Active and Passive Voice Rules and Examples

Initially, this post includes a description of Active and Passive Voice Rules and Examples, additionally, it also discusses the active voice and passive voice rules of modal verbs and imperative sentences.

Overall, in this blog post, you will learn the following:

  1. What is Active Voice?
  2. What is Passive Voice?
  3. Rules for Active and Passive Voice
  4. Structure of Active and Passive Voice
  5. Rules for Making Passive Voice
  6. Examples of Passive Voice

All things considered, Let’s start with the description of Active and Passive Voice Rules and Examples:                         

Active and Passive Voice

What is Active Voice?

Active Voice:

Basically, It tells about what a person/thing does, the subject acts (verb) on the object.

What is Passive Voice?

Passive Voice:

As a matter of fact, It tells us what happens to the subject.

Rules and Structure for Making Passive Voice of Present Tense:

Present Simple / Indefinite Tense

Active Voice Structure: S + 1st Form of Verb + s/es + O

Example: Asad drinks clean water occassionally.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + is/are/am + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Example: Clean water is drunk by Asad occassionally.

Present Continuous / Progressive Tense

Active Voice Structure: S + is/are/am + 1st Form of Verb + ing + O

Active Voice Example: Asad is drinking clean water finally.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + is/are/am + being + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Passive Voice Example: Clean water is being drunk by Asad finally.

Present Perfect Tense

Active Voice Structure: S + has/have+ 3rd Form of Verb + O

Active Voice Example: Asad has drunk clean water once.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + has/have+ been + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Passive Voice Example: Clean water has been drunk by Asad once.

Overall, the Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense doesn’t have a Passive Form.

Examples Present Simple/Indefinite Tense:

  1. Ali likes mango certainly. (A.V)

Mango is liked by Ali certainly. (P.V)

2. Sara does not create problems evidently. (A.V)

Problems are not created by Sara evidently. (P.V)

3. Do You Slap him earlier? (A.V)

Is he slapped by you earlier? (P.V)

4. Where does he sell clothes for this purpose? (A.V)

Where are clothes sold by him for this purpose? (P.V)

Examples Present Continuous Tense:

  1. Ali is eating mango at this time. (A.V)

The mango is being eaten by Ali at this time. (P.V)

2. Sara is not creating problems at this point. (A.V)

Problems are not being created by Sara at this point. (P.V)

3. Are You beating him at this instant? (A.V)

Is he being beaten by you at this instant? (P.V)

4. Where are we selling clothes at the present time? (A.V)

Where are clothes being sold by us at the present time? (P.V)

Examples Present Perfect Tense:

  1. Ali has eaten a mango earlier. (A.V)

Mango has been eaten by Ali earlier. (P.V)

2. Sara has not created problems for this purpose. (A.V)

Problems have not been created by Sara for this purpose. (P.V)

3. Have You beaten him for this reason? (A.V)

Has he been beaten by you for this reason? (P.V)

4. Where have we sold clothes at this time? (A.V)

Where have clothes been sold by us at this time? (P.V)

Past Tense

Past Simple / Indefinite Tense:

Active Voice Structure: S + 2nd Form of Verb + O

Example: Asad drank clean water particularly.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + was/were + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Example: Clean water was drunk by Asad particularly.

Past Continuous / Progressive Tense

Active Voice Structure: S + was/were + 1st Form of Verb + ing + O

Active Voice Example: Asad was drinking clean water obviously.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + was/were+ being + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Passive Voice Example: Clean water was being drunk by Asad obviously.

Past Perfect Tense

Active Voice Structure: S + had + 3rd Form of Verb + O

Active Voice Example: Asad had drunk clean water occassionally.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + had + been + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Passive Voice Example: Clean water had been drunk by Asad occassionally.

As a matter of fact, Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense doesn’t have a Passive Form.

Examples Past Simple/Indefinite Tense:

  1. Ali liked mango once. (A.V)

Mango was liked by Ali once. (P.V)

2. Sara did not create problems after that. (A.V)

Problems were not created by Sara after that. (P.V)

3. Did You Slap him earlier? (A.V)

Was he slapped by you earlier? (P.V)

4. Where did he sell clothes after that? (A.V)

Where were clothes sold by him after that? (P.V)

Examples of Past Continuous Tense:

  1. Ali was eating mango for this reason. (A.V)

Mango was being eaten by Ali for this reason. (P.V)

2. Sara was not creating problems for this reason. (A.V)

Problems were not being created by Sara for this reason. (P.V)

3. Were You beating him for this reason? (A.V)

Was he being beaten by you for this reason? (P.V)

4. Where were we selling clothes for this reason? (A.V)

Where were clothes being sold by us for this reason? (P.V)

Examples of Past Perfect Tense

  1. Ali had eaten a mango earlier. (A.V)

Mango had been eaten by Ali earlier. (P.V)

2. Sara had not created problems earlier. (A.V)

Problems had not been created by Sara earlier. (P.V)

3. Had You beaten him earlier? (A.V)

Had he been beaten by you earlier? (P.V)

4. Where had we sold clothes earlier? (A.V)

Where had clothes been sold by us earlier? (P.V)

Future Tense

Future Simple / Indefinite Tense:

Active Voice Structure: S + will/shall + 1st Form of Verb + O

Example: Asad will drink clean water in general.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + will/shall+ be + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Example: Clean water will be drunk by Asad in general.

Future Continuous / Progressive Tense

Active Voice Structure: S + will/Shall + be + 1st Form of Verb + ing + O

Active Voice Example: Asad will be drinking clean water in general.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + will/shall + be + being + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Passive Voice Example: Clean water will be being drunk by Asad in general.

Future Perfect Tense

Active Voice Structure: S + Will/Shall + Have + 3rd Form of Verb + O

Active Voice Example: Asad will have drunk clean water in general.

Passive Voice Structure: S(O) + will/shall + have + been + 3rd Form of Verb + By + O(S)

Passive Voice Example: Clean water will have been drunk by Asad in general.

Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense doesn’t have a Passive Form.

Examples of Future Indefinite Tense:

  1. Ali will like mango in general. (A.V)

Mango will be liked by Ali. (P.V)

2. Sara will not create problems in general. (A.V)

Problems will not be created by Sara in general. (P.V)

3. Will You Slap him in general? (A.V)

Will he be slapped by you in general? (P.V)

4. Where will he sell clothes in general? (A.V)

Where will clothes be sold by him in general? (P.V)

Examples of Future Continuous Tense:

  1. Ali will be eating mango at this time. (A.V)

Mango will be being eaten by Ali at this time. (P.V)

2. Sara will not be creating problems at this time. (A.V)

Problems will not be being created by Sara at this time. (P.V)

3. Will You be beating him at this time? (A.V)

Will he be being beaten by you at this time? (P.V)

4. Where will we be selling clothes at this time? (A.V)

Where will clothes be being sold by us at this time? (P.V)

Examples of Future Perfect Tense:

  1. Ali will have eaten a mango by the time. (A.V)

Mango will have been eaten by Ali by the time. (P.V)

2. Sara will not have created problems by the time. (A.V)

Problems will not have been created by Sara by the time. (P.V)

3. Will You have beaten him by the time? (A.V)

Will he have been beaten by you by the time? (P.V)

4. Where will we have sold clothes by the time? (A.V)

Where will clothes have been sold by us by the time? (P.V)

Imperative Sentences:

What is an Imperative Sentence?

Basically, when One Makes A Request, Offers Advice, Issues A Command, A Warning, Or Gives An Instruction, we call it The Imperative Mood.

Overall, sentences That Use the Imperative Mood we call them Imperative Sentences.

Particularly, an Imperative Sentence Is A Sentence That Tells Somebody To Do Something.

Imperative Sentence Structure:

Active Voice Structure: 1st Form of Verb + Object

Active Voice Example: Close the door.

Passive Voice Structure: Let + Object + be + 3rd Form of Verb

Passive Voice Example: Let the door be closed.

Imperative Sentence

Active Voice Structure: Do + not + 1st Form of Verb + Object

Active Voice Example: Do not close the door.

Passive Voice Structure: Let + Object + not + be + 3rd Form of Verb/Let +not + Object +be +3rd form of verb

Passive Voice Example: Let the door not be closed. / Let not the door be closed.

Modal Verbs Active and Passive Voice Rules and Examples

Active to Passive Changes of Present and Future Modal Verbs
Active Voice Passive Voice
Can Can be
Ought to Ought to be
May May be
Might Might be
Must Must   be
Should Should be
Modal Verbs Active and Passive Form
Active to Passive Changes of Past Modal Verbs
Active Voice Passive Voice
May have May have been
Might have Might have been
Should have Should have been
Must have Must have been
Ought to have Ought to have been
Modal Verbs Active and Passive Form

Example Sentences:

Can

Active Voice Example: He can break the law.

Passive Voice Example: The law can be broken by him.

May

Active Voice Example: You may change your clothes.

Passive Voice Example: Your clothes may be changed by you.

Might

Active Voice Example: He might leave the building.

Passive Voice Example: The building might be left by him.

Should

Active Voice Example: You should change your clothes.

Passive Voice Example: Your clothes should be changed by you.

Must

Active Voice Example: He must eat some food.

Passive Voice Example: Some food must be eaten by him.

Ought to

Active Voice Example: You ought to take the examination.

Passive Voice Example: The examination ought to be taken by you.

May have:

Active Voice Example: You may have availed the opportunity

Passive Voice Example: The opportunity may have been availed by you.

Might have

Active Voice Example: They might have taken the examination.

Passive Voice Example: The examination might have been taken by them.

Should have

Active Voice Example: He should have passed the exam.

Passive Voice Example: The exam should have been passed by him.

Must have

Active Voice Example: He must have started the work.

Passive Voice Example: The work must have been started by him.

Ought to have

Active Voice Example: You ought to have helped him.

Passive Voice Example: He ought to have been helped by you.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: What is active voice?

Ans: Active voice tells about what a person/thing does, the subject performs the action (verb) on the object.

Q2: What is passive voice?

Ans: Passive voice tells us what happens with the subject.

Q3: What is an imperative sentence?

When One Makes A Request, Offers Advice, Issues A Command, A Warning, Or Gives An Instruction, we call it The Imperative Mood.

Sentences That Use the Imperative Mood we call them Imperative Sentences.

An Imperative Sentence Is A Sentence That Tells Somebody To Do Something.

Q4: What is a modal verb?

Ans: A modal verb is a type of helping verb that shows possibility, ability, intent, or necessity. The most common examples of modal verbs are can, could, may, might, and should.

Final Words:

This post discussed in detail Active and Passive Voice Rules and Examples. 

This article discusses the following:

  1. What is Active Voice?
  2. What is Passive Voice?
  3. Rules for Active and Passive Voice
  4. Structure of Active and Passive Voice
  5. Rules for Making Passive Voice
  6. Examples of Passive Voice

To watch a complete video lecture on this topic, click on the given youtube link:

https://youtu.be/v3oIL8079w0

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