Table of Contents
CBSE Class 10 English Grammar – Active And Passive Voice
1. Voice:
Voice is that form of the transitive verb that shows whether the subject of the sentence is the doer of the action or has the action done to it.
For example:
‘Mohan played football.’ – This sentence is said to be in the active voice. Here, Mohan is the subject and he is the doer of the action, i.e. ‘played football’. The action of the subject is transferred to the object ‘football because Mohan has done something to the ‘football’. The passive voice of this sentence is:
Football was played by Mohan.
Here the subject is ‘football’ which was ‘object’ in the active sentence. So here something is done to the subject ‘football’, i.e. it suffers the action done by something or someone.
2. Rules for the Change of Voice:
- The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the verb in the passive voice. The preposition ‘by’ is put before it.
- The main verb of the active sentence changes into the past participle.
- The form of the verb to be (am, is, are, was, were, being, been) is placed before the main verb according to the tense.
- The auxiliary verb is changed according to the new subject in number and person.
3. Changes in Pronouns
4. Change in tenses from Active Voice to Passive Voice:
5. Change of Voice in the Simple Present:
6. Past Simple Tense
7. Simple Future
8. Present Progressive
9. Past Progressive
10. Present Perfect Tense
11. Past Perfect Tense
12. Future Perfect Tense
13. Imperative Sentence
Imperative sentences express command/order, request, suggestion, etc. While changing imperative sentences into the passive voice, we use verbs like advise, request, order, etc.
14. Interrogative Sentences
15. Modal Auxiliaries
The form of the passive sentences will be: modal + be + past participle:
16. Prepositional Verbs
17. Quasi – Passive
18. Miscellaneous Examples
Active and Passive Voice Examples with Answers
Change the following sentences into Passive Voice.
(i) He has missed the train.
Answer: The train has been missed by him.
(ii) Do they speak French?
Answer: Is the French spoken by them?
(iii) Was he reading a book?
Answer: Was a book being read by him?
(iv) Compose this letter.
Answer: Let this letter be composed.
(v) Where did you buy this pen from?
Answer: From where was this pen bought by you?
(vi) Who wrote this speech?
Answer: By whom was this speech written?
(vii) One should respect one’s elders.
Answer: Elders should be respected.
(viii) I did not praise anybody.
Answer: Nobody was praised by me.
(ix) He hurt his leg in an accident.
Answer: His leg was hurt in an accident.
(x) Someone was knocking at the door.
Answer: The door was being knocked by someone.
Exercise (Unsolved)
A. Change the following sentences into passive voice. The first one has been done for you.
1. I am sure they will take care of the child properly
I am sure that the child will be taken care of properly.
2. They say that these herbs are good for rheumatism.
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3. We think that she is the most understanding and patient teacher in the school.
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4. We shall have to deal with these problems one at a time.
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5. They took down the old notice, but they put up another one in its place.
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B. Change the following sentences into Passive Voice. Mention the agent only when necessary. The first one has been done for you.
1. A tourist guide showed us round the picturesque countryside.
We were shown sound the picturesque countryside by a tourist guide.
2. The blind man has made the chair very well.
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3. An unseen hand closed the window.
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4. A. R. Rehman composed this lovely piece of music.
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5. A good friend told me the news this morning.
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