Active and Passive Voice are two essential sentence structures in English. Understanding them is key to improving your writing, speaking, and comprehension skills. These structures allow you to shift the focus of a sentence, depending on whether you want to emphasize the doer of the action (active voice) or the action itself (passive voice).
In this article, we will explain the difference between active and passive voice, when to use each, how to form them, and provide examples and a quiz to help you master them easily.
What is Active Voice?
In an active voice sentence, the subject performs the action of the verb. This structure makes sentences clear, direct, and strong.
Structure of Active Voice:
Subject + Verb + Object
Examples:
- She wrote a letter.
- The teacher explains the lesson.
- They completed the project.
Active voice is preferred in most writing because it sounds stronger, clearer, and more natural.
What is Passive Voice?
In a passive voice sentence, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject. The focus shifts to the action or the receiver of the action, rather than the doer.
Structure of Passive Voice:
Object + Form of “Be” + Past Participle + (by Subject)
Examples:
- A letter was written by her.
- The lesson is explained by the teacher.
- The project was completed by them.
Passive voice is commonly used in formal writing, academic reports, and news articles, especially when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.
Active vs. Passive Voice – What’s the difference?
| Feature | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | The subject (doer of the action) | The action or object |
| Structure | Subject + Verb + Object | Object + Be + Past Participle (+ by Subject) |
| Example | “The chef cooked the meal.” | “The meal was cooked by the chef.” |
| Usage | Used in everyday speech, storytelling, and direct writing | Used in formal writing, science, and official reports |
How to Change Active to Passive Voice
To change an active sentence into passive voice, follow these steps:
- Identify the subject, verb, and object in the active sentence.
- Move the object to the subject position.
- Use the correct form of “be” (based on the tense).
- Use the past participle of the verb.
- (Optional) Add “by + subject” if needed.
Examples:
Active: She writes a book.
Passive: A book is written by her.
Active: They will complete the project.
Passive: The project will be completed by them.
Active and Passive Voice in English – Full Chart
1. Passive Voice in All 12 Tenses
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | She writes a book. | A book is written by her. |
| Present Continuous | She is writing a book. | A book is being written by her. |
| Present Perfect | She has written a book. | A book has been written by her. |
| Past Simple | She wrote a book. | A book was written by her. |
| Past Continuous | She was writing a book. | A book was being written by her. |
| Past Perfect | She had written a book. | A book had been written by her. |
| Future Simple | She will write a book. | A book will be written by her. |
| Future Perfect | She will have written a book. | A book will have been written by her. |
Rarely Used Passive Tenses:
- Present Perfect Continuous Passive: A book has been being written (Awkward)
- Past Perfect Continuous Passive: A book had been being written (Rare)
- Future Continuous Passive: A book will be being written (Unnatural)
- Future Perfect Continuous Passive: A book will have been being written (Very awkward)
2. Passive Voice with Modals
| Modal + Verb | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Can | She can complete the project. | The project can be completed by her. |
| Could | She could finish the task. | The task could be finished by her. |
| May | She may invite you. | You may be invited by her. |
| Might | She might buy a car. | A car might be bought by her. |
| Must | She must follow the rules. | The rules must be followed by her. |
| Should | She should check the report. | The report should be checked by her. |
| Would | She would sign the contract. | The contract would be signed by her. |
| Shall | She shall make a decision. | A decision shall be made by her. |
3. Passive Voice in Common Sentence Structures
| Structure | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Imperative Sentences | Close the door. | Let the door be closed. |
| Going to Future | She is going to call him. | He is going to be called by her. |
| Have to / Need to | She has to finish the work. | The work has to be finished by her. |
| Want / Expect | They expect him to arrive early. | He is expected to arrive early. |
Active and Passive Voice Quiz
1. The book ______ (write) by a famous author. (Past Simple Passive)
a) was written
b) wrote
c) is writing
2. The documents ______ (print) right now. (Present Continuous Passive)
a) are printed
b) is being printed
c) are being printed
3. The project ______ (complete) by the team yesterday. (Past Simple Passive)
a) was completed
b) completed
c) has completed
4. A new shopping mall ______ (build) in the city. (Present Continuous Passive)
a) is being built
b) was building
c) is built
5. This letter ______ (send) tomorrow. (Future Simple Passive)
a) will be sent
b) will sent
c) is sent
6. The movie ______ (watch) by millions of people. (Present Simple Passive)
a) is watched
b) watches
c) watched
7. The test results ______ (announce) before the end of the day. (Future Passive)
a) will be announced
b) will announce
c) will have announced
8. The cake ______ (bake) before the guests arrived. (Past Perfect Passive)
a) had been baked
b) was baking
c) has been baked
9. The phone ______ (repair) at the moment. (Present Continuous Passive)
a) is being repaired
b) was repaired
c) is repaired
10. The work ______ (finish) by the deadline. (Future Perfect Passive)
a) will have been finished
b) will be finished
c) has been finished
Quiz Answers
1) was written
2) are being printed
3) was completed
4) is being built
5) will be sent
6) is watched
7) will be announced
8) had been baked
9) is being repaired
10) will have been finished
