Active & Passive Voice
Every sentence has a voice. In the active voice, the subject does the action. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action. Knowing how to convert between them is one of the most tested grammar skills in the English paper.
1. The Concept
Active vs Passive — Side by Side
✦ Active Voice
The teacher explains the lesson.
Subject (the teacher) is doing the action.
✦ Passive Voice
The lesson is explained by the teacher.
Subject (the lesson) receives the action.
✦ Active Voice
Ali wrote this letter.
Ali = doer of the action.
✦ Passive Voice
This letter was written by Ali.
The letter = receives the action. Ali = by-agent.
⚡ The key swap
The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The subject of the active sentence becomes the by-agent (by + doer) — or is dropped entirely.
The Universal Passive Formula
Works for every tense — only the form of be changes
①Object
+
②be (correct form)
+
③V3
+
④by + Subject
| Tense | Form of be |
|---|---|
| Simple Present | is / am / are |
| Present Continuous | is/am/are being |
| Present Perfect | has/have been |
| Simple Past | was / were |
| Past Continuous | was/were being |
| Past Perfect | had been |
| Simple Future | will be |
| Future Perfect | will have been |
Simple Present
is / am / arePresent Cont.
is/am/are beingPresent Perfect
has/have beenSimple Past
was / werePast Cont.
was/were beingPast Perfect
had beenSimple Future
will beFuture Perfect
will have been
⚡ The only thing that changes is the form of be. The main verb always goes to V3 (past participle) in the passive — in every tense, without exception.
⚡ Negative & Question Passive
Negative: Insert not after the first auxiliary —
Active: She does not teach. → Passive: English is not taught by her.
Active: He did not write it. → Passive: It was not written by him.
Question: Move the first auxiliary before the subject —
Active: Does she teach English? → Passive: Is English taught by her?
Active: Did he write this? → Passive: Was this written by him?
Negative: Insert not after the first auxiliary —
Active: She does not teach. → Passive: English is not taught by her.
Active: He did not write it. → Passive: It was not written by him.
Question: Move the first auxiliary before the subject —
Active: Does she teach English? → Passive: Is English taught by her?
Active: Did he write this? → Passive: Was this written by him?
2. Conversion — All 8 Tenses
Simple Present
The object becomes the subject; the verb changes to is/am/are + V3.
Obj + is/am/are + V3 + by + Subj
ActiveShe teaches English.
PassiveEnglish is taught by her.
Present Continuous
Being between the auxiliary and V3 is the marker of every continuous passive.
Obj + is/am/are + being + V3 + by + Subj
ActiveShe is writing a letter.
PassiveA letter is being written by her.
Present Perfect
Been is inserted after has/have. The main verb always stays as V3.
Obj + has/have + been + V3 + by + Subj
ActiveShe has written the report.
PassiveThe report has been written by her.
Simple Past
The simple past passive describes a completed action in the past done to an object — was/were replaces the active verb and the main verb moves to V3.
Obj + was/were + V3 + by + Subj
ActiveQuaid-e-Azam founded Pakistan.
PassivePakistan was founded by Quaid-e-Azam.
Past Continuous
Being after was/were signals the action was ongoing in the past passive.
Obj + was/were + being + V3 + by + Subj
ActiveThe teacher was explaining the lesson.
PassiveThe lesson was being explained by the teacher.
Past Perfect
Had been + V3 — used for the earlier of two past events in passive.
Obj + had + been + V3 + by + Subj
ActiveShe had submitted the form before the deadline.
PassiveThe form had been submitted by her before the deadline.
Simple Future
Will be + V3 — the same formula for every subject in future passive, no exception.
Obj + will + be + V3 + by + Subj
ActiveThe government will build new schools in Sindh.
PassiveNew schools will be built by the government in Sindh.
Future Perfect
Three auxiliaries: will + have + been + V3. The most complex passive form to remember.
Obj + will + have + been + V3 + by + Subj
ActiveShe will have marked all the papers by Friday.
PassiveAll the papers will have been marked by her by Friday.
3. Rules & Special Cases
Pronoun Changes
Subject pronouns → object pronouns in the by-agent
Active
I
↓
me
Active
we
↓
us
Active
you
↓
you
Active
he
↓
him
Active
she
↓
her
Active
they
↓
them
✓ She wrote the letter. → The letter was written by her.
✓ They built the school. → The school was built by them.
✗ The letter was written by she.
✓ They built the school. → The school was built by them.
✗ The letter was written by she.
When to Drop the By-Agent
The by-phrase is optional — drop it when the doer is obvious or unimportant
Doer is unknown
When we do not know who performed the action, the by-agent is omitted.
My bag was stolen. (We don't know who stole it.)
Doer is obvious
When the doer is so obvious from context that mentioning them adds nothing.
He was arrested. (Obviously by the police — no need to say it.)
Doer is unimportant
In formal or scientific writing where the result matters more than who did it.
The experiment was conducted at 40°C. (Who did it doesn't matter.)
General doer (people / someone)
When the subject is people, someone, or they used generally — the by-phrase is always dropped.
✓ English is spoken all over the world.
✗ ...by people / by them.
✗ ...by people / by them.
Exam Traps
Intransitive verbs have no passive
Only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be made passive. Intransitive verbs (sleep, die, arrive, go) cannot.
✗ He was slept. / She was arrived.
✓ He slept. / She arrived. (No passive possible.)
✓ He slept. / She arrived. (No passive possible.)
Object must exist
A sentence can only be converted to passive if the active sentence has an object. If there is no object, there is nothing to become the subject.
✗ She laughed. → Cannot be made passive.
✓ She sang a song. → A song was sung by her.
✓ She sang a song. → A song was sung by her.
Two objects (give/send/offer)
Some verbs (give, send, offer, show, teach) take two objects. Either object can become the subject of the passive.
Active: She gave Ali a book.
✓ Ali was given a book by her.
✓ A book was given to Ali by her.
✓ Ali was given a book by her.
✓ A book was given to Ali by her.
Modal verbs in passive
When the active verb has a modal (can, should, must, may), the passive uses: modal + be + V3.
Active: You should submit the form.
✓ The form should be submitted by you.
✓ The form should be submitted by you.
Practice — Active to Passive
Each question gives you an active sentence. Choose the correct passive form.
Question 1 of 10
Score: 0 / 0
Quick Revision
| Tense | Active | Passive Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | She writes. | is/am/are + V3 |
| Present Continuous | She is writing. | is/am/are + being + V3 |
| Present Perfect | She has written. | has/have + been + V3 |
| Simple Past | She wrote. | was/were + V3 |
| Past Continuous | She was writing. | was/were + being + V3 |
| Past Perfect | She had written. | had + been + V3 |
| Simple Future | She will write. | will + be + V3 |
| Future Perfect | She will have written. | will + have + been + V3 |
Simple Present
ActiveShe writes.
Passiveis/am/are + V3
Present Continuous
ActiveShe is writing.
Passiveis/am/are + being + V3
Present Perfect
ActiveShe has written.
Passivehas/have + been + V3
Simple Past
ActiveShe wrote.
Passivewas/were + V3
Past Continuous
ActiveShe was writing.
Passivewas/were + being + V3
Past Perfect
ActiveShe had written.
Passivehad + been + V3
Simple Future
ActiveShe will write.
Passivewill + be + V3
Future Perfect
ActiveShe will have written.
Passivewill + have + been + V3