1. What is Voice?

Voice tells us whether the subject does an action or receives an action.

There are two types of voice in English:

Active Voice – The subject does the action.
Passive Voice – The subject receives the action.

Simple Example

Active: Rahul wrote a letter.
→ Rahul did the action.

Passive: A letter was written by Rahul.
→ The letter received the action.

Easy memory trick:
Active = Doer is important
Passive = Action/Receiver is important

2. Why Do We Need Active and Passive Voice?

We use Active and Passive Voice to change the focus of a sentence.

Active Voice

We focus on who did the action.

The teacher explained the lesson.

Passive Voice

We focus on the action or the person/thing receiving it.

The lesson was explained by the teacher.

Passive Voice is especially common in:

News reports
Formal writing
Official documents
Scientific writing
Instructions
Reports
Workplace communication

3. Basic Difference

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Subject does the action.	Subject receives the action.
Focus is on the doer.	Focus is on the action/receiver.
Usually more direct.	Often more formal.
Rahul opened the door.	The door was opened by Rahul.

Formula

Active:
Subject + Verb + Object

Passive:
Object + Helping Verb + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject

Example

Active: The boy kicked the ball.

Subject = The boy
Verb = kicked
Object = the ball

Passive: The ball was kicked by the boy.

New subject = The ball
Helping verb = was
V3 = kicked
Doer = the boy

4. How to Change Active into Passive

Follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Find the Subject, Verb and Object

The manager approved the request.

Subject: The manager
Verb: approved
Object: the request

Step 2: Move the Object to the Beginning

The request…

Step 3: Change the Verb into the Passive Form

The request was approved…

Step 4: Add “by + Subject”

The request was approved by the manager.

Final Answer

Active: The manager approved the request.
Passive: The request was approved by the manager.

5. Active and Passive Voice in Different Tenses

The tense does not disappear when we change the voice. The tense is maintained through the appropriate helping verb.

Present Simple

Active: She writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by her.

Structure:

Active: S + V1 + O
Passive: O + is/am/are + V3 + by + S

Present Continuous

Active: She is writing a letter.
Passive: A letter is being written by her.

Structure:

O + is/am/are + being + V3

Present Perfect

Active: She has written a letter.
Passive: A letter has been written by her.

Structure:

O + has/have + been + V3

Past Simple

Active: She wrote a letter.
Passive: A letter was written by her.

Structure:

O + was/were + V3

Past Continuous

Active: She was writing a letter.
Passive: A letter was being written by her.

Structure:

O + was/were + being + V3

Past Perfect

Active: She had written a letter.
Passive: A letter had been written by her.

Structure:

O + had + been + V3

Future Simple

Active: She will write a letter.
Passive: A letter will be written by her.

Structure:

O + will + be + V3

Modal Verbs

Active: You must complete the work.
Passive: The work must be completed by you.

Structure:

O + modal + be + V3

Examples:

can → can be done
should → should be completed
must → must be followed
may → may be changed
will → will be completed

6. Quick Tense Table

Tense	Active	Passive
Present Simple	writes	is written
Present Continuous	is writing	is being written
Present Perfect	has written	has been written
Past Simple	wrote	was written
Past Continuous	was writing	was being written
Past Perfect	had written	had been written
Future Simple	will write	will be written
Modal	can write	can be written

Important: Not every tense is commonly or naturally used in the passive voice. For practical English, focus first on the forms you actually encounter in everyday and formal communication.

7. When Do We Use Passive Voice?

When the Doer Is Unknown

My phone was stolen.

We don’t know who stole it.

When the Doer Is Not Important

The road was repaired last week.

The important information is the repair, not who repaired it.

When the Action Is More Important

The application has been approved.

The approval is more important than the person who approved it.

In Formal or Official Communication

The documents must be submitted by Monday.

In Scientific or Technical Writing

The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions.

8. When Should We Prefer Active Voice?

Active Voice is generally better when you want your writing to be:

Clear
Direct
Simple
Natural
Concise

Compare

Passive: The report was prepared by the team.

Active: The team prepared the report.

Both are grammatically correct, but the active sentence is more direct.

Another Example

Passive: The meeting was conducted by the manager.

Active: The manager conducted the meeting.

For everyday communication, Active Voice is often the more natural choice.

9. When “By” Is Not Necessary

We do not always need to mention the doer.

Active: Someone stole my bicycle.
Passive: My bicycle was stolen.

Not:

❌ My bicycle was stolen by someone.

The doer is unknown or unimportant, so we can leave it out.

Example

Active: People speak English all over the world.
Passive: English is spoken all over the world.

We don’t need to say:

❌ English is spoken by people all over the world.

10. Active vs Passive in Real Life

At Home

Active: Mother cooked dinner.
Passive: Dinner was cooked by Mother.

At College

Active: The teacher checked the assignments.
Passive: The assignments were checked by the teacher.

At Work

Active: The manager approved the leave request.
Passive: The leave request was approved by the manager.

Shopping

Active: The shopkeeper packed the items.
Passive: The items were packed by the shopkeeper.

News

A new bridge was inaugurated yesterday.

The focus is on the bridge and the inauguration.

Office Notice

All employees must submit the report by Friday.

Passive:

The report must be submitted by Friday.

11. Active and Passive with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are very common in passive sentences.

Pattern

Active: Subject + Modal + V1 + Object

Passive: Object + Modal + be + V3

Examples

Active: You should follow the rules.
Passive: The rules should be followed.

Active: We must complete the project.
Passive: The project must be completed.

Active: They can solve the problem.
Passive: The problem can be solved.

Active: You should submit the form today.
Passive: The form should be submitted today.

12. Active and Passive Questions

Active

Did Rahul complete the assignment?

Passive

Was the assignment completed by Rahul?

Another example:

Active: Who prepared this report?
Passive: By whom was this report prepared?

In everyday spoken English, however, “Who was this report prepared by?” may be heard, while “By whom…” is more formal.

13. Imperative Sentences

Commands and instructions can also be expressed in the passive voice.

Active

Open the door.

Passive

Let the door be opened.

Active

Complete the form.

Passive

Let the form be completed.

However, in everyday English, the active form is usually much more natural:

Please complete the form.

So don’t use passive simply because you can. Choose the form that communicates naturally.

14. Correct vs Incorrect

Example 1

❌ The letter was wrote by Rahul.
✅ The letter was written by Rahul.

Why?
Passive Voice requires the past participle (V3).

Example 2

❌ The work is completed by him yesterday.
✅ The work was completed by him yesterday.

Why?
“Yesterday” indicates past time, so we need was, not is.

Example 3

❌ The project is being complete.
✅ The project is being completed.

Why?
After being, use V3 in the passive structure.

Example 4

❌ The work must completed today.
✅ The work must be completed today.

Why?
After a modal verb, passive voice requires be + V3.

15. Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Forgetting V3

❌ The letter was write by me.
✅ The letter was written by me.

Mistake 2: Using the wrong helping verb

❌ The books is sold here.
✅ The books are sold here.

Mistake 3: Changing the tense

❌ He writes a letter → A letter was written by him.
✅ He writes a letter → A letter is written by him.

Mistake 4: Using “by” unnecessarily

❌ English is spoken by people everywhere.
✅ English is spoken everywhere.

Mistake 5: Making every sentence passive

Passive Voice is useful, but it should not replace Active Voice everywhere.

16. Important Rule: Only Transitive Verbs Usually Become Passive

A passive sentence normally requires an object in the active sentence.

Transitive Verb

Rahul opened the door.

There is an object: the door.

Passive:

The door was opened by Rahul.

Intransitive Verb

Rahul slept.

There is no object.

We cannot normally make this passive:

❌ A bed was slept by Rahul.

So remember:

No object → normally no passive voice.

17. Spoken English: Active vs Passive

In everyday conversation, Active Voice is often preferred because it is shorter and clearer.

Formal

The decision was taken by the management.

More direct

The management made the decision.

Formal

Your application has been received.

Everyday

We have received your application.

Both are correct. The choice depends on what you want to emphasize.

18. Quick Memory Trick

Remember:

ACTIVE

Doer → Action → Receiver

Rahul → opened → the door.

PASSIVE

Receiver → Action → Doer

The door → was opened → by Rahul.

The Golden Rule

Object of Active → Subject of Passive

And:

Passive Verb = appropriate form of BE + V3

19. Practice Exercise

A. Change into Passive Voice

Rahul writes a letter.
The teacher checked the answer sheets.
She is preparing dinner.
They have completed the project.
The manager approved the request.
We will organize the meeting.
You must follow the rules.
Someone stole my bag.
The company launched a new product.
The students are cleaning the classroom.

B. Change into Active Voice

The letter was written by Rahul.
The project has been completed by the team.
The room is being cleaned by the students.
The meeting will be organized by the manager.
The rules must be followed by everyone.

20. Answers

A. Passive Voice

A letter is written by Rahul.
The answer sheets were checked by the teacher.
Dinner is being prepared by her.
The project has been completed by them.
The request was approved by the manager.
The meeting will be organized by us.
The rules must be followed by you.
My bag was stolen.
A new product was launched by the company.
The classroom is being cleaned by the students.

B. Active Voice

Rahul wrote the letter.
The team has completed the project.
The students are cleaning the room.
The manager will organize the meeting.
Everyone must follow the rules.

21. Quick Revision

Remember	Meaning
Active Voice	Subject does the action
Passive Voice	Subject receives the action
Active Formula	S + V + O
Passive Formula	O + BE + V3 + by + S
Main verb in Passive	V3 / Past Participle
Modal Passive	Modal + be + V3
Unknown doer	“by” can be omitted
No object	Usually cannot form passive

One Sentence to Remember

Active Voice tells us who does the action; Passive Voice tells us what happens to the receiver of the action.

FAQs

1. What is Active Voice?

Active Voice is a sentence structure in which the subject performs the action.

The boy opened the door.

2. What is Passive Voice?

Passive Voice is a sentence structure in which the subject receives the action.

The door was opened by the boy.

3. Is Passive Voice wrong?

No. Passive Voice is completely correct. It is useful when the action or receiver is more important than the doer.

4. Is Active Voice better than Passive Voice?

Not always. Active Voice is usually more direct and natural, while Passive Voice is useful for formal, official, scientific, and situations where the doer is unknown or unimportant.

5. What is the most important rule of Passive Voice?

Remember:

BE + V3

For example:

is written
was completed
has been approved
will be submitted
must be followed

Key Takeaways

✅ Active Voice focuses on the doer.
✅ Passive Voice focuses on the receiver/action.
✅ The object of the active sentence generally becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
✅ Passive Voice normally uses BE + V3.
✅ Keep the original tense when changing voice.
✅ We can omit by + doer when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
✅ Use Active Voice for clear, direct communication.
✅ Use Passive Voice when the action or receiver deserves more attention.