🗣️ Active and Passive Voice
Complete guide to Active and Passive Voice, covering all tenses (Present, Past, Future), conversion rules, modals, and conditionals.
This comprehensive guide explains the concepts of Active and Passive Voice, helping you understand when and how to convert sentences between the two voices across all tenses.
What is Voice in English Grammar?
Voice refers to the relationship between the subject and the action in a sentence. It determines whether the subject is performing the action or receiving it.
There are two types of voice:
- Active Voice: The subject performs the action
- Passive Voice: The subject receives the action
Key Terminology
Before learning voice conversion, understand these essential terms:
| Term | Meaning | Hindi | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Who/What we talk about | विषय | "The officer is reviewing the file." |
| Verb | The action word | क्रिया | "The officer is reviewing the file." |
| Object | Receiver of action | कर्म | "The officer is reviewing the file." |
| Doer | Who performs the action | कर्ता | "The officer" (the one reviewing) |
Active Voice
In Active Voice, the subject is the doer — the one performing the action. The focus is on who is doing the action.
Pro Content Locked
Upgrade to Pro to access this lesson and all other premium content.
₹99 charged monthly · Cancel anytime
- All Agriculture & Banking Courses
- AI Lesson Questions (100/day)
- AI Doubt Solver (50/day)
- Glows & Grows Feedback (30/day)
- AI Section Quiz (20/day)
- 22-Language Translation (100/day)
- Recall Questions (20/day)
- AI Quiz (15/day)
- AI Quiz Paper Analysis (100/day)
- AI Step-by-Step Explanations (100/day)
- Spaced Repetition Recall (FSRS)
- AI Tutor
- Immersive Text Questions
- Audio Lessons — Hindi & English
- Mock Tests & Previous Year Papers
- Summary & Mind Maps
- XP, Levels, Leaderboard & Badges
- Generate New Classrooms
- Voice AI Teacher (AgriDots Live)
- AI Revision Assistant
- Knowledge Gap Analysis
- Interactive Revision (LangGraph)
🔒 Secure via Razorpay · Cancel anytime · No hidden fees
This comprehensive guide explains the concepts of Active and Passive Voice, helping you understand when and how to convert sentences between the two voices across all tenses.
What is Voice in English Grammar?
Voice refers to the relationship between the subject and the action in a sentence. It determines whether the subject is performing the action or receiving it.
There are two types of voice:
- Active Voice: The subject performs the action
- Passive Voice: The subject receives the action
Key Terminology
Before learning voice conversion, understand these essential terms:
| Term | Meaning | Hindi | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Who/What we talk about | विषय | "The officer is reviewing the file." |
| Verb | The action word | क्रिया | "The officer is reviewing the file." |
| Object | Receiver of action | कर्म | "The officer is reviewing the file." |
| Doer | Who performs the action | कर्ता | "The officer" (the one reviewing) |
Active Voice
In Active Voice, the subject is the doer — the one performing the action. The focus is on who is doing the action.
Structure: Subject (Doer) + Verb + Object
Example: "The farmer is harvesting the wheat."
- Subject: The farmer (also the Doer)
- Verb: is harvesting
- Object: the wheat
Passive Voice
In Passive Voice, the subject receives the action — it is acted upon. The focus is on what is happening or the receiver.
Structure: Subject (Receiver) + Verb + by + Object (Doer)
Example: "The wheat is being harvested by the farmer."
- Subject: The wheat (receiver of action)
- Verb: is being harvested
- Object: by the farmer (the doer)
Sentence Structure Basics
Every sentence has a foundational structure. Understanding this is crucial for voice conversion.
Basic Sentence Pattern
Subject → Verb → Object
When a preposition is involved:
Subject → Verb → Preposition → Object
Key Rules
- Sub/Obj → Noun/Pronoun: Both Subject and Object must be a Noun or Pronoun.
- One word ≠ Both Sub and Obj: A single word cannot function as both Subject and Object simultaneously.
When Passive Voice is NOT Possible
Not all sentences can be converted to passive voice. Understanding when passive is not possible is equally important.
Rule: Passive Requires a Direct Object
- Passive voice requires a direct object. If a sentence has no object, it cannot be made passive.
- For passive, the verb should have both its subject and direct object.
| Sentence | Structure | Passive? |
|---|---|---|
| "She is an IBPS officer." | Subject + Verb + Complement | ❌ No Object |
| "The bank has a new branch." | Subject + Verb + Object | ✅ Has Object |
| "He went to the mandi." | Subject + Verb + Prep-Object | ❌ Prep-Object ≠ Direct Object |
| "The farmer worked there." | Subject + Verb + Adverb | ❌ "there" is Adverb |
Object Must Be Noun/Pronoun
| Word | Type | Can be Object? |
|---|---|---|
| Lucknow | Noun | ✅ Yes (but needs preposition "to") |
| there | Adverb | ❌ No |
| them | Pronoun | ✅ Yes |
| quickly | Adverb | ❌ No |
Types of Verbs
| Verb Type | Example | Passive Possible? |
|---|---|---|
| Transitive (has object) | "The officer signed the document." | ✅ Yes |
| Intransitive (no object) | "The farmer slept early." | ❌ No |
| Linking/State | "She is a field officer." | ❌ No |
⚠️ Key Rule: Only sentences with transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be converted to passive voice.
Required Pattern for Passive
Subject + Action Verb + Object (Noun/Pronoun)
When to Use Which Voice?
The choice between Active and Passive Voice depends on what you want to emphasize.
Active Voice: Focus on the Doer
Use when the doer/performer of the action is important.
| Active Voice | Focus |
|---|---|
| "The RBI has revised the repo rate." | Focus on "The RBI" (the authority) |
| "The collector distributed relief funds." | Focus on who distributed |
Passive Voice: Focus on the Action/Receiver
Use when the action or receiver is more important than the doer, or when the doer is unknown/unimportant.
| Passive Voice | Focus |
|---|---|
| "The repo rate has been revised." | Focus on what was changed |
| "Relief funds were distributed." | Focus on what was done |
💡 Tip: Passive voice is commonly used in scientific/formal writing, news reports, government circulars, and when the doer is unknown.
Pronoun Changes in Voice Conversion
When converting voice, pronouns change as follows:
| Subject (Active) | Object (Passive) |
|---|---|
| I | me |
| We | us |
| You | you |
| He | him |
| She | her |
| It | it |
| They | them |
| Who | whom |
Example:
- Active: "He submitted her application."
- Passive: "Her application was submitted by him."
Steps to Convert Active to Passive
Follow these steps for any tense:
- Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object in the active sentence
- Swap positions: Object → Subject position
- Change the verb to its passive form (add helping verb + V3)
- Add "by" before the original subject (now object)
- Change pronouns according to the table above
Quick Reference: Verb Forms
| V1 (Base) | V2 (Past) | V3 (Past Participle) | V1+ing |
|---|---|---|---|
| submit | submitted | submitted | submitting |
| approve | approved | approved | approving |
| sow | sowed | sown | sowing |
| harvest | harvested | harvested | harvesting |
| issue | issued | issued | issuing |
| distribute | distributed | distributed | distributing |
| take | took | taken | taking |
Key Observations:
- V3 is always used in passive voice
- Being is added for continuous passive
- Been is added for perfect passive
Present Tense Conversions
Conversion Table
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Simple/Indefinite | V1 (Plural, I, You), V1+s/es (Singular), do/does + V1 | is/am/are + V3 |
| Continuous | is/am/are + V1+ing | is/am/are + being + V3 |
| Perfect | has/have + V3 | has/have + been + V3 |
| Perfect Continuous | has/have + been + V1+ing | ❌ No Passive |
Examples: Present Simple
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| "The FCI officer inspects the warehouse." | "The warehouse is inspected by the FCI officer." |
| "Farmers grow wheat in Punjab." | "Wheat is grown by farmers in Punjab." |
| "The bank does not approve all loans." | "All loans are not approved by the bank." |
Examples: Present Continuous
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| "The collector is reviewing the file." | "The file is being reviewed by the collector." |
| "They are constructing a new grain storage." | "A new grain storage is being constructed by them." |
Examples: Present Perfect
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| "The RBI has issued a new circular." | "A new circular has been issued by the RBI." |
| "The panchayat has approved the scheme." | "The scheme has been approved by the panchayat." |
⚠️ Present Perfect Continuous does not have a passive form.
Past Tense Conversions
Conversion Table
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Simple/Indefinite | V2, did + V1 | was/were + V3 |
| Continuous | was/were + V1+ing | was/were + being + V3 |
| Perfect | had + V3 | had + been + V3 |
| Perfect Continuous | had + been + V1+ing | ❌ No Passive |
Conversion Steps for Simple Past
- Sub → Obj: Original Subject becomes Object (with "by")
- Obj → Sub: Original Object becomes Subject
- Verb: V2 changes to was/were + V3
Examples: Simple Past
Active: "The collector distributed the relief funds."
- Subject (Doer): The collector
- Verb: distributed (V2)
- Object: the relief funds
Passive: "The relief funds were distributed by the collector."
- Subject: The relief funds (receiver)
- Verb: were distributed
- Object: by the collector (doer)
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| "The PM announced the scheme." | "The scheme was announced by the PM." |
| "Farmers sold their wheat at MSP." | "Wheat was sold by farmers at MSP." |
| "The officer did not submit the report." | "The report was not submitted by the officer." |
Examples: Past Continuous
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| "The inspector was verifying the accounts." | "The accounts were being verified by the inspector." |
| "They were building a check dam." | "A check dam was being built by them." |
Examples: Past Perfect
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| "The bank had sanctioned the loan." | "The loan had been sanctioned by the bank." |
| "The committee had finalised the report." | "The report had been finalised by the committee." |
Future Tense Conversions
Conversion Table
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Simple/Indefinite | will/shall + V1 | will/shall + be + V3 |
| Continuous | will/shall + be + V1+ing | ❌ No Passive |
| Perfect | will/shall + have + V3 | will/shall + have + been + V3 |
| Perfect Continuous | will/shall + have + been + V1+ing | ❌ No Passive |
Examples: Future Simple
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| "The government will announce the new MSP." | "The new MSP will be announced by the government." |
| "The bank will disburse the loans next week." | "The loans will be disbursed by the bank next week." |
Examples: Future Perfect
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| "The RBI will have released the report." | "The report will have been released by the RBI." |
| "They will have completed the survey." | "The survey will have been completed by them." |
⚠️ Note: Future Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous do not have passive forms.
Modal Verbs and Passive Voice
Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, should, would, must, etc.) follow a specific pattern.
Basic Modal Conversion
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Modal + V1 | Modal + be + V3 |
| can + V1 | can + be + V3 |
Examples
| Modal | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| can | "The officer can approve it." | "It can be approved by the officer." |
| could | "She could submit the report." | "The report could be submitted by her." |
| may | "The committee may revise the policy." | "The policy may be revised by the committee." |
| might | "He might extend the deadline." | "The deadline might be extended by him." |
| should | "The bank should disburse the funds." | "The funds should be disbursed by the bank." |
| must | "We must follow the guidelines." | "The guidelines must be followed by us." |
| would | "She would present the findings." | "The findings would be presented by her." |
| will | "He will sign the agreement." | "The agreement will be signed by him." |
Modal + Perfect
Modal + Perfect = Modal + have + been + V3
Example: "The officer should have submitted the report." → "The report should have been submitted by the officer."
Conditional Sentences and Passive Voice
Conditional sentences follow specific patterns based on their type (Grammar Rules 1, 2, 3).
Types of Conditional Sentences
| Type | Condition (If-clause) | Result Clause |
|---|---|---|
| GR.1 (Real Present) | Simple Present (V1) | will + V1 |
| GR.2 (Unreal Present) | Simple Past (V2) | would + V1 |
| GR.3 (Unreal Past) | Past Perfect (had + V3) | would have + V1 |
Passive Conversion Tables
If-clause Conversion:
| Type | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| GR.1 | V1 / V1+s/es | is/am/are + V3 |
| GR.2 | V2 | was/were + V3 |
| GR.3 | had + V3 | had been + V3 |
Result Clause Conversion:
| Type | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| GR.1 | will + V1 | will + be + V3 |
| GR.2 | would + V1 | would + be + V3 |
| GR.3 | would have + V1 | would have been + V3 |
Complete Examples
Type 1 (Real Present/Future):
- Active: "If the panchayat approves it, the government will release the funds."
- Passive: "If it is approved by the panchayat, the funds will be released by the government."
Type 2 (Unreal Present):
- Active: "If the officer reviewed it, she would submit the report."
- Passive: "If it was reviewed by the officer, the report would be submitted."
Type 3 (Unreal Past):
- Active: "If the bank had processed it, the farmer would have received the loan."
- Passive: "If it had been processed by the bank, the loan would have been received by the farmer."
Master Reference: All 12 Tenses
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | V1 / V1+s/es | is/am/are + V3 |
| Present Continuous | is/am/are + V1+ing | is/am/are + being + V3 |
| Present Perfect | has/have + V3 | has/have + been + V3 |
| Present Perfect Continuous | has/have + been + V1+ing | ❌ No Passive |
| Past Simple | V2 | was/were + V3 |
| Past Continuous | was/were + V1+ing | was/were + being + V3 |
| Past Perfect | had + V3 | had + been + V3 |
| Past Perfect Continuous | had + been + V1+ing | ❌ No Passive |
| Future Simple | will/shall + V1 | will/shall + be + V3 |
| Future Continuous | will/shall + be + V1+ing | ❌ No Passive |
| Future Perfect | will/shall + have + V3 | will/shall + have + been + V3 |
| Future Perfect Continuous | will/shall + have + been + V1+ing | ❌ No Passive |
Complete Examples: All Tenses with "Report"
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | The officer submits a report. | A report is submitted by the officer. |
| Present Continuous | The officer is submitting a report. | A report is being submitted by the officer. |
| Present Perfect | The officer has submitted a report. | A report has been submitted by the officer. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | The officer has been submitting a report. | ❌ No Passive |
| Simple Past | The officer submitted a report. | A report was submitted by the officer. |
| Past Continuous | The officer was submitting a report. | A report was being submitted by the officer. |
| Past Perfect | The officer had submitted a report. | A report had been submitted by the officer. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | The officer had been submitting a report. | ❌ No Passive |
| Simple Future | The officer will submit a report. | A report will be submitted by the officer. |
| Future Continuous | The officer will be submitting a report. | ❌ No Passive |
| Future Perfect | The officer will have submitted a report. | A report will have been submitted by the officer. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | The officer will have been submitting a report. | ❌ No Passive |
Practice Questions
Present Tense
- "The NABARD officer explains the scheme to the farmers."
- "She is processing the Kisan Credit Card applications."
- "The committee has approved the new water project."
Past Tense
- "The field officer inspected the warehouses yesterday."
- "They were distributing seedlings to marginal farmers."
- "The bank had already notified the applicants."
Future Tense
- "The government will launch the new agricultural scheme next month."
- "The bank will have published the results before the deadline."
Modals
- "The farmer can sell his produce directly to the FCI depot."
- "The bank officer should verify all the documents."
- "The committee must have finalised the list by now."
Conditionals
- "If the panchayat passes the resolution, the government will release funds." (Type 1)
- "If the officer reviewed the application, he would approve it." (Type 2)
- "If they had submitted the forms on time, they would have received the benefit." (Type 3)
Click to see all answers
Present Tense:
- "The scheme is explained to the farmers by the NABARD officer."
- "The Kisan Credit Card applications are being processed by her."
- "The new water project has been approved by the committee."
Past Tense: 4. "The warehouses were inspected by the field officer yesterday." 5. "Seedlings were being distributed to marginal farmers by them." 6. "The applicants had already been notified by the bank."
Future Tense: 7. "The new agricultural scheme will be launched by the government next month." 8. "The results will have been published by the bank before the deadline."
Modals: 9. "The produce can be sold directly to the FCI depot by the farmer." 10. "All the documents should be verified by the bank officer." 11. "The list must have been finalised by the committee by now."
Conditionals: 12. "If the resolution is passed by the panchayat, the funds will be released by the government." 13. "If the application was reviewed by the officer, it would be approved." 14. "If the forms had been submitted on time by them, the benefit would have been received."
Summary: Master Cheat Sheet 📋
Subject ↔ Object Pronoun Changes
| Subject | Object |
|---|---|
| He | him |
| She | her |
| It | it |
| They | them |
| You | you |
| I | me |
| We | us |
Passive Voice Formulas
| Tense Type | Formula |
|---|---|
| Simple | be + V3 |
| Continuous | be + being + V3 |
| Perfect | have + been + V3 |
| Modal | modal + be + V3 |
| Modal Perfect | modal + have + been + V3 |
Helping Verbs by Tense
| Tense | Helping Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present | is/am/are, has/have | "is issued", "has been approved" |
| Past | was/were, had | "was distributed", "had been sanctioned" |
| Future | will/shall | "will be announced", "will have been released" |
Core Pattern Components
| Component | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| V3 | The action (past participle) | submitted, distributed, sanctioned |
| Being | For Continuous tenses | is being, was being |
| Been | For Perfect tenses | has been, had been, will have been |
No Passive Exists For
- ❌ Present Perfect Continuous
- ❌ Past Perfect Continuous
- ❌ Future Continuous
- ❌ Future Perfect Continuous
Essential Conversion Steps
- Subject ↔ Object: Swap their positions
- Add "by": Before the original subject
- Change Verb: Use appropriate passive structure
- Change Pronouns: I→me, he→him, she→her, etc.
🎯 Key Takeaway: Voice conversion is all about shifting focus — from the doer (active) to the receiver (passive) — while following the correct verb structure for each tense.
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Concept / Topic | Key Details / Explanation |
|---|---|
| Active voice | Subject = doer of action; Subject + Verb + Object |
| Passive voice | Subject = receiver of action; Object becomes subject |
| Passive impossible — no object | Intransitive verbs (run, sleep, die, go) cannot be made passive |
| Passive formula | Appropriate form of be + V3 (past participle) |
| Subject ↔ Object swap | I→me, he→him, she→her, they→them, we→us, you→you |
| "by" phrase | Original subject goes after "by" in passive |
| Present Simple passive | is/am/are + V3 |
| Present Continuous passive | is/am/are + being + V3 |
| Present Perfect passive | has/have + been + V3 |
| Present Perfect Continuous | ❌ No passive form |
| Past Simple passive | was/were + V3 |
| Past Continuous passive | was/were + being + V3 |
| Past Perfect passive | had + been + V3 |
| Past Perfect Continuous | ❌ No passive form |
| Future Simple passive | will/shall + be + V3 |
| Future Continuous passive | ❌ No passive form |
| Future Perfect passive | will/shall + have + been + V3 |
| Future Perfect Continuous | ❌ No passive form |
| Modal passive | modal + be + V3 (e.g., "can be approved", "must be followed") |
| Modal Perfect passive | modal + have + been + V3 (e.g., "should have been submitted") |
| GR.1 (Real Present) passive | If-clause: is/am/are + V3; Result: will + be + V3 |
| GR.2 (Unreal Present) passive | If-clause: was/were + V3; Result: would + be + V3 |
| GR.3 (Unreal Past) passive | If-clause: had been + V3; Result: would have been + V3 |
| 4 tenses with NO passive | Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Continuous, Future Perfect Continuous |
| Conversion steps | 1. Swap subject↔object 2. Add "by" before original subject 3. Change verb to passive form 4. Change pronouns |
Lesson Doubts
Ask questions, get expert answers