasis is on the girl who ate the apple. In the second sentence, the emphasis is on the apple that was eaten.

• Active voice: The man read the book.
• Passive voice: The book was read by the man.

In the first sentence, the emphasis is on the man who read the book. In the second sentence, the emphasis is on the book that was read.

Active and passive voice are two important grammatical concepts that can be used to create different effects in writing. By understanding the difference between active and passive voice, you can choose the best voice for your writing.

Voices English Grammar FAQs

What are the different voices in English grammar?

There are two voices in English grammar: active voice and passive voice.

What is active voice?

In active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action.

Example: The dog chased the cat.

What is passive voice?

In passive voice, the subject of a sentence receives the action.

Example: The cat was chased by the dog.

When should I use active voice?

Active voice is generally preferred because it is more concise and direct.

When should I use passive voice?

Passive voice can be used to:

• Emphasize the object of a sentence.
• De-emphasize the subject of a sentence.
• Avoid naming the person or thing that performed the action.

How do I change a sentence from active voice to passive voice?

To change a sentence from active voice to passive voice, follow these steps:

1. Make the object of the active voice sentence the subject of the passive voice sentence.
2. Change the verb to the past participle form.
3. Add the helping verb “be” in the appropriate tense.

Example:

Active voice: The dog chased the cat.

Passive voice: The cat was chased by the dog.

What are some common mistakes people make with voice?

Some common mistakes people make with voice include:

• Using passive voice when active voice is more appropriate.
• Using active voice when passive voice is more appropriate.
• Misusing the helping verb “be” in passive voice sentences.

How can I improve my use of voice?

You can improve your use of voice by:

• Practicing writing sentences in both active and passive voice.
• Paying attention to the voice of the sentences you read.
• Asking a grammar expert for help if you are unsure of which voice to use.