Active and Passive Voice are two ways of expressing the same action. In Active Voice, the subject performs the action. In Passive Voice, the subject receives the action. For CUET English, questions may test voice conversion through different tenses, modal verbs, negatives, interrogatives, imperatives, sentences with two objects, verbs with prepositions, and reporting structures. The most important principle is: The tense remains the same; only the form of the verb changes.
1. What Is Active Voice?
A sentence is in Active Voice when the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.
Basic Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
Examples:
- The chef prepared the meal.
- Maya wrote the letter.
- The dog chased the ball.
- The teacher explained the lesson.
- The government introduced a new policy.
Features of Active Voice:
- Focus is on the doer of the action.
- The sentence is generally direct and concise.
- The subject normally comes before the verb.
- Used when the identity of the doer is important.
2. What Is Passive Voice?
A sentence is in Passive Voice when the subject receives the action rather than performing it.
Basic Structure: Object + appropriate form of BE + V3 + (by + agent)
Examples:
- The meal was prepared by the chef.
- The letter was written by Maya.
- The ball was chased by the dog.
- The lesson was explained by the teacher.
Important Note: The phrase 'by + subject' is NOT compulsory.
- Someone stole my phone. → My phone was stolen. (Agent omitted)
Features of Passive Voice:
- Focus is on the receiver of the action.
- The sentence is often formal and indirect.
- The original object becomes the grammatical subject.
- Used when the doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
3. Active vs Passive Voice: Comparison
| Feature | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Doer (subject) | Receiver (object becomes subject) |
| Basic order | S + V + O | O + be + V3 + by + S |
| Main verb | Normal tense form | V3 (Past Participle) |
| Agent | Subject | Usually after 'by' |
| Style | Direct, energetic | Formal, indirect |
| Agent required? | Yes, normally | No (can be omitted) |
| Example | The police arrested him. | He was arrested by the police. |
4. The Five Golden Rules of Conversion
Rule 1: Object becomes subject
- The boy kicked the ball. → The ball was kicked by the boy.
Rule 2: Subject becomes agent (after 'by')
- Riya wrote the letter. → The letter was written by Riya.
Rule 3: Main verb changes to V3
- write → written, eat → eaten, take → taken, see → seen, make → made
- Incorrect: The letter was wrote by her.
- Correct: The letter was written by her.
Rule 4: Tense does NOT change
- She writes a letter. (Simple Present) → A letter is written by her. (Simple Present)
- She wrote a letter. (Simple Past) → A letter was written by her. (Simple Past)
Rule 5: Pronouns change their case
- I → me, we → us, he → him, she → her, they → them, who → whom
- I wrote the letter. → The letter was written by me.
5. The Conversion Method (Step-by-Step)
Use this five-step method for any active → passive conversion:
Step 1: Find S + V + O
The chef cooked the meal. → Subject = chef, Verb = cooked, Object = meal
Step 2: Move the object to the beginning
The meal...
Step 3: Identify the tense
“cooked” = Simple Past
Step 4: Select the correct BE form
Simple Past → was/were. Meal = singular → was.
Step 5: Convert the verb to V3
cook → cooked
Final: The meal was cooked by the chef.
6. Active and Passive Voice in Different Tenses
| Tense | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | S + V1/V1s + O | O + is/am/are + V3 + by S | She writes a letter. → A letter is written by her. |
| Present Continuous | S + is/am/are + V-ing + O | O + is/am/are + being + V3 + by S | She is writing a letter. → A letter is being written by her. |
| Present Perfect | S + has/have + V3 + O | O + has/have + been + V3 + by S | She has written a letter. → A letter has been written by her. |
| Simple Past | S + V2 + O | O + was/were + V3 + by S | She wrote a letter. → A letter was written by her. |
| Past Continuous | S + was/were + V-ing + O | O + was/were + being + V3 + by S | She was writing a letter. → A letter was being written by her. |
| Past Perfect | S + had + V3 + O | O + had been + V3 + by S | She had written a letter. → A letter had been written by her. |
| Simple Future | S + will + V1 + O | O + will be + V3 + by S | She will write a letter. → A letter will be written by her. |
| Future Perfect | S + will have + V3 + O | O + will have been + V3 + by S | She will have written a letter. → A letter will have been written by her. |
Memory Trick:
- Simple → BE + V3
- Continuous → BE + BEING + V3
- Perfect → HAVE + BEEN + V3
- Modal → MODAL + BE + V3
Tenses NOT Used in Passive:
- Future Continuous (will be doing)
- Present Perfect Continuous (has been doing)
- Past Perfect Continuous (had been doing)
- Future Perfect Continuous (will have been doing)
7. Passive Voice with Modal Verbs
Formula: Object + Modal + be + V3 + by S
| Modal | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Can | She can solve the problem. | The problem can be solved by her. |
| Could | She could play the violin. | The violin could be played by her. |
| May | They may invite us. | We may be invited by them. |
| Might | The driver might damage the car. | The car might be damaged by the driver. |
| Should | You should respect elders. | Elders should be respected by you. |
| Must | He must finish the homework. | The homework must be finished by him. |
| Have to / Has to | He has to submit the report. | The report has to be submitted by him. |
| Ought to | You ought to follow the rules. | The rules ought to be followed. |
| Would | She would prepare the meal. | The meal would be prepared by her. |
8. Passive Voice with Modal Perfect Structures
Formula: Modal + have + V3 → Modal + have been + V3
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| They must have completed the work. | The work must have been completed by them. |
| She may have forgotten the key. | The key may have been forgotten by her. |
| He could have solved the problem. | The problem could have been solved by him. |
| They might have stolen the money. | The money might have been stolen by them. |
| She should have finished the work. | The work should have been finished by her. |
Key Pattern: Modal + have + V3 → Modal + have been + V3
9. Negative Sentences
In negative sentences, 'not' remains in the passive construction.
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | She does not write letters. | Letters are not written by her. |
| Simple Past | They did not complete the work. | The work was not completed by them. |
| Present Perfect | He has not finished the task. | The task has not been finished by him. |
| Modal | You should not waste water. | Water should not be wasted. |
Key Rule: Do NOT carry do/does/did into the passive.
- Incorrect: The work did not completed by them.
- Correct: The work was not completed by them.
10. Interrogative Sentences
Questions require special attention because the auxiliary/question word remains at the beginning.
Yes/No Questions:
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Did she write the letter? | Was the letter written by her? |
| Does he drive the bus? | Is the bus driven by him? |
| Will they finish the work? | Will the work be finished by them? |
Questions Beginning with “Who”:
- Who broke the window? → By whom was the window broken?
- Who wrote this book? → By whom was this book written?
Questions Beginning with “Whom”:
- Whom did the teacher punish? → Who was punished by the teacher?
WH-Questions:
- Why did he close the door? → Why was the door closed by him?
- When did they announce the result? → When was the result announced by them?
- How did they solve the problem? → How was the problem solved by them?
- What did she buy? → What was bought by her?
11. Imperative Sentences
Imperatives express commands, orders, requests, advice, and instructions. The subject “you” is usually understood.
General Formula: Let + object + be + V3
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Open the door. | Let the door be opened. |
| Close the window. | Let the window be closed. |
| Help the poor. | Let the poor be helped. |
Negative Imperatives:
- Do not waste water. → Let water not be wasted.
- Do not open the door. → Let the door not be opened.
Requests: (with “please” or “kindly”)
- Please help me. → You are requested to help me.
- Kindly wait here. → You are requested to wait here.
Advice:
- Take regular exercise. → You are advised to take regular exercise.
Orders:
- Leave the room. → You are ordered to leave the room.
12. Sentences with Two Objects
Some verbs can take two objects — an indirect object (person) and a direct object (thing).
Common verbs: give, send, offer, teach, tell, show, lend, buy, promise
Example: She gave me a book.
- Indirect object = me
- Direct object = a book
Two possible passive constructions:
- I was given a book by her. (Indirect object becomes subject)
- A book was given to me by her. (Direct object becomes subject)
Another Example: The teacher taught us English.
- We were taught English by the teacher.
- English was taught to us by the teacher.
13. Verbs with Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs
Important: Do NOT remove the preposition when converting such sentences.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| They laughed at him. | He was laughed at by them. |
| Someone has looked after the child. | The child has been looked after. |
| They called for the doctor. | The doctor was called for. |
| They turned down the proposal. | The proposal was turned down by them. |
| Someone has taken away the books. | The books have been taken away. |
Key Pattern: The preposition remains attached to the passive construction.
14. “Make” in Passive Voice
With “make”, the active structure often uses a bare infinitive.
Active: The teacher made the students work.
Passive: The students were made to work by the teacher.
Important: The infinitive “to” appears in the passive.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| They made him apologise. | He was made to apologise by them. |
| She made the children laugh. | The children were made to laugh by her. |
| My mother made me study. | I was made to study by my mother. |
15. “See, Hear, Watch” and Similar Verbs
With certain perception verbs, the active sentence may contain a bare infinitive.
Active: I saw him cross the road.
Passive: He was seen to cross the road.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| I saw him cross the road. | He was seen to cross the road. |
| They heard her sing. | She was heard to sing. |
| We watched them play. | They were watched to play. |
Key Pattern: The passive construction introduces “to” before the verb.
16. Reporting Verbs (Advanced Passive)
Verbs such as say, believe, think, know, expect, consider, report, suppose can form special passive constructions.
Pattern 1: It is said/believed/thought that...
Pattern 2: Subject + is said/believed/thought + to be/have + V3
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| People say that he is honest. | It is said that he is honest. OR He is said to be honest. |
| People believe that she won the competition. | It is believed that she won the competition. OR She is believed to have won the competition. |
| People think that he stole the money. | It is thought that he stole the money. OR He is thought to have stolen the money. |
17. Choosing “By” vs Other Prepositions
The agent responsible for an action is generally introduced with “by”.
- The letter was written by Maya. (Agent — person)
But instruments/materials are often introduced with “with”.
- The window was broken with a hammer. (Instrument — object)
Compare:
- The window was broken by the boy. (Doer)
- The window was broken with a hammer. (Instrument)
Key Rule: By = agent/doer | With = instrument/material
18. Verbs That Do Not Take an Object (Intransitive Verbs)
Only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be converted into passive voice.
Example (Transitive): She wrote a letter. (“wrote” has an object = “a letter”)
→ A letter was written by her. ✓
Example (Intransitive): He slept. (No object)
→ Passive not possible.
Common Intransitive Verbs:
- sleep, arrive, come, go, die, happen, occur, laugh, cry, sit, stand
Incorrect: The station was arrived at by him.
Remember: No object → normally no passive voice.
19. “By” Omission (When to Drop the Agent)
Do NOT automatically add “by + subject”. Omit the agent when:
1. Unknown Agent:
- Someone stole my phone. → My phone was stolen.
2. Obvious Agent:
- The police arrested the thief. → The thief was arrested.
3. Unimportant Agent:
- The road was repaired last week. (We don't need to mention who repaired it.)
4. Important Agent (Keep):
- The theory was developed by Einstein.
20. Object Complements in Passive
Some active sentences contain an object complement — a word that describes the object. This complement remains after the passive verb.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| They elected him president. | He was elected president. |
| They painted the door red. | The door was painted red. |
| They considered her intelligent. | She was considered intelligent. |
Key Rule: The complement remains after the passive verb.
21. Passive Voice with “Going to”
Structure: am/is/are going to + V1 → am/is/are going to + be + V3
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| They are going to build a new school. | A new school is going to be built by them. |
| She is going to bake a cake. | A cake is going to be baked by her. |
| We are going to finish the project. | The project is going to be finished by us. |
22. Passive Voice with “Used to”
Structure: used to + V1 → used to + be + V3
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| People used to make these toys by hand. | These toys used to be made by hand. |
| They used to sell fresh vegetables here. | Fresh vegetables used to be sold here. |
23. Passive Voice with “Need to”
Structure: need to + V1 → need to be + V3
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| You need to complete the form. | The form needs to be completed by you. |
| They need to repair the road. | The road needs to be repaired by them. |
24. Passive → Active Conversion
The process can also be reversed.
Step 1: Find the agent after “by”.
The letter was written by Maya. → Agent = Maya
Step 2: Make the agent the subject.
Maya...
Step 3: Identify the passive tense.
“was written” = Simple Past
Step 4: Convert to active verb.
“wrote”
Step 5: Make the passive subject the object.
Maya wrote the letter.
Passive → Active (Without Agent):
- The window was broken. → Someone broke the window. (Introduced unspecified agent)
25. High-Yield Transformation Patterns (Quick Revision)
| Active Pattern | Passive Pattern |
|---|---|
| V1/V1s | is/am/are + V3 |
| is/am/are + V-ing | is/am/are + being + V3 |
| has/have + V3 | has/have + been + V3 |
| V2 | was/were + V3 |
| was/were + V-ing | was/were + being + V3 |
| had + V3 | had been + V3 |
| will + V1 | will be + V3 |
| will have + V3 | will have been + V3 |
| modal + V1 | modal + be + V3 |
| modal + have + V3 | modal + have been + V3 |
26. CUET Exam Traps & Common Errors
Error 1: Wrong V3
- Incorrect: The letter was wrote by her.
- Correct: The letter was written by her.
Error 2: Wrong BE verb
- Incorrect: The books is kept on the table.
- Correct: The books are kept on the table.
Error 3: Changing the tense
- Incorrect: She wrote a letter. → A letter is written by her.
- Correct: She wrote a letter. → A letter was written by her.
Error 4: Keeping do/does/did
- Incorrect: The work did not completed by him.
- Correct: The work was not completed by him.
Error 5: Wrong pronoun
- Incorrect: The letter was written by she.
- Correct: The letter was written by her.
Error 6: Forgetting “being”
- Incorrect: A letter is written by her. (when active is Present Continuous)
- Correct: A letter is being written by her.
Error 7: Forgetting “been”
- Incorrect: A letter has written by her.
- Correct: A letter has been written by her.
Error 8: Removing a necessary preposition
- Incorrect: He was laughed by them.
- Correct: He was laughed at by them.
27. Seven-Step Method for CUET Questions
When asked to convert Active → Passive, ask these questions in order:
- Q1: Is there an object? If no → ordinary passive is generally impossible.
- Q2: What is the tense? Identify the tense before touching the verb.
- Q3: What becomes the new subject? Move the object to the beginning.
- Q4: Which BE form is required? Use the tense + number of the new subject.
- Q5: What is the V3 form? Never use V1 or V2 after the passive auxiliary.
- Q6: Is “by + agent” necessary? Omit if unknown, obvious, or irrelevant.
- Q7: Do pronouns need to change? I→me, we→us, he→him, she→her, they→them.
28. Final Revision Sheet
- Active: Subject performs action.
- Passive: Subject receives action.
- Core Formula: Object + BE + V3 + (by + Subject)
- Golden Rule: Tense stays the same.
- V3 is compulsory: be + V3
- Continuous: being + V3
- Perfect: been + V3
- Modal: modal + be + V3
- Agent: Omit “by + agent” when doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
- Pronouns: I→me, we→us, he→him, she→her, they→them, who→whom
Most Important Question: Before converting, ask: “Does the active sentence have an object?” If no, a normal passive transformation is generally not possible.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting that the tense of the 'be' verb must match the tense of the active sentence.
- Using the wrong past participle form (V3) — e.g., 'writed' instead of 'written'.
- Dropping 'by' + subject when the doer is actually important or needed.
- Converting interrogative sentences incorrectly — forgetting to keep the question word or auxiliary at the front.
- Using the passive with perfect continuous tenses or future continuous — these are normally avoided.
- Changing the tense while converting — tense always stays the same.
- Using the same 'be' verb for all subjects — must match subject in number (singular/plural).
- Removing necessary prepositions attached to phrasal verbs (e.g., 'laughed at him' → 'laughed by him' is incorrect).
- Forgetting 'being' in continuous tenses and 'been' in perfect tenses.
- Keeping 'do/does/did' in passive — these are removed; the appropriate 'be' form replaces them.
- Using the wrong pronoun after 'by' — e.g., 'by she' instead of 'by her'.
- Forcing passive voice for intransitive verbs — only transitive verbs (with objects) can be converted.