CLAT UG: Active and Passive Voice

Here are the rules to change active voice into passive voice and vice-versa, especially prepared to help the students who are willing to crack CLAT UG.

“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.”―William Arthur Ward

CLAT UG: Active and Passive Voice

Voice 

Voice is that form of a Verb that shows whether what is denoted by the Subject does something or has something done to it.

Active voice

A verb is in the Active Voice when its form shows that the person or thing denoted by the Subject does something; or, in other words, is the doer of the action. The Active Voice is so-called because the person denoted by the Subject acts.

For example –

(1) Rama helps Hari.

Passive voice

A Verb is in the Passive Voice when its form shows that something is done to the person or thing denoted by the Subject. The Passive Voice is so called because the person or thing denoted by the Subject is not active but passive, that is, suffers or receives some action

For example –

(2) Hari is helped by Rama.

It will be seen that these two sentences(1) and (2) express the same meaning. But in the sentence (1) the form of the Verb shows that the person denoted by the subject does something. Rama (the person denoted by the subject) does something. The Verb helps is said to be in the Active Voice.

In sentence (2) the form of the Verb shows that something is done to the person denoted by the Subject. Something is done to Hari (the person denoted by the Subject.) The Verb helped is said to be in the Passive Voice.

Note the change from the Active Voice to the Passive Voice in the following sentences:-

Active Voice

1. Sita loves Savitri.

2. The mason is building the wall.

3. The peon opened the gate.

4. Some boys were helping the wounded man.

Passive Voice

1. Savitri is loved by Sita.

2. The wall is being built by the mason.

3. The gate was opened by the peon.

4. The wounded man was being helped by some boys.

It will be noticed that when the Verb is changed from the Active Voice to the Passive Voice, the Object of the Transitive Verb in the Active Voice becomes the Subject of the Verb in the Passive Voice.

[Thus in sentence 1, Savitri which is the object of love in the Active Voice, becomes the Subject of is loved in the Passive Voice.] Since the Object of a verb in the active voice becomes the Subject of the passive form, it follows that only Transitive Verbs can be used in the Passive Voice, because an Intransitive Verb has no Object.

General rules of conversion Active Voice to Passive Voice

1. The subject in the active voice becomes the object in the passive voice and the object in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice.

2. Put ‘by’ in front of the subject in the passive voice.

3. Use the 3rd form of the verb + is/ am/ are/ was/ were/ been/ being according to the tense in passive voice.

4. The following pronouns are used in the passive voice:

5. There is no passive voice of present/ past/ future perfect continuous sentences and future continuous.

6. Generally, passive voice can be made of transitive verbs i.e. verbs which have an object attached to them.

Sentences of an intransitive verb cannot be converted into passive voice.

1. They laughed- No passive

2. They laughed at the teacher - The teacher was laughed at by them.

• In the first sentence, there is no object. Thus, it cannot be converted into a passive voice.
• But in the second sentence, ‘teacher’ is the object thus, its passive voice is possible.

General rules of conversion from Passive voice to Active voice

1. The subject of the passive voice becomes an object in the active voice, and the object in the passive voice becomes the subject in the active voice.

2. Remove the preposition ‘by’.

3. Use 1st form of the verb.

Let us understand the conversion from active to passive voice with the verb ‘sing’ in the following forms of tense.

Rules for conversion of interrogative sentences in the Passive Voice

The interrogative sentence starting with:

(a)Is/ am/ are

Passive rule: Is/ am/ are + subject + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Is he writing a letter?

Passive: Is a letter being written by him?

(b)Does/ do

Passive rule: Is/ am/ are + subject + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Does he need a pen?

Passive: Is a pen needed by him?

(c) Did

Passive Voice: was/ were + subject + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Did Ram write a letter?

Passive: Was a letter written by him?

(d) Was/Were

Passive Rule: was/ were + subject + being + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Was she cooking food?

Passive: Was food being cooked by her?

(e) Has/ have/ had

Passive Rule: Has/ have/ had + subject + been + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Has she written a book?

Passive: Has a book been written by him?

(f) Modal auxiliary verb Eg.- may/ can, etc.

Passive Rule: Modal Auxiliary + subject + be + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Can she control the situation?

Passive: Can the situation be controlled by her?

(g) ‘Wh’ words eg. Why, when, where, etc.

Passive Rule: The sentence will start with the ‘wh-word and then convert according to the above rules.

Eg.- Active: Who broke this beautiful glass?

Passive: By whom was this beautiful glass broken?

We do not use an object in passive sentences wherein in active sentences the subject is unknown or is not required to be written i.e. it is understood from the very sentence like someone, somebody, nobody, people, etc.

Eg.- Active: Someone has stolen my watch.

Passive: My watch has been stolen herein object it is no need to write ‘someone’.

Imperative sentences are those sentences that express order, request advice or suggestion.

(a) Order

Passive Rule: let+ subject+ be+ 3rd form of verb

Eg.- Active: shut the window.

Passive: Let the window be shut.

(b) Request

Passive Rule: You are requested + to + 1st form of verb + object.

Eg.- Active: Please open the door.

Passive: You are requested to open the door.

(c) Suggestion

Passive Rule: subject + should be + 3rd form of the verb

Eg.- Active: Always speak the truth.

Passive: The truth should always be spoken.

(d) Advice

Passive Rule: You are advised + to + object

Eg.-Active: Work hard.

Passive: You are advised to work hard.

• The sentences which express the state of mind or feelings we don’t use by in them.
• Sentences starting with ‘there’

Passive Rule: there + be + 3rd form of verb + object

Eg.- Active: There is no milk to waste.

Passive: There is no milk to be wasted.

When verbs that take both a direct and an indirect object in the Active Voice are changed to the Passive, either object may become the subject of the Passive verb, while the other is retained.

Active -- Passive

• The guard refused him admittance. -- Admittance was refused to him by the ground., He was refused admittance by the guard.
  
• Mr Krishnaji teaches us grammar. -- Grammar is taught to us by Mr Krishnaji., We are taught grammar by Mr Krishnaji.
• The manager will give you a ticket. -- A ticket will be given to you by the manager. You will be given a ticket by the manager.
• Who taught you, French? -- By whom was French taught to you?, Who were you taught French by? By whom were you taught, French?
• He handed her a chair. -- A chair was handed to her., She was handed a chair.

An indirect object denotes the person to whom or for whom something is given or done, while a direct object usually denotes a thing. In cases like the above, it is probably more usual for passive constructions to begin with the person.

Note that we use with (not by) to talk about an instrument used by the agent. Compare:

The dog was hit with a stick. (Active Voice: Somebody hit the dog with a stick.)

The dog was hit by a boy. (Active Voice: A boy hit the dog.)

There are a few Transitive verbs which, even in an Active form, are sometimes used in a Passive sense; such as

These mangoes taste sour (i.e., are sour when they are tasted).

The rose smells sweet (i.e., is sweet when it is smelt).

The cakes eat short and crisp (i.e., are short and crisp when they are eaten).

At least the play reads well (i.e., affects the reader well when it is read).

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