Voice Change:
Voice change is a significant chapter of English language which students have to learn in the early level of secondary education. To understand voice fully they require to study tense first for clearing the basic concepts of voice. Voice is totally interrelated with tense for which it is important to learn it before voice. In future when students will pursue their higher studies then they will find application of voice change in all aspects of English language. Besides following textbook students sometimes require other references to master their conceptual knowledge of voice. So, here we have provided detail description of voice change which will be helpful for all classes of students in school education. Students are advised to follow this entire article for getting complete knowledge about voice change.
Voice: voice is that action of verb when we get to know about subject’s actions or action is done on the subject.
Voice is two kinds: active voice and passive voice.
Active voice: when a subject does an action with an object then the form of verb is called active voice.
Structure: subject+ verb+ object
Ex. he goes to the market every day.
Passive voice: when the effect of the verb’s action comes on the subject then it is called passive voice.
Structure: obj + helping verb+ v3+ by+ sub.
i) Passive voice applies when an action is done indirectly or passively.
Ex. tea is grown both in Darjeeling and Assam.
ii) When an action is of greater level or memorable.
Ex. the injured passengers were taken to hospital after the accident.
iii) When subject is not mentioned properly or not much significant to be mentioned.
Ex. people were relocated from the flood affected areas.
Tense wise Active voice and Passive voice rules:
Indefinite Tense
|
Indefinite tense |
Active | Passive |
| Simple present | Sub+ verb+ obj |
Obj+ am/is/are+ v3+ by+ sub |
|
Simple past |
Sub+ v2+ obj | obj+ was/were+ v3+ by+ sub |
| Simple future | sub+ shall/will+ v1+ obj |
obj+ shall/will+ be+ v3+ by+ sub |
|
Modal |
Sub+ modal+ v1+ obj |
obj+ modal+ be+ v3+ by+ sub |
Change of Voice:
Active
i.) Police arrested the thief.
ii.) People speak Hindi in major parts of India.
iii.) Teacher teaches mathematics here.
iv.) No one desire conflicts.
v.) I will not tolerate this complication.
Passive
i.) The thief was arrested.
ii.) Hindi is spoken in major parts of India.
iii.) Mathematics is taught here.
iv.) Conflicts are not desired.
v.) This complication will not be tolerated by me.
Continuous Tense
Present continuous tense:
Structure:
Active voice: sub+ am/is/are+ v1+ing+obj
Passive voice: obj+ am/is/are+ being+ v3+ by+ sub
Ex. i) I am writing a letter. (Active)
A letter is being written by me. (Passive)
ii) He is drawing a picture. (Active)
A picture is being drawn by him. (Passive)
Past continuous tense:
Structure:
Active voice: sub+ was/were+ v1+ ing+ obj
Passive voice: obj+ was/were+ being+ v3+ by+ obj
Ex. i) she was singing a song then. (Active)
A song was being sung by her then. (Passive)
ii) They were playing football in the park. (Active)
Football was being played by them in the park. (Passive)
Future continuous tense:
Structure:
Active voice: sub+ shall/will+ be+ v1+ ing+ obj
Passive voice: not in use.
Ex. we will be doing our homework. (Active)
They will be viewing their project. (Active)
Perfect Tense:
Present perfect tense:
Structure:
Active voice: sub+ have/has+ v3+ obj
Passive voice:obj+ have/has+ been+ v3+ by+ sub
Ex. i) I have understood the novel. (Active)
The novel has been understood by me. (Passive)
ii) He has drawn the scenery. (Active)
The scenery has been drawn by him. (Passive)
Past perfect tense:
Structure:
Active voice: sub+ had+ v3+ obj
Passive voice: obj+ had+ been+ v3+ by+ sub
Ex. i) we had taken coffee. (Active)
Coffee had been taken by us. (Passive)
ii) He had caught a fish. (Active)
A fish had been caught by him. (Passive)
Future Perfect Tense:
Structure:
Active voice: sub+ shall/will+ have+ v3+ obj
Passive voice: obj+ shall/will+ have+ been+ v3+ by+ sub
Ex. i) he will have viewed the matter by that time. (Active)
The matter will have been viewed by him by that time. (Passive)
Voice Change with Modals:
Structure:
Active voice: sub+ modal+ v1+ obj
Passive voice: obj + modal+ be+ v3+ sub
Ex. i) I can play piano. (Active)
Piano can be played by me. (Passive)
ii) We may visit the hospital tomorrow. (Active)
The hospital may be visited by us tomorrow. (Passive)
Point: some verbs are used with appropriate prepositions with it in place of by. Like surprised at, amazed at, known to, startled at, astonished at, annoyed with somebody, annoyed at something, embodied in, engulfed in, decorated with, contained in, filled with, ornamented with etc.
Ex. i) bottles contain milk. (Active)
Milk is contained in bottles. (Passive)
ii) The boy annoys me. (Active)
I am annoyed with the boy. (Passive)
Interrogative Sentence:
There are two types of questions which are- wh questions and yes/no questions.
Formation of wh questions:
Active voice: wh word+ auxiliary verb+ sub+ principal verb+ obj+ other words.
Passive voice: wh word+ auxiliary verb+ obj+ v3+ by+ sub
Ex. i) whom did you laugh at? (Active)
Who was laughed at by you? (Passive)
ii) Which man abused her? (Active)
By which man was she abused? (Passive)
iii) How much milk have you drunk? (Active)
How much milk has been drunk by you? (Passive)
iv) Who taught her French? (active)
By whom was she taught French? (Passive)
v) Why does she teach the children? (active)
Why are the children taught by her? (Passive)
Formation of yes/no questions:
Structure:
Active voice: auxiliary verb+ sub+ main verb+ obj
Passive voice: auxiliary verb+ obj+ v3+ by+ sub
i) Should the doctor examine her? (active)
Should she be examined by the doctor? (Passive)
ii) Was she making a noise? (active)
Was a noise being made by her? (Passive)
iii) Did he solve the sum? (active)
Was the sum be solved by him? (Passive)
Voice change of Complex Sentence:
To change complex sentence into passive voice we have to change both principal clause and subordinate clause into passive voice. There is no subject in principal clause generally so we have to take it as subject. If there is no subject in subordinate clause of complex sentence then there is no need to make passive of that part.
In active voice which words follow appropriate prepositions those will follow same prepositions in passive voice too.
Double passive in a simple sentence should be avoided.
When there is main verb+ infinitive then the passive done of main verb and when there is auxiliary+ infinitive then passive form is done of infinitive.
Examples.
i) I know what he does. (active)
It is known to me what is done by him. (Passive)
ii) I know that he is a good boy. (active)
It is known to me that he is a good boy. (Passive)
iii) I cannot depend on what he says. (active)
It cannot be depended on by me what is said by him. (Passive)
iv) I know him when he came here. (active)
He was known to me when he came here. (Passive)
v) They proposed to hold a meeting. (active)
It was proposed by them to hold a meeting. (Passive)
vi) I am to do the work. (active)
The work is to be done by me. (Passive)
Voice change of Reflexive Pronoun:
The reflexive object cannot be the subject in the passive voice. Adverbial objects can never come before nominal objects.
Ex. i) she killed herself. (Active)
She was killed by herself. (Passive)
ii) She is preparing herself for the examination. (Active)
She is being prepared by herself for the competition. (Passive)
Voice change of Quasi-Passive voice:
When there comes adjectives after verbs in place of adverbs in sentences then it is known as quasi-passive.
Ex. i) rose smells sweet. (Active)
Rose is sweet when it is smelt. (Passive)
ii) Those mangoes tasted sour. (Active)
Those mangoes were sour when they were tasted. (Passive)
Voice change of Infinitive:
Formation:
Active voice: it+ auxiliary verb+ noun+to+ v1+ obj
Passive voice: it+ auxiliary verb+ noun+ for+ obj+ to be+ v3
Ex. i) my wife was to but a necklace. (Active)
A necklace was to be bought by my wife. (Passive)
ii) There is no money to buy. (Active)
There is no money to be bought. (Passive)
iii)It is now time to play cricket. (Active)
It is now time to be payed cricket. (Passive)
iv) The teacher like Mohan to read the Ramayana. (active)
The teacher like the Ramayana to be read by Mohan. (Passive)
v) He wants pupil to like him. (active)
He wants to be liked. (Passive)
vi) I have to finish this work. (active)
This work has to be finished by me. (Passive)
vii) There was time to labour. (active)
There was time to be laboured. (Passive)
viii) It is time to learn computer. (active)
It is time for computer to be learned. (Passive)
Passive with let:
If the subject after let is plural then it refers propose/ suggestion.
If the subject is singular after let then it shows permission.
When there is command in sentence and two objects are present then passive will be done only with let.
Structure:
Active: let+ sub+ main verb+ obj
Passive: let+ obj+ be+ v3
Ex. i) let me play here. (Permission)
I might be allowed to play here. (Passive)
ii) Let us help him. (Suggestion)
He should be helped. (Passive)
iii) Let us stay here. (Suggestion)
It is suggested that we should stay here. (Passive)
iv) Bring a book. (Command)
Let a book be brought. (Passive)
v)Don’t stay here. (Object not given)
You are ordered not to stay here. (Passive)
Permission/ request/ advice
vi) Listen to me. (With object)
I should be listened to. (Passive)
vii) Help the poor. (with object)
The poor should be helped. (Passive)
viii) Please don’t talk loudly. (active)
You are requested not to talk loudly. (Passive)
Voice change of Participle:
If there is verb for with ing in sentence and the action refers to continuous form then it is participle.
When there is participle in a sentence then passive is to be done of infinitive not for the main verb.
Ex: i) I found his friends laughing at him. (Active)
I found him being laughed at by his friends. (Passive)
ii) I heard her shouting at the child. (Active)
I heard the child being shouted at by her. (Passive)
Other rules:
When there is main verbs like let, bid, make, help. Feel, watch, see and hear in sentences then bare infinitive/ direct infinitive comes after verbs. But normal infinitive comes in passive voice.
Only for the verb let bare infinitive comes for both active voice and passive voice.
To+ v1= normal infinitive
Only v1= bare infinitive
Ex. i) I bade him go.
He was bidden to go by me.
ii) The teacher made the student repeat the lesson.
The student was made to repeat the lesson by the teacher.
iii)she let me go.
I was let go by her.
If principal clause starts with ask in complex sentence then by is not used in passive voice and subordinate clause remains unchanged.
Ex. i) she asked me if I could kill a lion.
I was asked if I could kill a lion.
Practice Set:
- I saw him enter the room.
- The box can contain no more.
- He found the boys laughing at him.
- We saw him steal the TV.
- It is time to shut up the shop.
- He hoped to win the match.
- Why were you refused admission?
- The lion is called the king of beasts.
- The house was burnt to ashes.
- He is afraid of dogs biting him.
- Why did he say this?
- Keep off the grass.
- The rich should help the poor.
- Has he worked out the sums?
- Shall I forget those dreadful days?
- Were you writing a report?
- The flask contains milk.
- Why did you give a rude reply?
- I knew him.
- Her manner shocked me.
Solutions:
- He was seen entering the room.
- No more can be contained in this box.
- He found himself being laughed at by the boys.
- He was seen to steal the TV.
- It is time for the shop to be shut up.
- It was hoped by him that he would win the match.
- Why did they refuse you admission?
- People call the lion the king of beasts.
- Fire burnt the house to ashes.
- He is afraid of being bitten by dogs.
- Why was this said by him?
- You are requested to keep off the grass.
- The poor should be helped by the rich.
- Have the sums been worked out by him?
- Will those dreadful days be forgotten by me?
- Was a report being written by you?
- Milk is contained in the flask.
- Why was a rude reply given by you?
- He was known to me.
- I was shocked at her manner.