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Use of Active and Passive Voice in English

Active and Passive Voice sentences are fundamental pillars of English grammar and are critical for success in competitive exams across all major organizations. Mastering these transformations is essential because these questions are frequently used as benchmarks to test a candidate's deep linguistic understanding—an area where many students often struggle due to a lack of formal practice.

This comprehensive guide is specifically designed to help you master Active & Passive Voice rules in the most effective and clear manner possible. Whether you are a student or a job seeker, understanding the relationship between the subject and the action is key to advanced communication.

            Important for Armed Forces Candidates:

            If you are applying for a vacancy in the Pak Army, Pak Navy, or PAF (Pakistan Air Force), deep learning of voice transformation is mandatory. These questions are a permanent feature in the Officer Initial Tests of Pakistan Armed Forces. Furthermore, they carry significant weight in Airman tests and Sailor tests. Complete preparation of these rules will give you a competitive edge in your military career entrance exams.

By studying the examples and rules provided on this page, you will be able to identify the "doer" of the action and the "receiver" instantly, allowing you to solve complex grammar papers with 100% accuracy.

Active Voice vs Passive Voice: Complete Guide

Mastering the Active and Passive Voice is a mandatory skill for passing competitive exams, particularly for Pak Army, Navy, and PAF Initial Tests. This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of rules, formulas, and examples for flawless grammar transformation.

What is Active Voice?

It illustrates a sentence where the subject performs the action stated by the verb. This is the most direct and clear way to communicate. Form: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT

I am drinking tea.
He played cricket.
They will help you.

What is Passive Voice?

Passive voice describes a sentence in which the subject receives the action. The focus shifts from the "doer" to the "receiver." Form: OBJECT + HELPING VERB + PAST PARTICIPLE (V3) + BY + SUBJECT

Tea is being drunk by me.
Cricket was played by him.
You will be helped by them.

Basic Rules for Transformation

Subject-Object Swap: The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence and vice versa.
Verb Form: The 3rd Form of the Verb (Past Participle) is always used in passive voice.
The "By" Factor: The word "By" is usually added before the subject in passive form.
Pronoun Change: Pronouns change their case when they switch positions:

I ↔ Me

We ↔ Us

You ↔ You

He ↔ Him

She ↔ Her

It ↔ It

They ↔ Them

Tense Conversion Chart

Tense	Active Voice Verb	Passive Voice Verb
Present Simple	Read	is/am/are read
Present Continuous	is reading	is being read
Past Simple	Read	was/were read
Past Continuous	was reading	was being read
Future Simple	will read	will be read
Present Perfect	has read	has been read
Past Perfect	had read	had been read
Future Perfect	will have read	will have been read
Conditional Present	would read	would be read

Cases Where No Passive Form Exists

Certain tenses cannot be converted into passive voice. These are frequently asked in Airman and Sailor tests:

Present Perfect Continuous: She has been writing a letter.
Past Perfect Continuous: He had been cleaning the house.
Future Continuous: I will be filing all the documents.
Future Perfect Continuous: I will have been serving tea.

Imperative Sentences (Orders/Requests)

For commands, request, or advice, use the Let formation or "You are requested/ordered":

Let + Object + be + Past Participle

Active: Open the door. → Passive: Let the door be opened.
Active: Do not beat the dog. → Passive: Let the dog not be beaten.
Active: Please help me. → Passive: You are requested to help me.
Active: Get out. → Passive: You are ordered to get out.

Interrogative & "Wh-" Questions

Helping Verb Start: If a question starts with a helping verb, the passive must also begin with a suitable helping verb.
Act: Will you write a letter? → Pass: Will a letter be written by you?
Wh- Questions: Remain the same, except Who is replaced by By whom.
Act: Why did you break the box? → Pass: Why was the box broken by you?
Act: Who broke the window? → Pass: By whom was the window broken?

Gerunds & Infinitives

Infinitive: Passive is formed as ‘to be + past participle’
Act: I want to shoot the tiger. → Pass: I want the tiger to be shot.
Gerund: Passive is formed as ‘being + past participle’
Act: I remember my father taking me to the theatre. → Pass: I remember being taken to the theatre by my father.

Modals & God Invocation

Modals: Act: You should learn your lessons. → Pass: Your lessons should be learned by you.
Blessings: Act: May God bless you! → Pass: May you be blessed by God!

Practice Tests of English Active and Passive Voice MCQs

Q: He opens the door.

(a) The door is opened by him.
(b) The door was opened by him.
(c) The door has been opened by him.
(d) The door is being opened by him.

Answer: (a) The door is opened by him.

Q: She is singing a song.

(a) A song is sung by her.
(b) A song is being sung by her.
(c) A song was being sung by her.
(d) A song has been sung by her.

Answer: (b) A song is being sung by her.

Q: They have finished the work.

(a) The work is finished by them.
(b) The work was finished by them.
(c) The work has been finished by them.
(d) The work had been finished by them.

Answer: (c) The work has been finished by them.

Q: The boy killed the snake.

(a) The snake is killed by the boy.
(b) The snake was killed by the boy.
(c) The snake was being killed by the boy.
(d) The snake has been killed by the boy.

Answer: (b) The snake was killed by the boy.

Q: We were painting the walls.

(a) The walls are being painted by us.
(b) The walls were painted by us.
(c) The walls were being painted by us.
(d) The walls had been painted by us.

Answer: (c) The walls were being painted by us.

Q: He had written a letter.

(a) A letter was written by him.
(b) A letter had been written by him.
(c) A letter has been written by him.
(d) A letter is written by him.

Answer: (b) A letter had been written by him.

Q: She will help me.

(a) I shall be helped by her.
(b) I will helped by her.
(c) I would be helped by her.
(d) I am helped by her.

Answer: (a) I shall be helped by her.

Q: They will have caught the thief.

(a) The thief will be caught by them.
(b) The thief will have been caught by them.
(c) The thief would have been caught by them.
(d) The thief has been caught by them.

Answer: (b) The thief will have been caught by them.

Q: Do you speak English?

(a) Is English spoken by you?
(b) Was English spoken by you?
(c) Is English being spoken by you?
(d) Does English spoken by you?

Answer: (a) Is English spoken by you?

Q: Who broke the glass?

(a) By whom the glass was broken?
(b) By whom was the glass broken?
(c) Who was the glass broken by?
(d) By whom is the glass broken?

Answer: (b) By whom was the glass broken?

Q: Please shut the window.

(a) Let the window be shut.
(b) You are requested to shut the window.
(c) The window should be shut.
(d) Both (a) and (b).

Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b).

Q: I know him.

(a) He is known by me.
(b) He was known to me.
(c) He is known to me.
(d) He has been known by me.

Answer: (c) He is known to me.

Q: He is watching us.

(a) We are watched by him.
(b) We are being watched by him.
(c) We were being watched by him.
(d) We have been watched by him.

Answer: (b) We are being watched by him.

Q: The teacher was teaching the students.

(a) The students were taught by the teacher.
(b) The students are being taught by the teacher.
(c) The students were being taught by the teacher.
(d) The students had been taught by the teacher.

Answer: (c) The students were being taught by the teacher.

Q: They did not help me.

(a) I was not helped by them.
(b) I am not helped by them.
(c) I had not been helped by them.
(d) I was being not helped by them.

Answer: (a) I was not helped by them.

Q: Why did you tell a lie?

(a) Why a lie was told by you?
(b) Why was a lie told by you?
(c) Why is a lie told by you?
(d) Why was a lie being told by you?

Answer: (b) Why was a lie told by you?

Q: Post this letter.

(a) Let this letter be posted.
(b) This letter is posted.
(c) This letter must be posted.
(d) Let be posted this letter.

Answer: (a) Let this letter be posted.

Q: One should keep one's promises.

(a) Promises should be kept.
(b) Promises are kept.
(c) One's promises should be kept by one.
(d) Promises should kept.

Answer: (a) Promises should be kept.

Q: He has to do this work.

(a) This work has been done by him.
(b) This work is to be done by him.
(c) This work has to be done by him.
(d) This work had to be done by him.

Answer: (c) This work has to be done by him.

Q: People speak English all over the world.

(a) English is spoken all over the world.
(b) English was spoken all over the world.
(c) English is being spoken all over the world.
(d) English has been spoken all over the world.

Answer: (a) English is spoken all over the world.

Q: He will invite me.

(a) I will invited by him.
(b) I shall be invited by him.
(c) I would be invited by him.
(d) I am invited by him.

Answer: (b) I shall be invited by him.

Q: Does she cook food?

(a) Is food cooked by her?
(b) Was food cooked by her?
(c) Has food been cooked by her?
(d) Is food being cooked by her?

Answer: (a) Is food cooked by her?

Q: I saw him opening the box.

(a) He was seen opening the box by me.
(b) The box was seen being opened by him.
(c) He is seen opening the box by me.
(d) He was seen to open the box by me.

Answer: (a) He was seen opening the box by me.

Q: The fire destroyed the whole city.

(a) The whole city is destroyed by the fire.
(b) The whole city was destroyed by the fire.
(c) The whole city had been destroyed by the fire.
(d) The whole city was being destroyed by the fire.

Answer: (b) The whole city was destroyed by the fire.

Q: May God bless you!

(a) May you be blessed by God!
(b) May you blessed by God!
(c) You might be blessed by God.
(d) Let you be blessed by God.

Answer: (a) May you be blessed by God!

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