ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

INTRODUCTION
In the traditional grammar, the verb form (or voice) in which the subject of
the sentence performs or causes the action expressed by the verb is called
Active voice. Thus, when a verb is in the active voice, the subject of the
sentence is also the doer of the action. Consider the following sentence;
John picked up the bag.
The above sentence is in the active voice because the subject, John, is also
the thing or person doing the action of picking up.
Passive voice is a voice that indicates that the subject is the patient or
recipient (and not the source) of the action denoted by the verb. For
example;
The bag was picked up by John.
The above sentence is in the passive voice because the subject of the
sentence, bag, is the passive receiver of the action.

The Use of by with an agent

In a passive sentence when we mention the agent i.e. the person or thing
doing the action, we use by with the agent (or noun). For example;
Active Voice: Sir John Latton built this house in 1789
Passive Voice: This house was built in 1789 by Sir John Latton.
Active Voice: The attacker had pounced at the woman.
Passive Voice: The woman had been pounced at by the attacker.

Structural Formation of a Passive Sentence

A passive verb is a form of be + a passive participle, e.g. is baked, was worn
etc.
Sometimes we use get in the passive voice instead of be. For example;
Active: Dogs bite lots of postmen.

Passive: Lots of postmen get bitten by dogs.

Active: Last week Laura moved to another department.
Passive: Last week Laura got moved to another department.

The following table helps in understanding the active and passive structures.
Sentence
Simple Present
Present
Continuous
Present Perfect
Simple Past

Active voice
structure
Verb with s/es
Is/am/are+verb
+ing
Has/have+3rd
form of verb
2nd form of verb

Past Continuous

Was/were
+verb+ing

Past Perfect

Had+ 3rd form

of verb
Will/shall +1st
form of verb
Will/shall +
have+ 3rd form
of verb

Simple Future
Future Perfect

Can/may/must

Can/may/must
1st form of verb

Passive voice
Structure
Is/am/are + past
participle (3rd form
of verb)
is/am/are+ being
+ pp
Has/have+been+p
p
Was/were pp

Example
English is
spoken here.

The house is
being painted.
Has he been
told?
He was invited
by his friend.
Was/were+being+ I was being
pp
watched by
them.
Had+been+pp
He had been
forgotten by us.
Will/shall + be+ pp They will be
given a choice.
Will/shall + have+ Everything will
been+ pp
have been
done by next
May.
Can/may/must +
This paper must
be + pp
be taken by the
students.

Thus the passive sentence is formed with the suitable tense of the verb,
paired with be and followed by the past participle.

The Unknown Agent

When we use the passive voice, who or what causes the action is sometimes
unknown or unimportant. Thus we can also omit the words like somebody,

someone, people, etc. if the sentence can easily be understood without them
and also makes sense. For example;
Active Voice: Somebody has smashed the windscreen of my car.
Passive Voice: The windscreen of my car has been smashed.
Active Voice: People dont buy clothes from his shop anymore.
Passive Voice: Clothes are not bought from his shop anymore.
Sometimes we do not need to mention the agent in the passive voice if any
new information is not being given and also if the identity of agent is
understood even without being pointed out. For example;
Active Voice: All our money and passports were stolen. (There is no need to
mention by a thief.)
Active Voice: A man was arrested last night. (There is no need to mention by
the police.)

The Structure of it + verb + clause

In some cases we can use the structure it (or another pronoun) + verb +
clause when we cannot say who the speaker is or when a rumor is being
talked about. For example;
Active Voice: People say that this company is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Passive Voice: It is said that this company is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Active Voice: People believe that he is a fraud.
Passive Voice: He is believed to be a fraud.
The passive voice is typical of an impersonal and formal style that is why we
can often find it in public notices, announcements, instructions or scientific
articles. For example;
Passive Voice: English is spoken in this shop.
Passive Voice: Visitors are not allowed to smoke.
If there are both objects in a sentence, the indirect object becomes the
subject in the passive voice.

Active Voice: My friend sent me a letter.

Passive Voice: I was sent a letter by my friend. (Not: A letter was sent to me
by my friend. This sentence does not sound natural in English.)

The Use of to in Passive Sentence

Sometimes, in the active voice some verbs are followed by the infinitive
without to and when they are changed into the passive we use most such
verbs with the infinitive with to. For Example;
Active Voice: We saw them come.
Passive Voice: They were seen to come.
Active Voice: She made him do it.
Passive Voice: He was made to do it.