Change of Voice from Active to Passive

Change of Voice from Active to Passive: The shift of Voice is an essential aspect of English grammar. A verb’s Voice can be altered from active to passive or in reverse order. The subject of the sentence works on the verb in an active voice. 
In the passive Voice, the person in question performs the verb’s deed. As a result, the shift of Voice is critical in understanding any sentence in the English language. 

Change of Voice from Active to Passive

Rule of Tenses in Voice Change

The following is a breakdown of the various rules one strictly needs to follow when changing the Voice of verbs in any English sentence:

• Simple Present Tense
Active: subject + verb + object.
Passive: object + (is/am/are) + verb + preposition + subject.

• Present Continuous Tense
Active: subject + (is/am/are) + (ing) for of the verb + object
Passive: object + (is/am/are) + being + verb + preposition + subject

• Present Perfect Tense
Active: subject + (has/have) + verb + object
Passive: object + (has/have) + been + verb + preposition + subject

• Past Simple Tense
Active: subject + verb + object
Passive: object + (was/were) + verb + preposition + subject

• Past Continuous Tense
Active: subject + (was/were) + ing form of the verb + object
Passive: object + (was/were) + being + preposition + subject

• Past Perfect Tense
Active: subject + (had) + verb + object
Passive: object + (had) + been + verb + preposition + subject

• Future Simple Tense
Active: subject + (will) + verb + object
Passive: object + (will) + be + verb + preposition + subject

• Future Perfect Tense
Active: subject + (will) + (have) + verb + object
Passive: object + (will) + (have) + been + verb + preposition + subject

Active and Passive Voices Exercise

Here are a few examples accompanied by an explanation of how the change in Voice takes place:

Que 1. Active: Mom planted the apple tree in our garden.

Ans –  Passive: The apple tree in our garden was planted by mom.
Explanation: the object’ apple tree’ was ‘planted’ by the speaker’s mom, who is the subject. However, when changing the Voice to passive, the verb ‘planted’ becomes ‘was planted’, and the object appears first, followed by the verb. 

Que 2. Active: Sourav Ganguly made Kolkata Knight Riders famous all over the world.

Ans – Passive: Kolkata Knight Riders were made famous all over the world by Sourav Ganguly.
Explanation: the subject ‘Sourav Ganguly’ is said to perform the action of ‘making the Kolkata Knight Riders famous’. However, in the following sentence, the object’ Kolkata Knight Riders’ appears first, and the verb changes to simple past tense.

Que 3. Active: My brother was making a clay doll.

Ans – Passive: A clay doll was being made by my brother.
Explanation: ‘my brother’ is the subject who is seen to be ‘making’ a ‘clay doll’ or object. But, when changing this sentence to passive Voice, ‘clay doll’ appears first in place of the subject, and the verb changes to past continuous tense.

Que 4. Active: Shakespeare wrote wonderful plays. 

Ans – Passive: Wonderful plays were written by Shakespeare.
Explanation: the verb ‘wrote’ follows the subject ‘Shakespeare’ who authored ‘wonderful plays’, which happens to be the object of the sentence. But, in the later sentence, the object ‘wonderful plays’ has replaced the position of the subject ‘Shakespeare’, and the tense of the verb has changed to past perfect tense.

Que 5. Active: My friend can build houses.

Ans – Passive: Houses can be built by my friend.
Explanation: ‘my friend’ is said to be able to ‘build’, which is the action of construction, or the verb of our sentence. ‘houses’ here is the object which the speaker’s friend can build. In the second one, however, the subject and object exchange places, and the verb form changes to past perfect tense. 

Que 6. Active: Our class had watched a movie. 

Ans – Passive: A movie had been watched by our class.
Explanation: ‘our class’ is said to have ‘watched’, which is the verb of our sentence. ‘movie’ here is the object which the class has watched. In the second one, however, the subject and object exchange places, and the verb form changes to past perfect tense.

Que 7. Active: Pratistha will publish an essay. 

Ans – Passive: An essay will be published by Pratistha.
Explanation: ‘Pratistha’ is the subject who is seen to have decided ‘to publish’ an ‘essay’ or the object. But, when changing this sentence to passive Voice, ‘essay’ appears first in place of the subject, and the verb changes to future perfect tense.

Que 8. Active: The thief stole my valuable watch.

Ans – Passive: My valuable watch was stolen by the thief.
Explanation: the ‘thief’, which is the subject of the given sentence, is said to have performed the act of ‘stealing’ the speaker’s object, a ‘watch’. However, the subject and object interchange positions in the passive sentence, and the verb changes from ‘steal to stolen’. 

Que 9. Active: I have planted two saplings.

Ans – Passive: Two saplings have been planted by me.
Explanation: the speaker or subject ‘I’ has performed the action of ‘planting’ the object or the ‘two saplings’. But, when changing the Voice to passive, the verb form changes to present perfect tense, and the subject and object interchange placements.

Que 10. Active: Sucheta prepared our dinner.

Ans – Passive: Our dinner was prepared by Sucheta.
Explanation: ‘Sucheta’ is the subject is seen to have ‘prepared’ (which is our verb) ‘dinner’ or the object. However, when changing this sentence to passive Voice, ‘dinner’ appears first in place on the subject, and the verb changes to past continuous tense.

Que 11. Active: She could recognize his Voice instantly.

Ans – Passive: His Voice was recognized by her instantly.
Explanation: the subject is ‘she’, who is said to perform the act of ‘recognition’ on the object’ his voice’. But when changing the sentence to passive Voice, ‘his voice’ is placed in the position of the subject while the subject replaces the position of the previous object and the verb changes to past perfect tense.

Que 12. Active: Our teacher gave us chocolates to eat.

Ans – Passive: Chocolates were given to us to eat by our teacher.
Explanation: the subject ‘our’ has performed the action of ‘giving’ the object or the ‘chocolates’. But, when changing the Voice to passive, the verb form changes to simple past tense, and the subject and object interchange placements.

Que 13. Active: I clean my house every Saturday.

Ans – Passive: Every Saturday, my house is cleaned by me.
Explanation: the subject speaker ‘I’ performs the action of ‘cleaning’ the object ‘house’. However, when switching to passive Voice, the subject, as well as the object exchange placements, and the verb changes to simple present tense.

Que 14. Active: We need a drummer for the band.

Ans – Passive: A drummer is needed by us for the band.
Explanation: the subject ‘we’ has proposed the action of ‘needing’ the object or the ‘a drummer’. But, when changing the Voice to passive, the verb form changes to present perfect tense, and the subject and object interchange placements.

Que 15. Active: Have they left the parking lot?

Ans – Passive: Has the parking lot been left by them?
Explanation: ‘they’ is said to have ‘left’, which is the verb of our sentence. ‘Parking lot’ here is the object which the subject has left. However, the subjects’ they’ and object’ parking lot’ exchange their placements as we switch from active to passive Voice, and the verb form changes to past perfect tense.