Complete bilingual study notes for Voice — every concept explained step by step, with definitions, formulas, and worked examples.
Voice — Complete Grammar Guide
What is Voice?
Voice shows whether the subject of the sentence does the action or receives the action. There are two types of voice: Active Voice and Passive Voice.
Active Voice: The subject does the action.
Example: Ram writes a letter. (Ram is the doer.)
Passive Voice: The subject receives the action.
Example: A letter is written by Ram. (A letter receives the action.)
Why Do We Use Passive Voice?
We use the Passive Voice when we want to focus on the action or the receiver of the action rather than the doer. Sometimes the doer is unknown, unimportant or obvious. In the SEE examination, students are frequently asked to change sentences from Active to Passive and from Passive to Active. Mastering the structures of different tenses is essential for full marks.
- When the doer is unknown or unimportant
- When we want to emphasize the action or the object
- In formal writing, news reports and scientific descriptions
- It is a major grammar topic in SEE English
Basic Structure of Passive Voice
Object of the Active sentence + form of “be” + Past Participle (V3) + (by + subject of the Active sentence)
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|
| Subject + Verb + Object | Object + be + V3 + (by + Subject) |
| Ram writes a letter. | A letter is written by Ram. |
| She is reading a book. | A book is being read by her. |
Tense-wise Passive Structures
1. Present Simple
| Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + V1(s/es) + Object | Object + is/am/are + V3 + (by + Subject) | She writes a letter. → A letter is written by her. |
| Negative | Subject + do/does not + V1 + Object | Object + is/am/are + not + V3 + (by + Subject) | She does not write a letter. → A letter is not written by her. |
| Question | Do/Does + Subject + V1 + Object? | Is/Am/Are + Object + V3 + (by + Subject)? | Does she write a letter? → Is a letter written by her? |
2. Present Continuous
| Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + is/am/are + Ving + Object | Object + is/am/are + being + V3 + (by + Subject) | She is writing a letter. → A letter is being written by her. |
| Negative | Subject + is/am/are + not + Ving + Object | Object + is/am/are + not + being + V3 | She is not writing a letter. → A letter is not being written by her. |
| Question | Is/Am/Are + Subject + Ving + Object? | Is/Am/Are + Object + being + V3? | Is she writing a letter? → Is a letter being written by her? |
3. Present Perfect
| Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + has/have + V3 + Object | Object + has/have + been + V3 + (by + Subject) | She has written a letter. → A letter has been written by her. |
| Negative | Subject + has/have + not + V3 + Object | Object + has/have + not + been + V3 | She has not written a letter. → A letter has not been written by her. |
| Question | Has/Have + Subject + V3 + Object? | Has/Have + Object + been + V3? | Has she written a letter? → Has a letter been written by her? |
4. Past Simple
| Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + V2 + Object | Object + was/were + V3 + (by + Subject) | She wrote a letter. → A letter was written by her. |
| Negative | Subject + did not + V1 + Object | Object + was/were + not + V3 | She did not write a letter. → A letter was not written by her. |
| Question | Did + Subject + V1 + Object? | Was/Were + Object + V3? | Did she write a letter? → Was a letter written by her? |
5. Past Continuous
| Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + was/were + Ving + Object | Object + was/were + being + V3 + (by + Subject) | She was writing a letter. → A letter was being written by her. |
| Negative | Subject + was/were + not + Ving + Object | Object + was/were + not + being + V3 | She was not writing a letter. → A letter was not being written by her. |
| Question | Was/Were + Subject + Ving + Object? | Was/Were + Object + being + V3? | Was she writing a letter? → Was a letter being written by her? |
6. Past Perfect
| Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + had + V3 + Object | Object + had + been + V3 + (by + Subject) | She had written a letter. → A letter had been written by her. |
| Negative | Subject + had + not + V3 + Object | Object + had + not + been + V3 | She had not written a letter. → A letter had not been written by her. |
| Question | Had + Subject + V3 + Object? | Had + Object + been + V3? | Had she written a letter? → Had a letter been written by her? |
7. Future Simple (will)
| Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + will + V1 + Object | Object + will + be + V3 + (by + Subject) | She will write a letter. → A letter will be written by her. |
| Negative | Subject + will not + V1 + Object | Object + will not + be + V3 | She will not write a letter. → A letter will not be written by her. |
| Question | Will + Subject + V1 + Object? | Will + Object + be + V3? | Will she write a letter? → Will a letter be written by her? |
8. Future Perfect
| Form | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + will have + V3 + Object | Object + will have + been + V3 | She will have written a letter. → A letter will have been written by her. |
| Negative | Subject + will not have + V3 + Object | Object + will not have + been + V3 | She will not have written a letter. → A letter will not have been written by her. |
| Question | Will + Subject + have + V3 + Object? | Will + Object + have + been + V3? | Will she have written a letter? → Will a letter have been written by her? |
Passive with Modal Verbs
Structure: Modal + be + V3
| Active | Passive |
|---|
| She can write a letter. | A letter can be written by her. |
| He must finish the work. | The work must be finished by him. |
| They should help the poor. | The poor should be helped by them. |
| You may open the door. | The door may be opened by you. |
| We have to complete the project. | The project has to be completed by us. |
Imperative Sentences in Passive Voice
| Type | Active | Passive |
|---|
| Positive command | Open the door. | Let the door be opened. / The door should be opened. |
| Negative command | Don’t open the door. | Let the door not be opened. / The door should not be opened. |
| Request | Please help me. | You are requested to help me. |
Sentences with Two Objects
Some verbs take two objects (direct and indirect). Either object can become the subject of the passive sentence.
| Active | Passive (two possibilities) |
|---|
| She gave me a book. | I was given a book by her. / A book was given to me by her. |
| He told us a story. | We were told a story by him. / A story was told to us by him. |
| They offered her a job. | She was offered a job by them. / A job was offered to her by them. |
Questions in Passive Voice
Yes/No Questions
| Active | Passive |
|---|
| Does she write a letter? | Is a letter written by her? |
| Did he break the window? | Was the window broken by him? |
| Has she finished the work? | Has the work been finished by her? |
| Will they help us? | Will we be helped by them? |
WH Questions
| Active | Passive |
|---|
| Who wrote this letter? | By whom was this letter written? / Who was this letter written by? |
| What did she buy? | What was bought by her? |
| When did they complete the work? | When was the work completed by them? |
| Why has he sold the car? | Why has the car been sold by him? |
Important Rules
- 1Only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be changed into passive voice.
- 2The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
- 3The subject of the active sentence becomes the agent (by + subject) in the passive, but it can be omitted if not important.
- 4The form of “be” must match the tense of the active sentence.
- 5Always use the past participle (V3) in the passive voice.
- 6In questions, the auxiliary comes before the subject in the passive form.
- 7For two-object verbs, either object can become the subject of the passive.
When We Cannot Use Passive Voice
- Intransitive verbs (verbs without an object): He sleeps. (Cannot be changed)
- Some verbs of incomplete predication: She became a teacher. (Usually not changed)
- Certain fixed expressions and idioms
Common Mistakes
- 1Wrong: A letter is write by her. Correct: A letter is written by her. Reason: Always use V3 in passive.
- 2Wrong: A letter written by her. Correct: A letter is written by her. Reason: Form of “be” is necessary.
- 3Wrong: The work has completed by him. Correct: The work has been completed by him. Reason: Present Perfect passive needs “been”.
- 4Wrong: The letter is being write by her. Correct: The letter is being written by her. Reason: Use V3, not V1 or Ving after “being”.
- 5Wrong: Who was this letter written? Correct: By whom was this letter written? / Who was this letter written by? Reason: “By” is needed for the agent in WH questions.
- 6Wrong: Let the door opened. Correct: Let the door be opened. Reason: Imperative passive needs “be”.
Remember (Memory Tricks)
- Passive = Object + be + V3 + (by + Subject)
- Present Simple → is/am/are + V3
- Present Continuous → is/am/are + being + V3
- Present Perfect → has/have + been + V3
- Past Simple → was/were + V3
- Past Continuous → was/were + being + V3
- Past Perfect → had + been + V3
- Future Simple → will + be + V3
- Modal → modal + be + V3
- Only verbs with objects can be changed into passive
SEE Exam Tips
- 1First identify the tense of the active sentence.
- 2Find the object of the active sentence — it becomes the subject of the passive.
- 3Choose the correct form of “be” according to the tense.
- 4Always use the past participle (V3).
- 5Add “by + original subject” if the doer is important; otherwise omit it.
- 6For questions, move the auxiliary before the new subject.
- 7For imperatives, use “Let + object + be + V3” or “You are requested/ordered to...”.
- 8Practise changing both Active → Passive and Passive → Active.
How Voice Appears in SEE
- Change the following sentences into passive voice
- Change the following sentences into active voice
- Choose the correct passive form
- Rewrite the sentences as directed
Quick Revision
- Active: Subject does the action
- Passive: Subject receives the action
- Structure: Object + be + V3 + (by + Subject)
- Match the form of “be” with the tense
- Always use V3 in passive
- Modal + be + V3
- Imperative: Let + object + be + V3
- Two objects → two possible passive forms
- Only transitive verbs can be passivized