Active and Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice

Active voice: This form of writing is used when a subject is directly affecting an object.

Passive voice: This form of writing is used when the subject acts upon the object.

• When we want to put the emphasis on the process rather than the person or doer, we employ the passive form. In reports and formal documents, these are used particularly.

• We employ the passive structure when we are unsure of the doer.

Steps for transitioning from Active to Passive Voice

Step -1 

Identify Subject, Verb, Object in Active Voice sentence.

Step - 2 

Identify tense of the Active Voice sentence.

Step - 3 

 Switch the positions of the subject and the object. The idea is that the subject becomes the object and vice versa.

Step - 4

Change the auxiliary verb in Passive Voice sentence considering tense.

Step - 5

Change the main verb into the past participle (V3).

Step - 6

Put the preposition "by" before the subject which is object in passive voice sentence. 

Changes in Passive Forms as per Tense

Tenses	Passive forms
Simple Present Tense	O + is/am/are + past participle+ by +S Active: Mohit locks the office every evening. Passive: The office is locked by Mohit every evening.
Present Continuous Tense	O + is/am/are + being + past participle+ by +S Active: Krishna is drawing a picture now. Passive: A picture is being drawn by Krishna now.
Present Perfect Tense	O + have/has + been + past participle+ by +S Active: We have arranged a party tomorrow. Passive: A party has been arranged by us tomorrow.
Simple Past Tense	O + was/were + past participle+ by +S Active: Rahul wrote a letter yesterday. Passive: A letter was written by Rahul yesterday.
Past Continuous Tense	O + was/were+ being + past participle+ by +S Active: Kirit was typing a report at that time. Passive: A report was being typed by Kirit at that time.
Past Perfect Tense	O + had+ been+ past participle+ by +S Active: Peon had broken the lock before I reached there. Passive: The lock had been broken by Rahul before I reached there.
Infinitives	O + shall/will/can + be + past participle+ by +S Active: Vishal can play the guitar. Passive: The guitar can be played by Rahul. Active: Dhaval will visit the temple tomorrow. Passive: The temple will be visited by Rahul tomorrow.

Changes in pronouns

When a subject takes place of the object, the pronoun changes as following

In Active Voice	In Passive Voice
I	by me
We	by us
You	by you
He	by him
She	by her
It	by it
They	by them

Examples:

        Active: The Children are playing cricket in the garden now.
        Passive: Cricket is being played by the children in the garden now.

        Active: Policemen catch thieves.
        Passive: Thieves are caught by policeman.

        Active: She will cook the food for the guests.
        Passive: The food will be cooked by her for the guests.

        Active: They refused for admission to Rajat.
        Passive: Rajat was refused for admission by them.

        Active: Columbus discovered America.
        Passive: America was discovered by Columbus.