In the English language, you can structure a sentence in more than two ways and they can still convey the same meaning. However, one of the major differences is of the voice: active and passive voice. The active voice and passive voice refers to the verb form, that denotes if the action in the sentence is done or received by the subject. In this blog, we will explore the difference between active and passive voice, their rules, examples on how to switch between the two, and worksheet for practicing.
Table of Contents
There are two voices in the English language;
The active voice tends to be more direct and appears to be shorter sentences in length. On the other hand, the passive voice tends to be more elaborated and appears in longer sentences. So, how to know which one is ideal for your sentence? Are they really different? But before we jump to any conclusion, perceive the meaning of these two:
Active voice is a grammatical structure that is used to classify sentences where the subject is the one who actively performs the action of the verb. In other words, it denotes that the nouns or pronoun that acts as the subject in a sentence is the doer of the action. Moreover, active voice is considered the default voice in normal English discourse. Active voice is often preferred because it is clear, direct, and easier to understand. It emphasizes the doer of the action, making it suitable for most everyday communication.
Pattern: Subject + Verb + Object.
Example 1: The cat chased the mouse.
Here, the cat (subject) is doing the action (chasing), and the mouse (object) is receiving the action.
Example 2: Grandma hugged me. (active voice)
Example 3: My mom plays violin
Example 4: I drank all the juice.
This was an overview of the active voice. However, to get along with both the voices, you need to know about active vs passive voice as well.
In the passive voice, the focus is on the action's target, and the subject receives the action of the verb. In other words, it represents that the subject is one acted upon by the action or verb in a sentence. Passive voice is a grammatical structure in which the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence, and the doer of the action appears later or is omitted. In passive voice, the focus shifts from who performed the action to who or what received it. While this structure can make a sentence sound more formal or impersonal, it is also useful when the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.
Pattern: Object + Verb (in past participle form) + by + Subject (optional).
Example 1: The mouse was chased by the cat.
Here, the mouse (object) is now the subject of the sentence, and the cat (subject) is the one performing the action (chasing), though it could also be omitted: "The mouse was chased."
Example 2: Shopping is liked by Mitali.
Example 3: Insects are eaten by birds.
Example 4: French is being learnt by Liam this year.
Till now, you have got an idea of active and passive voice definitionin English grammar. Besides, you get to know about their meaning along with the examples for better understanding.
The basic difference between active voice and passive voice lies in how the subject and object are structured in a particular sentence. Thus, knowing this difference will help you to learn and understand better the usage of these voices in English sentences. Thus, here is a table to perceive the differences:
| Feature | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | The subject performs the action | The object receives the action |
| Sentence structure | Subject + Verb + Object (typical) | Object + Verb (to be) + Past Participle + (by Subject - optional) |
| Emphasis | Doer of the action | Receiver of the action |
| Clarity | More direct and clear | Can be less direct sometimes |
| Conciseness | Usually concise | Often longer |
| When to use | When a message needs to be direct and engaging | When does is unknown or unimportant |
So, after going through the tabular representation, you must have understood the difference between the active passive voice in English.
When you are converting active to passive voice or vice versa, there are changes in the tenses and pronouns that are used in the sentences. Thus, you need to be very careful while doing so. Therefore, go through the table below and get along with the active and passive voice rules chart in brief:
| Tense | Active Voice Structure | Passive Voice Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Subject + Base Verb (s/es) | Subject + is/are + Past Participle |
| Present Continuous | Subject + is/are + Verb-ing | Subject + is/are + being + Past Participle |
| Present Perfect | Subject + has/have + Past Participle | Subject + has/have + been + Past Participle |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Subject + has/have + been + Verb-ing | Subject + has/have + been + being + Past Participle |
| Past Simple | Subject + Verb (past form) | Subject + was/were + Past Participle |
| Past Continuous | Subject + was/were + Verb-ing | Subject + was/were + being + Past Participle |
| Past Perfect | Subject + had + Past Participle | Subject + had + been + Past Participle |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Subject + had + been + Verb-ing | Subject + had + been + being + Past Participle |
| Future Simple | Subject + will + Base Verb | Subject + will + be + Past Participle |
| Future Continuous | Subject + will + be + Verb-ing | Subject + will + be + being + Past Participle |
| Future Perfect | Subject + will + have + Past Participle | Subject + will + have + been + Past Participle |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Subject + will + have + been + Verb-ing | Subject + will + have + been + being + Past Participle |
This was the active and passive voice chart, which must have made things easier for you while converting the vices.
If you are still confused about the conversion of the voices, then here are a few passive and active voice examples that will clear your doubts.
Example 1:
Active Voice: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
Passive Voice: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
Example 2:
Active Voice: The wind blew the leaves.
Passive Voice: The leaves were blown by the wind.
Example 3:
Active Voice: They built a bridge.
Passive Voice: A bridge was built by them.
Example 4:
Active Voice: He will finish the project.
Passive Voice: The project will be finished by him.
Example 5:
Active Voice: The company sells laptops.
Passive Voice: Laptops are sold by the company.
Example 6:
Active Voice: The baker sells bread.
Passive Voice: Bread is sold by the baker.
Example 7:
Active Voice: The dog has chased the squirrel.
Passive Voice: The squirrel has been chased by the dog.
Example 8:
Active Voice: The artist painted a portrait.
Passive Voice: A portrait was painted by the artist.
Example 9:
Active Voice: The manager approved the request.
Passive Voice: The request was approved by the manager.
Example 10:
Active Voice: She delivered the speech.
Passive Voice: The speech was delivered by her.
These were some passive and active voice examples that must have given you an idea of using these in the correct form.
If you want to ace the active voice and passive voice in English grammar, then you need to practice a lot. Thus, to ease the task, here we have provided a worksheet along with the answers. To solve this and have your hands on active passive voice:
Fill in the blanks with the correct verb form in Active Voice.
1. She ______ (write) a letter to her friend every week.
2. The teacher ______ (explain) the lesson right now.
3. He ______ (finish) his project before the deadline.
4. The scientist ______ (discover) a new planet recently.
5. The company ______ (launch) a new product next year.
Fill in the blanks with the correct verb form in Passive Voice.
6. A new shopping mall ______ (build) in the city.
7. Football ______ (play) by the children in the park yesterday.
8. The request ______ (approve) by the manager last Monday.
9. I ______ (not invite) to the party.
10. A movie ______ (watch) by us when the power went out.
Answers
1. Writes
2. is explaining
3. had finished
4. has discovered
5. will launch
6. is being built
7. was played
8. was approved
9. was not invited
10.was being watched
These were the exercises that you can solve and have your hands-on voice in English grammar without struggling.
Hopefully, this blog has made you understand everything about active and passive voice sentences to use in English. It covered meaning, definition, examples, usage, rules, and more so you get the entire gist. However, if you still face any issues, not only with this but with other language issues such as adjectives, conjunctions, or adverbs, take expert assistance from our hand-picked mentors.
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