4.1 Voice - Active & Passive

 

VOICE-ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

A sentence in which the subject does the action to the object is said to be in the Active Voice.

                      (ACTIVE VOICE)

e.g.   Anil             ate           an orange.              

      SUBJECT     VERB         OBJECT

The same sentence can be written as :

                 (PASSIVE VOICE)

An orange      was eaten      by Anil.

SUBJECT        VERB          by-phrase

In the second sentence the subject (an orange ) is not the doer of the action. The name of the doer of the action is in the by-phrase (by Anil). Such sentences are said to be in the Passive Voice.

Sometimes, in sentences in the Passive Voice, the by-phrase is left out.

e.g. (1) All the tickets were sold (by them).

      (2) Hindi films are enjoyed (by viewers) all over Asia.

      (3) The union leaders were arrested (by the police).

2. Changes in the Verb Phrase :

	Active Voice	Passive Voice
(1) Simple Present Tense:	I write a story	- A story is written by me.
(2) Present Continuous Tense :	I am writing a story.	- A story is being written by me.
(3) Present Perfect Tense :	I have written a story.	- A story has been written by me.
(4) Simple Past Tense :	I wrote a story.	- A story was written by me.
(5) Past Continuous	I was writing a story	- A story was being written by Tense
(6) Past Perfect Tense :	I had written a story.	- A story had been written by me.
(1) Simple Future Tense :	I shall write a story.	- A story will be written by me.
(2) Future Perfect Tense :	I shall have written a story .	A story will have been written story. by me.
(3) Interrogative sentences :	Did you write a story?  Will you write a story? Who kicked the cat?  Have you posted the letter ?	- Was a story written by you?  - Will a story be written by you?  - By whom was the cat kicked?  - Has the letter been posted (by  you)?
Verb taking two objects :	I told her a story.	1. She was told a story by me. 2. A story was told to her by me.
Imperative sentences :	Complete it now Inform the school immediately.	- Let it be completed now.  - Let the school be informed     immediately.

Sample Questions

   1. Choose the correct Passive Voice construction of the given sentence :

You take the heroine's role.

(1) Let the heroine's role be taken by her.

(2) Let the heroine's role be taken by you.

(3) Let the heroine's role be yours.

(4) Let the heroine's role should be taken by you.

 2. Choose the correct Active Voice construction of the given sentence :

The work of a carpenter was being learnt by him.

(1) He is learning the work of a carpenter.

(2) He has learnt the work of a carpenter.

(3) He was learning the work of a carpenter.

(4) He learns the work of a carpenter.

 3. Choose the two correct sentences in the Passive Voice :

(1) He was rewarded by the King.

(2) Promises should be kept.

(3) Columbus discovered America.

(4) Enter by this door.

Explanation : Options 3 and 4 are in the Active Voice. Hence options (1) and (2) are the answers.

 4. Choose the incorrect sentence in the Passive Voice :

(1) We were driven home by dad.

(2) This bridge was built by the army.

(3) The sandcastle are been washed away by the waves.

(4)  The house has been painted by workmen.

  5. Choose the correct pair of active voice and passive voice verbs :

(1) have sung-had been sung

(2) swim-will be swim

(3) is doing-is being done

(4) shall eat - will eaten

6. Fill in the blanks with the correct option:

  Those who are weak ..........

(1) should helps

(2) is helped

(3) should be helped

(4) should be helping

 7. Choose the correct answer for the given question :

Question : Can we enter the bus ?

(1) No, the bus was being cleaned.

(2) No, the bus has being cleaned.

(3) No, the bus is being cleaned.

(4) No, the bus will be cleaned later.

8. Choose the correct option for the given sentence : (2017)

He was refused admission by the guard.

(1) The guard refuses him admission

(2) The guard was refusing admission him.

(3) The guard refused him admission

(4) He refused the guard admission.