Mastering Active and Passive Voice in English
Do you ever wonder why some sentences sound more formal or professional than others? The secret often lies in the voice of the sentence. In English, we can express the same idea in two ways: by focusing on the doer (active voice) or the receiver (passive voice) of the action. Mastering both will make your writing clearer, more flexible, and more suitable for different situations — from casual chats to formal reports.
In active voice, the subject performs the action. In passive voice, the subject receives the action. The doer (if mentioned) usually comes after by, although some verbs use other prepositions (e.g., 'known to', 'surprised at').
Note: Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be converted to passive voice. Intransitive verbs, such as sleep, arrive, or happen, cannot be made passive.
✅ Active: Ravi writes a letter. (Ravi = doer)
✅ Passive: A letter is written by Ravi. (A letter = receiver)
When to Use Passive Voice
While active voice is direct and strong, passive voice is useful in specific situations:
- When the doer is unknown: The thief was caught. (We don’t know who caught him.)
- When the action is more important than the doer: Smoking is prohibited in this area.
- When we want to avoid naming the doer: A mistake has been made.
- In formal or academic writing: Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis.
- To shift focus to the receiver: Many festivals are celebrated in India.
Passive Voice Across Tenses
To form the passive voice, use the correct form of be (according to the tense) + past participle (V3) + by + doer (if needed). Here’s how it works across all major tenses:
| Tense | Active | Passive | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | The cat drinks milk. | Milk is drunk by the cat. | Subject + am/is/are + V3 + by + doer |
| Simple Past | The chef prepared the meal. | The meal was prepared by the chef. | Subject + was/were + V3 + by + doer |
| Simple Future | The company will launch the product. | The product will be launched by the company. | Subject + will be + V3 + by + doer |
| Present Perfect | The artist has painted a portrait. | A portrait has been painted by the artist. | Subject + has/have been + V3 + by + doer |
| Past Perfect | The team had completed the project. | The project had been completed by the team. | Subject + had been + V3 + by + doer |
| Future Perfect | The engineers will have built the bridge. | The bridge will have been built by the engineers. | Subject + will have been + V3 + by + doer |
| Present Continuous | The students are reading the book. | The book is being read by the students. | Subject + am/is/are being + V3 + by + doer |
| Past Continuous | The workers were repairing the road. | The road was being repaired by the workers. | Subject + was/were being + V3 + by + doer |
| Note: The Future Continuous and Perfect Continuous tenses do not have a standard passive form in English. Constructions like 'will be being done' are unnatural and avoided in standard usage. | |||
To check if a sentence is passive, ask: “Who or what is doing the action?” If the subject is receiving the action, it’s passive!
Common Mistakes
Indian English learners often make these errors when using passive voice:
❌ Incorrect: The letter was write by him. (Missing past participle)
✅ Correct: The letter was written by him.
❌ Incorrect: The match has been win by our team. (Wrong verb form)
✅ Correct: The match has been won by our team.
| Passive Voice (Stylistically Overused / Erroneous) | Active / Preferred Alternative | Note |
|---|---|---|
| The book was read by her yesterday. | She read the book yesterday. | Grammatically correct, but unnecessarily passive — active is clearer and more direct |
| By whom was this done? | Who did this? | Grammatically correct, but overly formal — active is more natural in most contexts |
| The child was scold by the teacher. | The teacher scolded the child. | Missing past participle (-ed form) |
✍️ Quick Practice — Change to Passive Voice
Identify the tense, then rewrite these sentences in passive voice:
- The dog chased the cat.
- Neha has cooked dinner.
- The squirrel was cracking a nut.
- Parents love their children dearly.
- We planted trees in the park last year.
- Peter will read books all afternoon.
- The tortoise runs a long race.
- I always complete my work on time.
Answers: 1. Simple Past; The cat was chased by the dog. | 2. Present Perfect; Dinner has been cooked by Neha. | 3. Past Continuous; A nut was being cracked by the squirrel. | 4. Simple Present; Children are loved dearly by their parents. | 5. Simple Past; Trees were planted in the park last year. | 6. Simple Future; Books will be read by Peter all afternoon. | 7. Simple Present; A long race is run by the tortoise. | 8. Simple Present; My work is always completed on time.
✍️ Quick Practice — Change to Active Voice
- She is praised for her charms by all.
- The thief was caught by the policeman.
- All are surprised by your deep knowledge.
- The orphan was being looked after by the old lady.
- She has been annoyed at his words.
- All the questions were answered by me.
- Vegetables were being sold by the greengrocer.
- A meeting is being held by the manager.
Answers: 1. All praise her for her charms. | 2. The policeman caught the thief. | 3. Your deep knowledge surprises all. | 4. The old lady was looking after the orphan. | 5. His words have annoyed her. | 6. I answered all the questions. | 7. The greengrocer was selling vegetables. | 8. The manager is holding a meeting.
Summary
Active voice puts the focus on the doer, while passive voice highlights the receiver or the action itself. Use passive voice when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to sound more formal. Remember: Passive = Be + V3 + (by doer).
Key takeaway: Mastering active and passive voice gives you the power to choose the best way to express your ideas — whether you're writing an email, giving a presentation, or taking an exam like IELTS. Practise converting sentences between the two voices to build confidence!