Transformation of Sentence: Active & Passive Voice

Interchange of active and passive voice is something that we see every now and then in any "transformation of sentence" or "do as directed" grammar test like in the ICSE exams. Here in this guide, we are going to learn the various rule sets for changing a sentence from active voice to passive voice and vice versa.

1. Voice Change of Statements (All Tenses)

(a) Active to Passive

Pattern: Move the object to the subject position, change the verb to passive form, and place the original subject after "by".

• I do it. – It is done by me.
• I am doing it. – It is being done by me.
• I have done it. – It has been done by me.
• I did it. – It was done by me.
• I was doing it. – It was being done by me.
• I had done it. – It had been done by me.
• I shall do it. – It will be done by me.
• I shall have done it. – It will have been done by me.
• She writes a letter. – A letter is written by her.
• They are building a new school. – A new school is being built by them.
• He has completed the project. – The project has been completed by him.
• The teacher gave us homework. – We were given homework by the teacher.
• The chef is preparing a special dish. – A special dish is being prepared by the chef.
• They had finished the work before sunset. – The work had been finished by them before sunset.
• The government will announce the new policy soon. – The new policy will be announced by the government soon.

(b) Passive to Active

Pattern: Move the subject (agent after "by") to the subject position, change the verb to active form, and place the original subject after the verb as the object.

• The wall is painted by the painter. – The painter paints the wall.
• The crops are being harvested by the farmers. – The farmers are harvesting the crops.
• The dress has been stitched by the tailor. – The tailor has stitched the dress.
• The plants were watered by the gardener. – The gardener watered the plants.
• The meal was being prepared by the cook. – The cook was preparing the meal.
• The car had been repaired by the mechanic. – The mechanic had repaired the car.
• The building will be designed by the architect. – The architect will design the building.
• The statue has been carved by the sculptor. – The sculptor has carved the statue.

2. Voice Change of Questions

(a) Yes-No Questions: Active to Passive

Pattern: For yes-no questions, move the auxiliary verb to the beginning, change the verb to passive form, and place the original subject after the verb.

• Do you see the bird? – Is the bird seen by you?
• Did you finish your task? – Was your task finished by you?
• Have you heard it before? – Has it been heard by you before?
• Are they building a new school? – Is a new school being built by them?
• Will he complete the work? – Will the work be completed by him?
• Has she written the letter? – Has the letter been written by her?
• Were they watching the match? – Was the match being watched by them?
• Do the children enjoy the game? – Is the game enjoyed by the children?

(b) Yes-No Questions: Passive to Active

Pattern: Move the agent (after "by" or implied) to the subject position, change the verb to active form, and rearrange to form a natural active question.

• Is the engine fixed by the driver? – Does the driver fix the engine?
• Is the book being read by the students? – Are the students reading the book?
• Has the dessert been prepared by the chef? – Has the chef prepared the dessert?
• Was the portrait painted by the artist? – Did the artist paint the portrait?
• Will the results be announced by the company? – Will the company announce the results?
• Is the bridge being constructed by the workers? – Are the workers constructing the bridge?
• Has the plan been approved by the director? – Has the director approved the plan?
• Was the incident reported by the witness? – Did the witness report the incident?

(c) Wh-Questions: Active to Passive

Pattern: For "wh" questions, keep the wh-word, change the verb to passive form, and rearrange accordingly.

• Who teaches you English? – By whom are you taught English?
• What are you eating? – What is being eaten by you?
• Why haven't you finished your work? – Why hasn't your work been finished by you?
• What did he say? – What was said by him?
• How many books has she read? – How many books have been read by her?
• Where will they build the hospital? – Where will the hospital be built by them?
• When does the teacher conduct the test? – When is the test conducted by the teacher?
• Which team won the tournament? – By which team was the tournament won?

(d) Wh-Questions: Passive to Active

Pattern: Move the agent to the subject position, change the verb to active form, and maintain the wh-word position.

• By whom was the window broken? – Who broke the window?
• What was written by the author? – What did the author write?
• How many songs have been recorded by the singer? – How many songs has the singer recorded?
• Where was the monument built by them? – Where did they build the monument?
• When will the medicine be administered by the nurse? – When will the nurse administer the medicine?
• By which student was the problem solved? – Which student solved the problem?
• What was decided by the committee? – What did the committee decide?
• How was the trick performed by the magician? – How did the magician perform the trick?

3. Voice Change of Imperative Sentences (Order, Advice, Request)

(a) Active Imperative to Passive (Order)

Pattern: Use "Let + object + be + verb3" to express orders in passive voice.

• Shut the door. – Let the door be shut.
• Keep the book on the table. – Let the book be kept on the table.
• Open the windows. – Let the windows be opened.
• Close the gate. – Let the gate be closed.
• Bring the files tomorrow. – Let the files be brought tomorrow.
• Paint the room blue. – Let the room be painted blue.
• Repair the machine. – Let the machine be repaired.
• Water the plants. – Let the plants be watered.

(b) Passive Imperative Order to Active

Pattern: Convert passive imperative orders back to active commands.

• Let the cupboard be locked. – Lock the cupboard.
• Let the kitchen be cleaned. – Clean the kitchen.
• Let the chairs be arranged. – Arrange the chairs.
• Let the light be fixed. – Fix the light.
• Let the documents be organized. – Organize the documents.
• Let the hall be decorated. – Decorate the hall.
• Let the supplies be distributed. – Distribute the supplies.
• Let the equipment be inspected. – Inspect the equipment.

(c) Active Imperative to Passive (Advice)

Pattern: Use "Object + should (not) be + verb3" to express advice in passive voice.

• Obey your seniors. – Seniors should be obeyed.
• Do not hate the poor. – The poor should not be hated.
• Help the needy. – The needy should be helped.
• Respect your elders. – Your elders should be respected.
• Don't waste food. – Food should not be wasted.
• Always tell the truth. – The truth should always be told.
• Protect the environment. – The environment should be protected.
• Don't neglect your studies. – Your studies should not be neglected.

(d) Passive Imperative Advice to Active

Pattern: Convert passive imperative advice back to active recommendations.

• The weak should be supported. – Support the weak.
• The sick should not be ignored. – Don't ignore the sick.
• The elderly should be visited. – Visit the elderly.
• The guests should be served. – Serve the guests.
• The achievers should be praised. – Praise the achievers.
• The guilty should be forgiven. – Forgive the guilty.
• The timid should be encouraged. – Encourage the timid.
• The innocent should be protected. – Protect the innocent.

(e) Active Imperative to Passive (Request)

Pattern: Use "You are requested (not) to + verb1" to express requests in passive voice.

• Please go there. – You are requested to go there.
• Don't smoke, please. – You are requested not to smoke.
• Please sit down. – You are requested to sit down.
• Don't make noise. – You are requested not to make noise.
• Please wait here. – You are requested to wait here.
• Don't disturb others. – You are requested not to disturb others.
• Please submit your assignment by Friday. – You are requested to submit your assignment by Friday.
• Don't be late. – You are requested not to be late.

(f) Passive Imperative Request to Active

Pattern: Convert passive imperative requests back to active polite commands.

• You are requested to collect your documents. – Please collect your documents.
• You are requested not to cross the boundary. – Don't cross the boundary.
• You are requested to remove your shoes. – Please remove your shoes.
• You are requested not to speak loudly. – Don't speak loudly.
• You are requested to switch off the lights. – Please switch off the lights.
• You are requested not to touch the exhibits. – Don't touch the exhibits.
• You are requested to register before entering. – Please register before entering.
• You are requested not to litter in the park. – Don't litter in the park.

4. Voice Change of Modal Auxiliaries

(a) Active to Passive with Modals

• He can solve this problem. – This problem can be solved by him.
• We should help her. – She should be helped by us.
• You must complete the work. – The work must be completed by you.
• They could have finished it earlier. – It could have been finished by them earlier.
• She may join the team. – The team may be joined by her.
• He might win the prize. – The prize might be won by him.
• You need to buy groceries. – Groceries need to be bought by you.
• We ought to respect our teachers. – Our teachers ought to be respected by us.

(b) Passive to Active with Modals

• Your proposal would be accepted by them. – They would accept your proposal.
• The lesson can be learned by the child. – The child can learn the lesson.
• The solution might be discovered by her. – She might discover the solution.
• The damage could be repaired by them. – They could repair the damage.
• The manager should be contacted by you. – You should contact the manager.
• The report must be submitted by him. – He must submit the report.
• The deadline may be extended by us. – We may extend the deadline.
• The authorities ought to be informed by her. – She ought to inform the authorities.

5. Voice Change of Infinitives (to + verb)

• I have some work to do. – I have some work to be done.
• I am going to pack the bag. – The bag is going to be packed by me.
• They need to repair the roof. – The roof needs to be repaired by them. / They need the roof to be repaired.
• He wanted us to help him. – He wanted to be helped by us.
• She wants to complete the project. – She wants the project to be completed.
• We plan to finish the work by noon. – We plan the work to be finished by noon.

6. Voice Change with Different Prepositions (Not Just "by")

Pattern: Some passive constructions use prepositions other than "by" depending on the verb and context.

• His manner shocked me. – I was shocked at his manner.
• I know that. – That is known to me.
• Rahul married Ritu. – Ritu was married to Rahul.
• Tolstoy interests me. – I am interested in Tolstoy.
• Light filled the room. – The room was filled with light.
• The news surprised her. – She was surprised at the news.
• The fragrance pleased me. – I was pleased with the fragrance.
• The performance amazed the audience. – The audience was amazed at the performance.
• The weather worried the farmers. – The farmers were worried about the weather.

7. Miscellaneous Voice Change Examples

(a) Quasi-Passive Voice (Verbs of Sensation)

Pattern: Some verbs don't have true passive forms but are expressed quasi-passively.

• Honey tastes sweet. – Honey is sweet when tasted.
• The silk feels soft. – The silk is soft when felt.
• The perfume smells lovely. – The perfume is lovely when smelled.

(b) Complex Sentences: Voice Change

Pattern: In complex sentences with subordinate clauses, we may change both the main and sub clauses to passive, if possible. Otherwise, only change the main clause to passive.

• We know that Columbus discovered America. – It is known to us that America was discovered by Columbus.
• I believe he will succeed. – It is believed by me that he will succeed.
• They say that he is honest. – It is said that he is honest.
• We understand that the work is difficult. – It is understood by us that the work is difficult.
• She thinks that he made a mistake. – It is thought by her that a mistake was made by him.
• Everyone agrees that he is talented. – It is agreed by everyone that he is talented.
• The police suspect that he is guilty. – It is suspected by the police that he is guilty.

(c) Phrasal Verbs and Group Verbs: Voice Change

Pattern: Phrasal verbs maintain their structure in passive voice, with the particle at the end.

• He laughed at the idea. – The idea was laughed at by him.
• They looked after the child. – The child was looked after by them.
• She put up with his behaviour. – His behaviour was put up with by her.
• They made fun of him. – He was made fun of by them.
• We will take care of it. – It will be taken care of by us.
• He has done away with the old rules. – The old rules have been done away with by him.
• They look down upon poor people. – Poor people are looked down upon by them.
• She gave up her career. – Her career was given up by her.
• They brought about the changes. – The changes were brought about by them.
• He ruled out the possibility. – The possibility was ruled out by him.

(d) Reflexive Objects: Voice Change

Pattern: When the object is a reflexive pronoun, the passive form retains the original subject and the reflexive pronoun is placed after 'by.'

• He killed himself. – He was killed by himself.
• She blamed herself. – She was blamed by herself.
• They hurt themselves. – They were hurt by themselves.
• I taught myself English. – I was taught English by myself.
• He rewarded himself. – He was rewarded by himself.
• She helped herself. – She was helped by herself.
• They protected themselves. – They were protected by themselves.

(e) Implied or Unknown Agent: Voice Change

Pattern: When the agent is unknown or obvious, use general subjects like "someone," "people" or "they" while converting to active voice. Again, when you switch to passive voice, you may omit the agent entirely.

• My watch was stolen. – Someone stole my watch.
• Gifts were exchanged. – People / They exchanged gifts.
• The city was destroyed. – Someone / An enemy destroyed the city.
• The documents have been lost. – Someone has lost the documents.
• The tradition is still followed. – People still follow the tradition.
• The old building was demolished. – The authorities / They demolished the old building.
• The crime was reported to the police. – Someone reported the crime to the police.
• The proposal was rejected. – They rejected the proposal.
• The contract was signed. – Someone signed the contract.
• The forest was cleared. – They cleared the forest.

(f) Agent Understood or Obvious: Omit "by" Clause

Pattern: When the agent is understood from context (like police, authorities, government, people), the "by" clause is often omitted.

• The police arrested the man. – The man was arrested. ('by the police' understood)
• The government imposed new taxes. – New taxes were imposed. (by the government understood)
• The school suspended the student. – The student was suspended. (by the school understood)
• The judge sentenced the criminal. – The criminal was sentenced. (by the judge understood)
• The company hired new employees. – New employees were hired. (by the company understood)
• The organization awarded the prize. – The prize was awarded. (by the organization understood)
• The hospital admitted the patient. – The patient was admitted. (by the hospital understood)
• The bank approved the loan. – The loan was approved. (by the bank understood)
• We call tiger our national animal – Tiger is called our national animal ('by us' understood)

8. Key Points to Remember

Basic Structure: Active voice (S + V + O) becomes passive (O + is/are/was/were + V3 + by + S).

Tense Changes: The main verb changes form according to the tense, but the subject-verb agreement is with the new subject (the object).

Question Form: The auxiliary verb moves to the beginning, and the wh-word stays in its position.

Imperative Sentences: Use "Let," "should," or "You are requested" depending on whether it's an order, advice, or request.

Modals: Insert "be + verb3" after the modal: can be done, should be helped, must be completed.

Infinitives: Change "to + verb1" to "to + be + verb3".

Prepositions: Not all passive constructions use "by." Use the appropriate preposition based on the verb (interested in, married to, filled with, etc.).

Phrasal Verbs: Keep the particle (preposition/adverb) at the end: laughed at, looked after, taken care of.

Unknown Agent: When the doer is unknown or irrelevant, omit the "by" clause or use general subjects like "someone," "people," or "they".

Context Matters: Always consider whether passive voice is appropriate and natural in the given context. Some sentences sound awkward in passive voice.