Active & Passive Voice

Active Voice, Passive Voice There are two special forms for verbs called voice: 1. Active voice 2. Passive voice The active voice is the "normal" voice. This is the voice that we use most of the time. You are probably already familiar with the active voice. In the active voice, the object receives the action of the verb: active subject verb object > Cats

eat

fish.

The passive voice is less usual. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb: passive subject

verb

object

< Fish

are eaten by cats.

The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb: subject

verb

object

active

Everybody

drinks

water.

passive

Water

is drunk by everybody.

* When the subject is acting, we say that the subject is the doer. When the subject is receiving the action, we say that the subject is the receiver.

Example: 1. 2.

Ned washed the car. Ned is the doer of the action The car was washed by Ned. Car is the receiver of the action

In the first sentence, the subject is Ned. He is the doer, the one who is performing the action expressed by the verb washed. The car is receiving the action. In grammar we say that the verb in this sentence is in the active voice because the subject is the doer, or is doing the washing. The car is the receiver of the action. The second sentence is written in the reverse order. The subject is now the receiver of the action instead of the doer. In order to express this idea, it was necessary to use another verb form, was washed. What happened to Ned, the doer? Ned is still in the sentence but now in a phrase introduced by the preposition by.

EXERCISES – ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE

the questions

1. I can answer the question. - The question can be answered by me. dfrght

2. She would carry the box. - The box would be carried by her. jyfvcuytg

3. You should open the window. - The window should be opened by you. kufcuihnj

4. We might play cards. - Cards might be played by us. ngfdsrtyu

5. You ought to wash the car. - The car ought to be washed by you kiuytrertyuio

6. He must fill in the form. - The form must be filled in by him. ytrerty7u8i9o0

7. They need not buy bread. - Bread need not be bought by them. oitrertyu

8. He could not read the sentence. - The sentence could not be read by him. liuytre

9. Will the teacher test our English? - Will our English be tested by the teacher? iuytre

10. Could Jenny lock the door? - Could the door be locked by Jenny?