Active and Passive Voice

Changing an assertive sentence into the passive

Active: He wrote a letter.

Passive:

Active: She sang a song.

Passive:

Active: He loved his friends very much.

Passive:

Changing a negative sentence into the passive

Active: She did not know anything about it.

Passive:

Active: Nobody could discourage him from pursuing his path.

Passive:

Active: You did not listen to me.

Passive:

Active: She did not write a story.

Passive:

Changing an interrogative sentence into the passive

Passive forms of these sentences begin with did. If the active sentence begins with a

question word such as when, whose, why, which and how, the passive sentence will also

begin with a question word. If the active sentence begins with who or whose, the passive

sentence will begin with by whom or by whose. If the active sentence begins with whom,

the passive sentence will begin with who.

Active: Did he break the window?

Passive: 

Active: Where could you find such fine art?

Passive:

Active: Why did you abuse your servant?

Passive:

Active: Did anyone steal your purse?

Passive: 

Active: Did anyone hurt your feelings?

Passive: 

Active: Did Alice invite you?

Passive: 

Active: Who killed the snake?

Passive: 

Active: Why did he punish you?

Passive: 

Active: Whom did you laugh at?

Passive:

Changing an interrogative sentence into the passive

Active: Do the children play football?

Passive: 

Active: Did Alice invite you?

Passive: 

Note: As you may have noticed, the auxiliaries do, does and did are not used in the

passive.

Active: Have you finished the work?

Passive: 

Notes: The auxiliaries has, have and had are used in the passive, but they change

their form according to the number and person of the passive subject.

Active: Can anyone cure it?

Passive: 

Active: Will he accept our invitation?

Passive: 

Note: The auxiliaries can, may, will and shall do not change their beginning position

when active voice is changed into the passive voice.

Active: Whom did you laugh at?

Passive: 

Active: Who killed the snake?

Passive: 

Note: Who changes to by whom in the passive; (by) whom changes to who in the

passive.

Active: Why did he punish you?

Passive: 

Notes: The question words when, where, why, how and what do not change their

beginning position when the sentence is changed from the active to the passive.

Changing an imperative sentence into the passive

Sentences expressing a request, order, advice, suggestion or prohibition are

called imperative sentences. Such sentences can be changed into the passive voice in the

following manner.

When we change an imperative sentence into the passive, we use a verb

like request, order, suggest, advice etc. The choice of verb depends upon the exact nature

of the order or request.

Active: Please lend me your pen.

Passive:

Active: Please do this work.

Passive:

Active: Please bring me a glass of water.

Passive:

Active: Work hard to pass your examination.

Passive:

Active: Do it.

Passive:

Active: Let me do it.

Passive:

Active: Consult a doctor.

Passive:

Active: Do not pluck the flowers.

Passive:

*As you can see, we use an infinitive or a that-clause to change an imperative

sentence into the passive voice.

**Not all verbs can be followed by an infinitive. Some verbs are followed by that-

clauses. Suggest is one of them. It is followed by a that-clause, not an infinitive.