Active and Passive Voice – Change of Voice – All Tenses – Rules
There are two basic rules for converting sentences from Active Voice into Passive Voice, which are common for all tenses.
- The places of subject and object will be interchanged in the sentence.
- Only 3rd form of the verb or Past Participle (e.g. written) will be used as a main verb in Passive Voice.
The rules for using ‘Auxiliary Verb’ in a sentence are different for each tense, as follows:
Present Simple Tense
Auxiliary verbs used in Passive Voice: Is/are/am |
|
Active Voices | Passive Voices |
---|---|
He writes a letter. | A letter is written by him. |
He does not write a letter. | A letter is not written by him. |
Does he write a letter? | Is a letter written by him? |
They sell books. | Books are sold by them. |
She helps me. | I am helped by her. |
Present Progressive Tense
Auxiliary verbs used in Passive Voice: Is being / Are being / Am being |
|
Active Voices | Passive Voices |
---|---|
She is singing a song. | A song is being sung by her. |
She is not singing a song. | A song is not being sung by her. |
Is she singing a song? | Is a song being sung by her? |
They are eating apples. | Apples are being eaten by them. |
You are disturbing me. | I am being disturbed by you. |
Present Perfect Tense
Auxiliary verbs used in Passive Voice: Has been / Have been |
|
Active Voices | Passive Voices |
---|---|
He has completed the work. | The work has been completed by him. |
He has not completed the work. | The work has not been completed by him. |
Has he completed the work? | Has the work been completed by him. |
She has written five poems. | Five poems have been written by her. |
I have made some cakes. | Some cakes have been made by me. |
Past Simple Tense
Auxiliary verbs used in Passive Voice: Was / Were |
|
Active Voices | Passive Voices |
---|---|
He bought a car. | A car was bought by him. |
He did not buy a car. | A car was not bought by him. |
Did he buy a car? | Was a car bought by him? |
She decorated the walls. | The walls were decorated by her. |
I helped them. | They were helped by me. |
Past Progressive Tense
Auxiliary verbs used in Passive Voice: Was being / Were being |
|
Active Voices | Passive Voices |
---|---|
She was washing a shirt. | A shirt was being washed by her. |
She was not washing a shirt. | A shirt was not being washed by her. |
Was she washing a shirt? | Was a shirt being washed by her? |
Boys were singing songs. | Songs were being sung by boys. |
Past Perfect Tense
Auxiliary verbs used in Passive Voice: Had been |
|
Active Voices | Passive Voices |
---|---|
They had won the game. | The game had been won by them. |
They had not won the game. | The game had not been won by them. |
Had they won the game? | Had the game been won by them? |
He had collected coins. | Coins had been collected by him. |
Future Simple Tense
Auxiliary verbs used in Passive Voice: Will be |
|
Active Voices | Passive Voices |
---|---|
She will write a poem. | A poem will be written by her. |
She will not write a poem. | A poem will not be written by her. |
Will she write a poem? | Will a poem be written by her? |
You will receive the letter. | The letter will be received by you. |
They will arrange the money. | The money will be arranged by them. |
Future Perfect Tense
Auxiliary verbs used in Passive Voice: Will have been |
|
Active Voices | Passive Voices |
---|---|
He will have received the letter. | The letter will have been received by him. |
He will not have received the letter. | The letter will not have been received by him. |
Will he have received the letter? | Will the letter have been received by him? |
Note: The sentences of following tenses can’t be changed to Passive Voices.
- Present Perfect Continuous (or Progressive) Tense
- Past Perfect Continuous (or Progressive) Tense
- Future Perfect Continuous (or Progressive) Tense
- Future Continuous (or Progressive) Tense
- Sentences having Intransitive verbs
- Active and Passive Voice – Change of Voice – Rules
- Active and Passive Voice – Change of Voice – Modals – Rules
- Active and Passive Voice – Change of Voice – Imperative Sentences – Rules
- Active and Passive Voice – Change of Voice -Which cannot be Changed – Rules