1. Active Voice
Active voice is used to express the subject of the verb which is performing the action or causing the happening described by the verb. With active voice. we learn who or what is the one responsible of the action immediately because the actor is express at the beginning of the sentence. Active voice create more powerful sentences than passive voice.
Use of active voice:
1. Active voice is used in a clause whose subject expresses the agent of the main verb.
2. Subject can be easily identified by asking ‘who’ or ‘what’ to the verb.
3. Sentences are short and easily understandable.
Example :
John wrote the letter.
- John (subject) performs the action denoted by the verb (write).
2. Passive Voice
If someone use passive voice, it means they want to focus more on the object. Passive voice focuses on who or what is receiving the action and not on who or what is performing the action. The actors, in passive voice, are told at the end of the sentences or maybe even unknown.
Use of passive voice:
1. It is used if we don‘t need to know or don‘t know the actor performing the job.
2. We use passive voice if we want to know more about the job than the actors.
Example:
My bike was stolen.
In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know who did it. Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice.
A mistake was made.
In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone. Sometimes passive voice also used to express “not in purpose” things.
Recognizing Passive Voice
You can recognize passive voice easily because passive voice will always have "to be" in the clauses or sentences. on the other hand,the presences of "to be" doesn't always mean that the clauses or sentences are passive voice. Another way to recognize passive voice is that they may have "by the" after the verbs when they try to tell us the actors performing the actions.
PATTERNS
Simple Present Tense
Active: Subject + infinitive + object
The librarian lend classic books.
Passive: S + to be + past participle + by object
Classic books are lent by the librarian.
Present Continuous Tense
Active: Subject + to be (is/am/are) being + present participle + object
My lecturer is giving many assignments.
Passive: S + to be (is/am/are) + being + past participle + by object
Many assignments are being given by my lecturer.
Present Perfect Tense
Active: Subject + has/have + past participle + object
Kaneki has eaten many ghouls.
Passive: S + have/has been + past participle + by object
Many ghouls has been eaten by Kaneki.
Simple Past Tense
Active: Subject + past participle + object
Kishimoto wrote a good manga.
Passive: S + was/were + past participle + by object
A good manga was written by Kishimoto.
Past Continuous Tense
Active: S + was/were + being + past participle + object
They were watching a horror movie when I slept.
Passive: S + was/were + being + past participle +by object
A horror movie were being watched by them when I slept.
Past Perfect Tense
Active: Subject + had + past participle + object
My mom had sent the food.
Passive: S + had been + past participle + by object
The food had been sent by my mom.
Simple Future Tense
Active: Subject + will + infinitive + object
I will present my thesis tomorrow.
Passive: S + will + be + past participle + by object
My thesis will be presented tomorrow by me.
PASSIVE VOICE WITH MODALS
“CAN, MAY, MIGHT, SHOULD, MUST, OUGHT TO”
The places of subjects and objects will be changed with each other. Past participles will be used only in passive voice. Auxiliary "be" are needed when we try to change active sentences with modals to passive. We place the auxiliary "be" after the modals.
Active voice: CAN
She can play a violin.
She cannot play a violin.
Can she play a violin?
Passive voice: CAN BE
A violin can be played by her.
A violin cannot be played by her.
Can a violin be played by her?
Active voice: MAY
I may buy the computer.
I may not buy the computer.
May I buy the computer?
Passive voice: MAY BE
The computer may be bought by me.
The computer may not be bought by me.
May the computer be bought by me?
Active voice: MIGHT
Guests might play chess.
Guests might not play chess.
Passive voice: MIGHT BE
Chess might be played by guests.
Chess might not be played guests.
Active voice: SHOULD
Students should study all lessons.
Students should not study all lessons.
Should students study all lessons?
Passive voice: SHOULD BE
All lessons should be studied by students.
All lessons should not be studied by students.
Should all lessons be studied by students?
Active voice: MUST
You must learn the test-taking strategies.
You must not learn the test-taking strategies.
Passive voice: MUST BE
Test-taking strategies must be learnt by you.
Test-taking strategies must not be learned by you.
Active voice: OUGHT TO
They ought to take the examination.
Passive voice: OUGHT TO BE
The examination ought to be taken by them.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are verbs which have subjects and object in one sentences or clauses. Transitive verbs can be in active or passive voice. Transitive verbs in active voice are the verbs which are followed by the direct objects. A transitive verbs needs object to express full meaning.
Example: The boy kicked the ball. The subject is the actor who does the action and the direct object is the receiver of the action.
Meanwhile, Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action.
Examples: The ball was kicked by the boy. The ball was kicked hard. The verbs in the transitive passive voice always have "is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been" as auxiliaries.
Intransitive verbs don't have receiver of the action. They are classified as intransitive complete or intransitive linking. Intransitive linking are sentences with a predicate nominative or predicate adjective.
Examples: The girl is Mary. (predicate nominative) The girl is cute. (predicate adjective) Intransitive complete are all the verbs that don't fit one of the other kinds of transitive or intransitive verbs.
Examples: The bell rang suddenly. The girl knitted all evening. (There is no receiver of the action.) They were here. (no action or predicate nominative or predicate adjective).
Intransitive verb cannot be changed into passive voice. The sentences which have intransitive verbs cannot be changed into passive voice. The reason behind that statement is that there is no object in the sentences and we all know that without objects we cannot change the sentences to passive voice.
List of common intransitive verbs:
adapt agree
arrive become
belong collapse
cost depend
die emerge
exist fly
go happen
laugh occur
stay rise
sit sleep
stay rise
sit sleep
swim jump
explode
Active and passive voice exercise
I. Sentences are given in the active voice. Change them into the passive voice.
- Ms Sullivan teaches us grammar.
- The teacher praised him.
- The firemen took the injured to the hospital.
- An earthquake destroyed the town.
- The boy’s work pleased the teacher.
- The fire damaged the building.
- Who taught you French?
- The manager will give you a ticket.
- Spectators thronged the streets.
- Everyone will blame us.
- The wind blew down the trees.
- The police caught the thieves.
- Alice posted the letter.
- The hostess received us.
- They/somebody killed the snake with a stick.
II. Tell whether the verbs in the following sentences are transitive active, transitive passive, intransitive linking, or intransitive complete.
- Yesterday Grandma was hit by a car.
- My former classmates were seen at the reunion.
- The lamp for the study was broken on the way home.
- At camp taps had been blown every night.
- The dirty clothes will be sent to be cleaned.
Scroll down for answers
Answers:
I.
- We are taught grammar by Ms Sullivan.
- He was praised by the teacher.
- The injured were taken to the hospital by the firemen.
- The town was destroyed by an earthquake.
- The teacher was pleased with the boy’s work.
- The building was damaged by the fire.
- By whom were you taught French?
- You will be given a ticket by the manager.
- The streets were thronged with spectators.
- We will be blamed by everyone.
- The trees were blown down by the wind.
- The thieves were caught by the police.
- The letter was posted by Alice.
- We were received by the hostess.
- The snake was killed with a stick.
II.
- was hit - transitive passive
- were seen - transitive passive
- was broken - transitive passive
- had been blown - transitive passive
- will be sent - transitive passive
Sources:
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive
http://cdac.olabs.co.in/?sub=84&brch=23&sim=186&cnt=1
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/539/
http://www.studyandexam.com/passive-voice-for-modal.html
http://www.studyandexam.com/passive-voice-for-intransitive-verb.html
http://www.grammarbank.com/transitive-intransitive-verbs.html
http://www.englishpractice.com/grammar/active-passive-voice-exercise-3/
http://www.dailygrammar.com/Lesson-118-Transitive-and-Intransitive-Verbs.htm
