6

Module 42

ENGLISH
USING THE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
OF VERBS

A DepEd-BEAM Distance Learning Program supported by the Australian Agency for International Development

To the Learner
Good day. How did you find your lesson on the present perfect
form of the verb? Did you enjoy doing the activities? Today we will be
learning more about verbs.
Be ready Learner!

Lets Learn This

This module will help you learn about the active and passive voice
of verbs.

Lets Try This

Answer if the subject is the doer of the action and X if it is not.

Look at the example.
X 1. Benjamin Almeda Sr. is regarded as a pioneer inventor.
__________ 2. He persistently pursued his career. ___________ 3. He
devised some household chores.___________ 4. These gadgets can be
easily moved. ___________ 5. They are called portable. __________ 6. A
gigantic tasks of producing a million pairs of shoes was accomplished
by Almeda. ___________ 7. Today, his inventions can be seen almost
anywhere. ___________ 8. His striforator won a diploma of merit.
__________ 9. It was exhibited in the first Inventors Week.___________
10. Our government offers awards for inventors.

Are your answers like these?

( 2. 3. 4. X 5. X 6. X 7. X 8. 9. X 10. )

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Dont worry if you were not able to get the correct answers. This
module will help you learn if the subject does the action or not. We will
learn about active and passive voice of verbs.

Lets Study This

Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow.

A musical is a form of dramatic art that is enjoyed by

many people. It takes a great deal of time and work to
present a musical. Many people are needed to help in many
ways before an important show can go on. Star performers
are chosen to sing the lead parts. A chorus practices often for
group singing. An orchestra plays background music. The
stage crew makes necessary scenery changes.

1. What is a musical?
2. Who are chosen to sing the lead parts?
3. Why are many people needed before an important show can go
on?
4. What good traits do you think do you people doing the show
possess?
Read the sentences taken from the paragraph and take note of
the subject of each sentence?
A
1.
2.
3.
4.

It takes a great deal of time and work to present a musical.

A chorus practices often for group singing.
An orchestra plays background music.
The stage crew makes necessary scenery changes.

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B
1.
2.
3.
4.

A musical is a form of dramatic art.

Many people are needed to help.
Star performers are chosen to sing the lead parts.
A musical is enjoyed by many people.

- Which sentences have subjects which are the doers of the action?
- Which sentences have subjects which are the receivers of the
action?
Sentences in Set A have subjects which are the doers of the
action.
Sentences in Set B have subjects which are the receivers of the
action.

Voice is that quality of a verb which shows whether the

subject is the doer or is the receiver of the action.

A verb is in the active voice when the subject performs the action.
Look at this example:

Benjamin G. Almeda, Sr. invented the striforator.

subject-doer

Who invented the striforator? What is the subject?

The verb is in the passive voice when the subject receives the
action. The verb in the passive voice is made up of the verb be
and the past participle.

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Study the example:

The striforator was invented by Benjamin G. Almeda, Sr.

subject-receiver

What was invented by Benjamin F. Almeda Sr.?

What is the subject?
Regular verbs form their past and past participle in the same wayby adding d or ed to the present form.
Present

Past

Past Participle

look
invent
ask

looked
invented
asked

looked
invented
asked

Irregular verbs form their past and past participle in different

ways.
1.

These irregular verbs have the same form for the present, the
past and the past participle.
Present

Past

Past Participle

burst
put
let

burst
put
let

(have) burst
(have) put
(have) let

2.
These irregular verbs have the same form for the past and past
participle.
Present

Past

Past Participle

bring
make
say

brought
made
said

(have) brought
(have) made
(have) said

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3.

5.

6.

7.

These irregular verbs form the past participle by adding n to the

past.
Present

Past

Past Participle

break
choose
steal

broke
chose
stole

(have) broken
(have) chosen
(have) stolen

These irregular verbs form the past participle by adding n to the

present.
Present

Past

Past Participle

blow
draw
give

blew
drew
gave

(have) blown
(have) drawn
(have) given

These irregular verbs form the past and past participle by

changing a vowel.
Present

Past

Past Participle

begin
drink
ring

began
drank
rang

(have) begun
(have) drunk
(have) rung

These irregular verbs form the past and past participle in other
ways.
Present

Past

Past Participle

come
do
eat
run
wear

came
did
ate
ran
wore

come
done
eaten
run
worn

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Here are other examples.

Active Voice
Doer

Verb

Receiver

1. Engineers

build

roads and bridges.

2. Policemen

maintain

peace and order in our

Community.

Passive Voice
Receiver

Passive Verb

Doer

1. Roads and bridges

are built

by engineers.

2. Peace and order in

our community

are maintained

by policemen.

Lets Do This
A.
Read each sentence. Underline the verb and write if it is in the
active voice or passive voice. Do this on a piece of paper. Look at the
example.
passive

1. The delicious bibingka was cooked by Mother.

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Start here.
__________ 1. That man is called the Good Samaritan.
__________ 2. The pupils answered the questions immediately.
__________ 3. Ninoy Aquino makes us proud to be Filipinos.
__________ 4. The song was written by Nina.
__________ 5. Masdan ang Kapaligiran was composed by Asin.

B.
Identify the sentences which are in the active voice and passive
voice. Write them in the proper columns.
1. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.
2. My mother designed my graduation dress.
3. Lani sang the National Anthem with pride.
4. The bakya is made in Liliw, Laguna.
5. The campaign was started by nature lovers.

Active Voice

Passive Voice

Finished?
Check your answers against the Answer Key.
How much did you get?
If you got 8-10, good job! You may go to the next module.
If you got 7 and below, do the next activity.

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Lets Do More

A.

On your paper, rewrite the sentences into their passive voice.

1. Someone invented a gas-saving device.
2. In Lake Cebu, the Tbolis weave Tnalak.
3. The government awarded the inventor.
4. Joey built a tree house.
5. Mother cooks my favorite food.

B.

Change the sentences into active voice.

Passive Voice

Active Voice

1. Our field trip was sponsored

by the club.
2. Many survivors were rescued
by the fishermen.
3. The new building was built
by volunteers.
4. The museum was visited by
the pupils.
5. The winner was announced
by the Master of Ceremonies.

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Are you done?

Look at the Answer Key again and check your answers.
What your score?
If your score is 8-10, go to the next module.
If its 7 and below, do Lets Test Ourselves.

Lets Remember This

When can sentences be in the active or passive voice?
Sentences are in the active voice if the subject is the
doer of the action. They follow the pattern: doer-active
verb- receiver of the action. These sentences give emphasis
on the doer of the action.
Doer
Father

Active Verb
gathers

Receiver
firewood.

Sentences are in the passive voice if the subject is the

receiver of the action. They follow the pattern: receiverpassive verb-doer (by phrase). A verb in the passive voice is
made up of is/are, was/were, + the past participle.
Receiver
The firewood

Passive Verb
was gathered

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Doer
by Father.

Lets Test Ourselves

A.
Write the correct helping verb that will make the sentence in the
passive voice correct. Select from the verbs inside the box.

is, are

1. Rice __________ eaten by Filipinos.

is, are

2. Grade I-III pupils __________ given one kilo

of rice per day for three months.

was, were

3. Fire __________ put out by the firemen.

was, were

4. In the early days, money __________ buried

under the ground in jars.

was, were

5. Wounded soldiers __________ taken to the

hospital.

B.
Tell whether the sentences are in the active or passive voice. Write
them in the correct blanks.
1. Jezy reads a book before going to bed.
2. The gold medal was won by Ramon.
3. A hunter discovered a cave while hunting.
4. The kid ate the chocolates.
5. The famous adventure novels were written by Robert Louis
Stevenson.

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Active
Voice

Passive Voice

Finished?
Check your answers. Look at the Answer Key.
Whats your score?
Did you get 8-10? If yes, go to the next module.
If you got 7 and below, answer Lets Enrich Ourselves.

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Lets Enrich
Ourselves
Read the paragraph. Group the sentences into active or passive.
Write them in proper boxes.

Mother went to the market. She wanted to buy fruits and

vegetables. She asked the vendor about the price. Mangoes were sold
at P40.00 per kilo. Kangkong and malunggay were priced at P5.00 per
bundle. Mother bought two kilos of mangoes and three bundles of
malunggay. The vendor was paid P95.00 for the mangoes and
malunggay.
PASSIVE

ACTIVE

Finished?
Check your work against the Answer Key.
If you got 5-7, youre good!
If you got 4 and below, review the exercises in this module.

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Answer Key
Lets Do This
A.
passive

1. That man is called the Good Samaritan.

active

2. The pupils answered the questions

immediately.

active

3. Ninoy Aquino makes us proud to be Filipinos.

passive

4. The song was written by Nina.

passive

5. Masdan ang Kapaligiran was composed by

Asin.

B.
Active Voice

Passive Voice

1. Alexander
Graham
invented the telephone.

Bell

4. The bakya is made in Liliw,

Laguna.

2. My mother designed
graduation dress.

my

5. The campaign was started by

nature lovers.

3. Lani sang
the
Anthem with pride.

National

Lets Do More
A.
1. A gas-saving device was invented by someone.

2. In Lake Cebu, the Tnalak was woven by Tbolis.

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3. The inventor was awarded by the government.

4. A tree house was built by Joey.

5. My favorite food was cooked by Mother.

B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The club sponsored our field trip.

The fishermen rescued many survivors.
Volunteers built the new building.
The pupils visited the museum.
The Master of Ceremonies announced the winner.

Lets Test Ourselves

A.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

is
are
was
was
were

B.
Active Voice
1. Jezy reads a book before going to bed.
3.A hunter discovered a cave while hunting.
4. The kid ate the chocolates.
Passive Voice
2. The gold medal was won by Ramon.
5. The famous adventure novels were written by Robert Louis
Stevenson.

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Lets Enrich Ourselves

Mother went to the market.

Mangoes were sold at P40.00

per kilo.

She asked the vendor about the

price.

Kangkong and malunggay were

priced at P5.00 per bundle.

She wanted to buy fruits and

vegetables.

The vendor was paid P95.00 for

the mangoes and malunggay.

Mother bought two kilos of mangoes

and three bundles of malunggay.

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