ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

Active voice
In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb.

Use of Active Voice: 

• This sentence type is generally shorter.
• Verb use is generally active. (often accompanied by are or is "Be" verbs
• Even if being done in the past tense, the verb generally follows the subject. In essence, make the person doing the action come first.

EXAMPLE:
Candice mailed the letter. 
- Candice (subject) performs the action denoted by the verb (mail)


Passive voice
One can change the normal word order of many active sentences (those with a direct object) so that the subject is no longer active, but is, instead, being acted upon by the verb - or passive.
    Note in these examples how the subject-verb relationship has changed.

Use of Passive Voice:

• Passive sentences are usually longer, demanding more tense "being" verbs in order to function.
• Passive sentences tell us that what is being done is more important than who is doing it. The reason you aren't supposed to write "passive" sentences is because this condition flies in the face of the "universe rule" -- the person is always the most important (socially).
• The Passive voice often leads off with the CLEFT subject
• The SUBJUNCTIVE (tag) sentence is the closest to passive and we tend to use it to make peace or to get something we want.

EXAMPLE:
 The letter was being mailed.
- In the example above, the focus is on the fact that the letter was being mailed.
 


PATTERNS:

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Active: Subject + infinitive + object

Adriana cleans the house

 

Passive: S + to be + past participle + by object

The house is cleaned by Adriana

 

Present Continuous Tense

Active: Subject + to be (is/am/are) being + present participle + object

Behati is watching a movie

 

Passive: S + to be (is/am/are) + being + past participle + by object

Movie is being watched by Behati

 

Present Perfect Tense

Active: Subject + has/have + past participle + object

Many visitors have visited that water park

 

Passive: S + have/has been + past participle + by object

That water park has been visited by many visitors

 

Simple Past Tense

Active: Subject + past participle + object

Lily smashed the mirror

 

Passive: S + was/were + past participle + by object

The mirror was smashed by Lily

 

Past Continuous Tense

Active: S + was/were + being + past participle + object

They were eating batagor when I was studied

 

Passive: S + was/were + being + past participle +by object

Batagor were being eaten by them when I studied

 

Past Perfect Tense

Active: Subject + had + past participle + object

My brother had given some money

 

Passive: S + had been + past participle + by object

Some money had been given by my brother

 

PASSIVE VOICE WITH MODALS

"CAN, MAY, MIGHT, OUGHT TO, SHOULD, MUST"

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 bake a red velvet. 

She cannot bake a red velvet.

Can she bake a red velvet?

Passive voice: CAN BE

A red velvet can be baked by her.

A red velvet cannot be baked by her.

Can a red velvet be baked by her?

 

Active voice: MAY

I may sell the ripped jeans.

I may not sell the ripped jeans.

May I sell the ripped jeans?

Passive voice: MAY BE

The ripped jeans may be sold by me.

The ripped jeans may not be sold by me.

May the  ripped jeans be sold by me?

 

Active voice: MIGHT 

Visitors might get some drinks.

 Visitors might not get some drinks.

Passive voice: MIGHT BE

Some drinks might be got by visitors.

Some drinks might not be got by visitors.

Active voice: SHOULD

Parents should encourage children.

Parents should not encourage children.

Should parents encourage children?

Passive voice: SHOULD BE

Children should be encouraged by parents.

Children should not be encouraged by parents.

Should children be encouraged by parents?

 

Active voice: MUST

You must follow the rules.

You must not follow the rules.

Passive voice: MUST BE

The rules must be follow by you.

The rules must not be follow by you.

 

Active voice: OUGHT TO

They ought to take the medicine.

Passive voice: OUGHT TO BE

The medicine 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 jumped the rope. 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 rope was jumped by the boy. The rope was jumped high. 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 doctor is Beckham. (predicate nominative) The doctor is friendly. (predicate adjective) Intransitive complete are all the verbs that don't fit one of the other kinds of transitive or intransitive verbs. 

Examples: The computer shut down suddenly. The girl cried all night. (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.

 

Some Intransitive Verbs 

These verbs do not occur with objects. For this reason, they cannot take passive forms.

agree	appear	arrive	become
belong	collapse	consist of	cost
depend	die	disappear	emerge
exist	fall	go	happen³
have¹	inquire	knock	laugh
lie	live	look	last
occur	remain	respond	rise
sit	sleep	stand	stay
swim	vanish	wake²	wait

 

 

 

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE EXERCISE

 

I. Sentences are given in the active voice. Change them into the passive voice.

 

1. Zayn ate six sausages at dinner. 

2. The director will give you instructions.

3. The team will celebrate their victory tomorrow.

4. The kangaroo carried her baby in her pouch.

5. The wedding planner is making all the reservations.

6. Larry generously donated money to the homeless shelter.

7. Who taught you to ski? 

II. Tell whether the verbs in the following sentences are transitive active, transitive passive, intransitive linking, or intransitive complete.

 

1.       Heat expands metals.
2.       Metals expand on heating.
3.       The driver stopped the car.
4.       The car stopped abruptly.
5.       You must speak the truth.
6.       You must speak loudly.
7.       The boy is flying the kite.
8.       The birds are flying in the sky.
9.       The rider fell off the horse and broke his arm.
10.   The woodcutter felled a huge tree.
11.   The explosion sank the ship.
12.   The ship sank suddenly.

 

 Answers

I.

1. At dinner, six sausages were eaten by Zayn. 

2. Instructions will be given to you by the director.

3. The victory will be celebrated by the team tomorrow.

4. The baby was carried by the kangaroo in her pouch.

5. All the reservations will be made by the wedding planner. 

6. Money was generously donated to the homeless shelter by Larry. 

7. By whom were you taught to ski?

II1.       Transitive active – expands ( object – metals)
2.       Intransitive passive – expand
3.       Transitive active – stopped (object – car)
4.       Intransitive verb – stopped
5.       Transitive active – speak (object – truth)
6.       Intransitive active – speak
7.       Transitive verb – is flying (object – kite)
8.       Intransitive verb – are flying
9.       Intransitive verb – fell off
10.   Transitive verb – felled (object – tree)
11.   Transitive verb – sank (object – ship)
12.   Intransitive verb – sank

Sources: 
http://www.towson.edu/ows/activepass.htm 
http://www.studyandexam.com/passive-voice-for-intransitive-verb.html
http://cstl-cla.semo.edu/tmeaton/grammar09d2passive.htm
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/passive1d.html
http://www.englishgrammar.org/transitive-intransitive-verbs-exercise/