How to Transform Active Voice Sentence into Passive Voice Sentence ? Voice - Simplified to Understand Easily and Quickly!!

Abstract:

Voices' (also known as diathesis) describe the relationship between the 'verb' and its 'participants.'

'Verbs' are words that describe actions or states. 'Participants' such as the subject and object, are used in a sentence to provide context and meaning. However, a subject and a verb are essential components for forming a complete sentence.

Voices in English grammar are two types

1. Active Voice

2. Passive Voice

The Active Voice can be transformed into Passive Voice or vice-versa.

Keywords:

Voices in English Grammar, Active Voice, Passive Voice, Sentence, Changing Rules

Learning Outcomes :

After undergoing this article you will be able to understand the following

1. What's a voice in English grammar?

2. Types of voice in English grammar

3. What's Active Voice?

4. What's Passive Voice?

5. Uses of Active Voice

6. Uses of Passive Voice

7. Relationship of Voice with Tense

7. Types of verbs used in voice

8. Abbreviations used in converting Active Voice Sentence into Passive Voice Sentence structure 

9. Rules for changing Active Voice to Passive Voice

10. Conclusions

11. FAQs

References

1. What's a voice in English grammar?

Voice in English grammar pertains to the arrangement of the subject, the verb, and the object in a sentence to indicate whether the subject is performing the action (active voice) or receiving the action (passive voice). 

The choice of voice can influence the sentence structure and the focus on the subject or the object. Both active and passive voice have their specific uses, and understanding when to use each can significantly impact the clarity and emphasis of your writing.

2. Types of voice in English grammar

Voices in English grammar are two types

1. Active Voice

2. Passive Voice

3. What's Active Voice?

Active Voice

Whenever the subject is the doer of an action the sentence is considered as an active voice.
Look at some examples of the active voice:

Ram eats a mango.

Here, 

Ram = Subject

eats = Verb

a mango = Object

Active Voice – Subject + Verb + Object

4. What's Passive Voice?

A verb is in the passive voice when the subject of the sentence is acted on by the verb.

Look at some examples of the passive voice. It is converted into Passive Voice from active voice. Here the object became subject and subject as object and the verb changed to past participle. An addition of by before the object is there.

Look below 

A mango is eaten by Ram

Passive Voice – Object + Verb + Subject

5. Uses of Active Voice

When to use Active Voice:

Active voice is generally preferred in writing because it is more direct, concise, and engaging. Active voice allows for clear communication and highlights the “doer” of the action, which often improves the flow of the text. Active voice is suitable for most types of writing, including essays, articles, creative writing, and everyday communication.

6. Uses of Passive Voice

When to Use Passive Voice:

Passive voice is appropriate in specific situations where the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action rather than the doer. Passive voice is often used in scientific or academic writing, formal reports, or situations where the doer is unknown, unimportant, or intentionally omitted from the sentence.

7. Relationship of Voice with Tense

Tense - which tells whether the subject is involved in a present, past, or future action. 

Voice - which tells whether the subject performs an action or is the object of the action.

Having learnt about the different parts of speech in the English language and the 12 different tenses, the next topic that you should focus on is the active voice and the passive voice.

For your quick review find here 12 different tenses:

• In English grammar, there are three main tenses, and they are each further classified into four different forms, which sum up to twelve tenses in total. The three tenses in English are:

Present Tense

Past Tense

Future Tense

The four different forms of each tense are:

• Simple Tense Form
• Continuous Tense Form
• Perfect Tense Form
• Perfect Continuous Tense Form

So, the twelve tenses in English are as follows:

Present Tense 

• Simple Present Tense
• Present Continuous Tense
• Present Perfect Tense
• Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Tense 

• Simple Past Tense
• Past Continuous Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Future Tense 

• Simple Future Tense
• Future Continuous Tense
• Future Perfect Tense
• Future Perfect Continuous Tense

         Fig. Types of Tenses

7. Types of verbs used in voice

Every kind of verb is used in converting from active voice to passive voice . Be it transitive 

Intransitive or auxiliary 

8. Abbreviations used in converting Active Voice Sentence into Passive Voice Sentence structure 

The following abbreviations are used while making equation of conversion from active voice to passive voice.

Subject = Sub.

Object = Obj.

Verb = V1/ V2 / V3

Addition of "by"

Active voice equation

Subject + Verb + Object

Passive voice equation

Object + Verb + Subject

9. Rules for changing Active Voice to Passive Voice

Rules for converting Active Voice to  Passive Voice are as follows given step wise

1. When converting the active voice into the passive voice or vice versa, there are changes in the tenses and pronouns used in the sentences.

2. The table given below indicates how the tenses change when converting the active voice to the passive voice and vice versa.

 Important points to remember 

For effective use of two voices you should know the following about how to use them:

These are essential while converting a sentence in the active voice to the passive voice, 

Step 1

You have to interchange the subject and the object.

Step 2

The next is to focus on is the verb. When converting the active voice into the passive voice, you have to convert the main verb into its past participle or its third form. 

Step 3

The third form of the main verb is the past participle form of the verb. Convert it and include this form in the sentence 

Step 4

When you are changing the tense of the main verb, make sure you use an auxiliary verb which maintains the type of tense the sentence represents.

The auxiliary verb are (is/am/are/was/ were/ has/ have/ had etc.). 

Remember, the rules for using auxiliary verbs in passive voice sentences are different for each tense.

Step 5

Always use the preposition, ‘by’ before the subject in a passive sentence.

Step 6

Change the pronouns as follows 

Active Voice Pronoun	Passive Voice Pronoun
I	Me
We	Us
He	Him
She	Her
They	Them
You	You
It	It

Step 7

If there are any adverbs used in the sentence with the active voice, be sure to include it in the passive voice as well. 

10. Conclusions

The subject should conclude the sentence when there is a change from active to passive voice. The preposition 'by' will be added between the verb and the object in this situation. In specific situations where the subject is absent, using 'by' is avoided.

11. FAQs

Q. How to Avoid Overuse of Passive Voice?

Ans :

While passive voice has its place in writing, it is essential to avoid overusing it, as it can make sentences less engaging and more complicated. Overusing passive voice may also lead to ambiguity or lack of clarity in your writing. Aim for a balance between active and passive voice, ensuring that the voice you choose supports the intended emphasis and clarity of your message.

Understanding voice in grammar is crucial for constructing effective and well-structured sentences. Active voice emphasizes the “doer” of the action and is generally preferred for most writing styles, while passive voice shifts the focus to the receiver of the action and is useful in specific contexts. By mastering both active and passive voice, you can enhance the impact and clarity of your writing, ensuring that your message is delivered with precision and coherence.

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