Active vs. Passive Voice: Mastering Grammatical Transformations

by

Understanding the difference between active and passive voice is crucial for effective communication in English. The voice of a verb indicates whether the subject of the sentence performs the action or is acted upon.

Mastering this distinction allows you to write with clarity, precision, and stylistic flexibility. This article provides a comprehensive guide to active and passive voice, covering definitions, structures, usage rules, common mistakes, and practice exercises, suitable for English learners of all levels.

Table of Contents

Definition of Active and Passive Voice

The voice of a verb indicates the relationship between the action (verb) and the participants (subject, object) identified by the verb. There are two grammatical voices in English: active and passive. Understanding these voices is essential for constructing clear and effective sentences.

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. The subject is the agent or doer of the action. Active voice sentences are generally more direct, concise, and easier to understand. It is the most common and natural way to express ideas.

For example, in the sentence “The dog chased the ball,” the subject “dog” performs the action “chased.” This is a typical active voice construction.

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed by the verb. The subject is acted upon. The agent (the doer of the action) may be included in the sentence, usually introduced by the preposition “by,” or it may be omitted altogether.

For example, in the sentence “The ball was chased by the dog,” the subject “ball” receives the action “was chased.” The agent “dog” is included in the sentence after the preposition “by.” In a passive sentence like “The house was built in 1950,” the agent is omitted because it is either unknown or unimportant.

Structural Breakdown

Understanding the structure of active and passive voice helps in identifying and constructing sentences correctly. The structure dictates how the subject, verb, and object (if any) are arranged.

Active Voice Structure

The basic structure of an active voice sentence is: Subject + Verb (+ Object). The subject comes before the verb, clearly indicating who or what performs the action.

For example:

  • The cat (Subject) sleeps (Verb).
  • The chef (Subject) prepared (Verb) the meal (Object).

Passive Voice Structure

The basic structure of a passive voice sentence is: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (be) + Past Participle (of main verb) + (by + Agent). The auxiliary verb “be” takes different forms depending on the tense.

For example:

  • The letter (Subject) was written (Auxiliary Verb + Past Participle) by John (Agent).
  • The cake (Subject) is being eaten (Auxiliary Verb + Past Participle).

The “by + Agent” part is optional and is often omitted when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.

Types and Categories of Passive Voice

The passive voice can be categorized based on whether the agent is mentioned or not, as well as its usage with specific types of verbs. Recognizing these categories helps in understanding the nuances of passive voice construction.

Agented Passive

In the agented passive, the agent (the doer of the action) is explicitly mentioned in the sentence, usually introduced by the preposition “by.” This type of passive voice is used when it is important to know who or what performed the action.

For example:

  • The book was written by Jane Austen.
  • The car was repaired by the mechanic.

Agentless Passive

In the agentless passive, the agent is not mentioned in the sentence. This occurs when the agent is unknown, unimportant, obvious, or when the speaker wants to avoid mentioning the agent.

For example:

  • The window was broken. (Agent unknown)
  • Mistakes were made. (Agent unimportant)
  • The criminal was arrested. (Agent obvious – police)

Passive with Reporting Verbs

Certain verbs, especially reporting verbs (e.g., say, believe, think, know, report, claim, understand), are often used in the passive voice to introduce opinions or general knowledge. Common constructions include “It is said that…” or “It is believed that…”

For example:

  • It is said that he is a talented musician.
  • It is believed that the earth is round.
  • He is known to be a generous person.

Examples of Active and Passive Voice

This section provides extensive examples of active and passive voice in different tenses. These examples illustrate how to transform sentences from active to passive voice and vice versa.

Simple Present Examples

The simple present tense is used to describe habitual actions, general truths, and facts. Here are examples of active and passive voice in the simple present tense.

The following table shows 30 examples of active and passive voice in the simple present tense. Notice how the verb form changes and how the subject and object switch positions.

Active Voice Passive Voice
The chef cooks the food. The food is cooked by the chef.
The students write the essays. The essays are written by the students.
The sun warms the earth. The earth is warmed by the sun.
The dog chases the cat. The cat is chased by the dog.
The teacher teaches the lesson. The lesson is taught by the teacher.
The artist paints the picture. The picture is painted by the artist.
The baker bakes the bread. The bread is baked by the baker.
The gardener waters the plants. The plants are watered by the gardener.
The mechanic fixes the car. The car is fixed by the mechanic.
The author writes the book. The book is written by the author.
The children eat the candy. The candy is eaten by the children.
The wind blows the leaves. The leaves are blown by the wind.
The rain wets the ground. The ground is wet by the rain.
The doctor examines the patient. The patient is examined by the doctor.
The waiter serves the customers. The customers are served by the waiter.
The company sells the products. The products are sold by the company.
The farmer grows the crops. The crops are grown by the farmer.
The tailor makes the clothes. The clothes are made by the tailor.
The librarian shelves the books. The books are shelved by the librarian.
The programmer codes the software. The software is coded by the programmer.
The students clean the classroom. The classroom is cleaned by the students.
The singer sings the song. The song is sung by the singer.
The driver drives the bus. The bus is driven by the driver.
The pilot flies the plane. The plane is flown by the pilot.
The judge hears the case. The case is heard by the judge.
The jury delivers the verdict. The verdict is delivered by the jury.
The electrician fixes the lights. The lights are fixed by the electrician.
The plumber repairs the pipes. The pipes are repaired by the plumber.
The cleaner sweeps the floor. The floor is swept by the cleaner.
The security guard watches the building. The building is watched by the security guard.

Simple Past Examples

The simple past tense is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. Here are examples of active and passive voice in the simple past tense.

The following table shows 30 examples of active and passive voice in the simple past tense. Notice the use of “was” or “were” as the auxiliary verb in the passive voice.

Active Voice Passive Voice
The chef cooked the food. The food was cooked by the chef.
The students wrote the essays. The essays were written by the students.
The sun warmed the earth. The earth was warmed by the sun.
The dog chased the cat. The cat was chased by the dog.
The teacher taught the lesson. The lesson was taught by the teacher.
The artist painted the picture. The picture was painted by the artist.
The baker baked the bread. The bread was baked by the baker.
The gardener watered the plants. The plants were watered by the gardener.
The mechanic fixed the car. The car was fixed by the mechanic.
The author wrote the book. The book was written by the author.
The children ate the candy. The candy was eaten by the children.
The wind blew the leaves. The leaves were blown by the wind.
The rain wet the ground. The ground was wet by the rain.
The doctor examined the patient. The patient was examined by the doctor.
The waiter served the customers. The customers were served by the waiter.
The company sold the products. The products were sold by the company.
The farmer grew the crops. The crops were grown by the farmer.
The tailor made the clothes. The clothes were made by the tailor.
The librarian shelved the books. The books were shelved by the librarian.
The programmer coded the software. The software was coded by the programmer.
The students cleaned the classroom. The classroom was cleaned by the students.
The singer sang the song. The song was sung by the singer.
The driver drove the bus. The bus was driven by the driver.
The pilot flew the plane. The plane was flown by the pilot.
The judge heard the case. The case was heard by the judge.
The jury delivered the verdict. The verdict was delivered by the jury.
The electrician fixed the lights. The lights were fixed by the electrician.
The plumber repaired the pipes. The pipes were repaired by the plumber.
The cleaner swept the floor. The floor was swept by the cleaner.
The security guard watched the building. The building was watched by the security guard.

Simple Future Examples

The simple future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future. Here are examples of active and passive voice in the simple future tense.

The following table provides 30 examples of active and passive voice in the simple future tense. Note the use of “will be” as the auxiliary verb in the passive voice.

Active Voice Passive Voice
The chef will cook the food. The food will be cooked by the chef.
The students will write the essays. The essays will be written by the students.
The sun will warm the earth. The earth will be warmed by the sun.
The dog will chase the cat. The cat will be chased by the dog.
The teacher will teach the lesson. The lesson will be taught by the teacher.
The artist will paint the picture. The picture will be painted by the artist.
The baker will bake the bread. The bread will be baked by the baker.
The gardener will water the plants. The plants will be watered by the gardener.
The mechanic will fix the car. The car will be fixed by the mechanic.
The author will write the book. The book will be written by the author.
The children will eat the candy. The candy will be eaten by the children.
The wind will blow the leaves. The leaves will be blown by the wind.
The rain will wet the ground. The ground will be wet by the rain.
The doctor will examine the patient. The patient will be examined by the doctor.
The waiter will serve the customers. The customers will be served by the waiter.
The company will sell the products. The products will be sold by the company.
The farmer will grow the crops. The crops will be grown by the farmer.
The tailor will make the clothes. The clothes will be made by the tailor.
The librarian will shelve the books. The books will be shelved by the librarian.
The programmer will code the software. The software will be coded by the programmer.
The students will clean the classroom. The classroom will be cleaned by the students.
The singer will sing the song. The song will be sung by the singer.
The driver will drive the bus. The bus will be driven by the driver.
The pilot will fly the plane. The plane will be flown by the pilot.
The judge will hear the case. The case will be heard by the judge.
The jury will deliver the verdict. The verdict will be delivered by the jury.
The electrician will fix the lights. The lights will be fixed by the electrician.
The plumber will repair the pipes. The pipes will be repaired by the plumber.
The cleaner will sweep the floor. The floor will be swept by the cleaner.
The security guard will watch the building. The building will be watched by the security guard.

Present Continuous Examples

The present continuous tense describes actions happening now or around the present time. Here are examples of active and passive voice in the present continuous tense.

The table below shows 25 examples of active and passive voice in the present continuous tense. Notice the use of “is/are being” in the passive form.

Active Voice Passive Voice
The chef is cooking the food. The food is being cooked by the chef.
The students are writing the essays. The essays are being written by the students.
The dog is chasing the cat. The cat is being chased by the dog.
The teacher is teaching the lesson. The lesson is being taught by the teacher.
The artist is painting the picture. The picture is being painted by the artist.
The baker is baking the bread. The bread is being baked by the baker.
The gardener is watering the plants. The plants are being watered by the gardener.
The mechanic is fixing the car. The car is being fixed by the mechanic.
The children are eating the candy. The candy is being eaten by the children.
The company is selling the products. The products are being sold by the company.
The farmer is growing the crops. The crops are being grown by the farmer.
The tailor is making the clothes. The clothes are being made by the tailor.
The librarian is shelving the books. The books are being shelved by the librarian.
The programmer is coding the software. The software is being coded by the programmer.
The students are cleaning the classroom. The classroom is being cleaned by the students.
The singer is singing the song. The song is being sung by the singer.
The driver is driving the bus. The bus is being driven by the driver.
The pilot is flying the plane. The plane is being flown by the pilot.
The judge is hearing the case. The case is being heard by the judge.
The jury is delivering the verdict. The verdict is being delivered by the jury.
The electrician is fixing the lights. The lights are being fixed by the electrician.
The plumber is repairing the pipes. The pipes are being repaired by the plumber.
The cleaner is sweeping the floor. The floor is being swept by the cleaner.
The security guard is watching the building. The building is being watched by the security guard.
The cat is eating the fish. The fish is being eaten by the cat.

Past Continuous Examples

The past continuous tense describes actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. Here are examples of active and passive voice in the past continuous tense.

The following table provides 25 examples of active and passive voice in the past continuous tense. Note the use of “was/were being” in the passive form.

Active Voice Passive Voice
The chef was cooking the food. The food was being cooked by the chef.
The students were writing the essays. The essays were being written by the students.
The dog was chasing the cat. The cat was being chased by the dog.
The teacher was teaching the lesson. The lesson was being taught by the teacher.
The artist was painting the picture. The picture was being painted by the artist.
The baker was baking the bread. The bread was being baked by the baker.
The gardener was watering the plants. The plants were being watered by the gardener.
The mechanic was fixing the car. The car was being fixed by the mechanic.
The children were eating the candy. The candy was being eaten by the children.
The company was selling the products. The products were being sold by the company.
The farmer was growing the crops. The crops were being grown by the farmer.
The tailor was making the clothes. The clothes were being made by the tailor.
The librarian was shelving the books. The books were being shelved by the librarian.
The programmer was coding the software. The software was being coded by the programmer.
The students were cleaning the classroom. The classroom was being cleaned by the students.
The singer was singing the song. The song was being sung by the singer.
The driver was driving the bus. The bus was being driven by the driver.
The pilot was flying the plane. The plane was being flown by the pilot.
The judge was hearing the case. The case was being heard by the judge.
The jury was delivering the verdict. The verdict was being delivered by the jury.
The electrician was fixing the lights. The lights were being fixed by the electrician.
The plumber was repairing the pipes. The pipes were being repaired by the plumber.
The cleaner was sweeping the floor. The floor was being swept by the cleaner.
The security guard was watching the building. The building was being watched by the security guard.
The cat was eating the fish. The fish was being eaten by the cat.

Usage Rules for Active and Passive Voice

Choosing between active and passive voice depends on the context and the intended emphasis. Understanding the appropriate usage rules ensures clarity and effectiveness in writing.

When to Use Active Voice

Use the active voice when:

  • You want to emphasize the doer of the action.
  • You want to make your writing more direct and concise.
  • You want to create a stronger and more engaging tone.
  • The doer of the action is known and important.

Active voice is generally preferred in most writing situations because it is clearer and more straightforward.

When to Use Passive Voice

Use the passive voice when:

  • You want to emphasize the action rather than the doer.
  • The doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
  • You want to avoid assigning blame or responsibility.
  • You want to maintain a formal or objective tone.
  • You need to maintain consistency in subject matter across sentences.

The passive voice is often used in scientific writing, news reports, and formal documents.

Passive Voice in Formal Writing

In formal writing, the passive voice can be used to maintain objectivity and focus on the facts rather than the individuals involved. It is common in scientific reports, legal documents, and academic papers.

However, overuse of the passive voice can make writing sound impersonal and convoluted, so use it judiciously.

For example, instead of writing “I conducted the experiment,” a scientist might write “The experiment was conducted.” This emphasizes the experiment itself rather than the person who conducted it.

Common Mistakes with Active and Passive Voice

Several common mistakes occur when using active and passive voice. Recognizing and avoiding these mistakes is crucial for accurate and effective writing.

Unnecessary Use of Passive Voice

One of the most common mistakes is using the passive voice when the active voice would be clearer and more direct. This can make sentences unnecessarily long and confusing.

Incorrect: The report was written by the committee.

Correct: The committee wrote the report.

Dangling Participles in Passive Constructions

A dangling participle occurs when the introductory phrase does not logically modify the subject of the sentence. This often happens when converting active voice sentences with introductory phrases to passive voice.

Incorrect: Having finished the report, it was submitted to the manager.

Correct: Having finished the report, the manager received it.

Correct: After the report was finished, it was submitted to the manager.

Incorrect Verb Forms in Passive Voice

Using the incorrect form of the auxiliary verb “be” or the past participle of the main verb is a common mistake in passive voice constructions. It’s important to ensure that the verb forms agree in tense and number.

Incorrect: The letter is wrote yesterday.

Correct: The letter was written yesterday.

Incorrect: The books are being readed by the students.

Correct: The books are being read by the students.

Practice Exercises

These practice exercises will help you master the active and passive voice. Each exercise focuses on a different aspect of voice transformation.

Exercise 1: Identifying Active and Passive Voice

Identify whether each sentence is in the active or passive voice.

The following table presents 10 sentences. Determine whether each sentence is active or passive and mark your answer in the ‘Answer’ column

Sentence Answer
1. The cat caught the mouse.
2. The letter was delivered by the postman.
3. The students are studying grammar.
4. The cake was baked by Mary.
5. The wind blew down the tree.
6. The car is being repaired by the mechanic.
7. The artist painted the portrait.
8. The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg.
9. The children ate the cookies.
10. The house was built in 1920.

Answers:

  1. Active
  2. Passive
  3. Active
  4. Passive
  5. Active
  6. Passive
  7. Active
  8. Passive
  9. Active
  10. Passive

Exercise 2: Converting Active to Passive Voice

Convert the following active voice sentences to passive voice.

The following table presents 10 active voice sentences. Convert each sentence to passive voice and write your answer in the ‘Passive Voice’ column.

Active Voice Passive Voice
1. The dog chased the ball.
2. The teacher graded the exams.
3. The chef prepared the meal.
4. The gardener watered the plants.
5. The mechanic fixed the car.
6. The author wrote the book.
7. The students cleaned the classroom
8. The singer sang the song.
9. The driver drove the bus.
10. The pilot flew the plane.

Answers:

  1. The ball was chased by the dog.
  2. The exams were graded by the teacher.
  3. The meal was prepared by the chef.
  4. The plants were watered by the gardener.
  5. The car was fixed by the mechanic.
  6. The book was written by the author.
  7. The classroom was cleaned by the students.
  8. The song was sung by the singer.
  9. The bus was driven by the driver.
  10. The plane was flown by the pilot.

Exercise 3: Converting Passive to Active Voice

Convert the following passive voice sentences to active voice.

The following table presents 10 passive voice sentences. Convert each sentence to active voice and write your answer in the ‘Active Voice’ column.

Passive Voice Active Voice
1. The letter was written by John.
2. The car was repaired by the mechanic.
3. The cake was baked by Mary.
4. The window was broken by the wind.
5. The food is cooked by the chef.
6. The lesson was taught by the teacher.
7. The picture was painted by the artist.
8. The bread was baked by the baker.
9. The plants are watered by the gardener.
10. The book will be read by the students.

Answers:

  1. John wrote the letter.
  2. The mechanic repaired the car.
  3. Mary baked the cake.
  4. The wind broke the window.
  5. The chef cooks the food.
  6. The teacher taught the lesson.
  7. The artist painted the picture.
  8. The baker baked the bread.
  9. The gardener waters the plants.
  10. The students will read the book.

Advanced Topics

Beyond the basics, there are more complex constructions involving the passive voice that are useful to understand.

Passive Causative

The passive causative is used to indicate that someone arranges for something to be done by someone else. It typically involves the verb “have” or “get” followed by an object and a past participle.

For example:

  • I had my car repaired. (Someone else repaired my car for me.)
  • She got her hair cut. (Someone else cut her hair for her.)

The focus is on the action being performed rather than who performed it.

“Get” Passive

The “get” passive is an informal alternative to the “be” passive. It is often used to describe events that happen by accident or unexpectedly.

For example:

  • He got injured in the game.
  • The window got broken during the storm.

The “get” passive is more common in spoken English and informal writing.

FAQ Section

This section addresses frequently asked questions about the active and passive voice.

What is the main difference between active and passive voice?

In the active voice, the subject performs the action, while in the passive voice, the subject receives the action.

When should I use the passive voice?

Use the passive voice when you want to emphasize the action rather than the doer or when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.

Can overuse of the passive voice be a problem?

Yes, overuse of the passive voice can make your writing sound unclear, impersonal, and convoluted. It is generally better to use the active voice whenever possible.

How do I identify a passive voice sentence?

Passive voice sentences typically include a form of the auxiliary verb “be” (is, are, was, were, been, being) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

What are reporting verbs in the passive voice?

Reporting verbs in the passive voice (e.g., “It is said that…”) are used to introduce opinions or general knowledge without specifying the source.

Conclusion

Mastering the active and passive voice is essential for clear and effective communication. Understanding when and how to use each voice allows you to write with precision and achieve your desired emphasis.

By practicing the techniques and avoiding common mistakes, you can enhance your writing skills and communicate more effectively in any context.

Leave a Comment