Active and passive voice
English · Unit II · Topic 10 of 16 · 6 min read
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Cases checked to exist. Read the judgment before quoting a holding.
Every case cited here has been checked to exist — the citation resolves and names the right parties. The propositions attributed to each case have not been verified line by line against the judgment. Case names link through to the full judgment: read it before quoting a holding in an examination answer, and never carry a proposition from notes into court on trust.
1. The basic rule
In the active voice the subject does the action: The policeman caught the thief. In the passive the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the doer is shown with by (or omitted): The thief was caught by the policeman.
- Only a verb with an object (a transitive verb) can be turned into the passive.
- The passive verb = a form of be in the same tense + the past participle.
- Pronouns change case: I → me, we → us, he → him, she → her, they → them, and the reverse when going passive to active.
- The agent may be dropped when it is obvious or unknown: Someone has stolen my bag → My bag has been stolen.
2. Tense by tense
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Simple present | He reads novels. | Novels are read by him. |
| Present continuous | Tom is building a house. | A house is being built by Tom. |
| Present perfect | Someone has stolen my bag. | My bag has been stolen. |
| Simple past | Peter wrote this essay. | This essay was written by Peter. |
| Past continuous | She was singing a song. | A song was being sung by her. |
| Past perfect | He had signed the deed. | The deed had been signed by him. |
| Simple future | I shall call you later. | You will be called by me later. |
| Future perfect | They will have finished it. | It will have been finished by them. |
| Modals | He can do this work. | This work can be done by him. |
The perfect continuous and future continuous tenses are not normally put into the passive.
3. Special cases
Questions
- Did he send a letter? → Was a letter sent by him?
- Do they speak English? → Is English spoken by them?
- By whom was it stolen? → Who stole it?
- By whom was the window closed? → Who closed the window?
- By whom was your bike stolen? → Who stole your bike?
- Who wrote this? → By whom was this written?
Imperatives
Use let + object + be + past participle, or, for requests and orders, You are requested / ordered to …
- Post the letter. → Let the letter be posted.
- Give the order. → Let the order be given.
- Tell me the story. → Let the story be told to me. (or Let me be told the story.)
- Keep the door open. → Let the door be kept open.
- Please help me. → You are requested to help me.
Two objects
Either object can become the subject: He gave me a book → I was given a book by him / A book was given to me by him. So The fruit was given to me by him → He gave me the fruit.
Verbs that take a preposition, and stative verbs
The preposition stays with the verb: They laughed at him → He was laughed at. Verbs like contain, have, resemble, suit sound unnatural in the passive; if asked, convert mechanically: The book contains over 200 recipes → Over 200 recipes are contained in the book. Note known to, pleased with, surprised at, filled with: Everyone enjoyed the magic show → The magic show was enjoyed by everyone.
4. Voice in legal English
Statutes and judgments use the passive heavily: “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law” (Article 21). The passive focuses on the act and the person affected rather than the actor, which suits rules of general application. In letters, pleadings and answers, prefer the active where you know the actor: The defendant breached the contract is clearer than The contract was breached, which hides who did it.
5. The papers’ sentences, converted
January 2026 (80): He read a novel → A novel was read by him. She was singing a song → A song was being sung by her. Post the letter → Let the letter be posted. He ate an apple → An apple was eaten by him. He can do this work → This work can be done by him. Did he send a letter? → Was a letter sent by him?
January 2026 (100): Peter wrote this essay → This essay was written by Peter. The prizes were distributed by the Chief Guest → The Chief Guest distributed the prizes. By whom was the window closed? → Who closed the window? Tell me the story → Let the story be told to me. The fruit was given to me by him → He gave me the fruit. The soldiers were fighting the war → The war was being fought by the soldiers. I shall call you later → You will be called by me later. Shakuntala was written by Kalidasa → Kalidasa wrote Shakuntala.
June 2025 (80): The policeman caught the thief → The thief was caught by the policeman. Give the order → Let the order be given. He reads novels → Novels are read by him. By whom was it stolen? → Who stole it? It has been shifted by him → He has shifted it. It was being written by Bhavana → Bhavana was writing it.
June 2025 (100): Everyone enjoyed the magic show → The magic show was enjoyed by everyone. Tom is building a house → A house is being built by Tom. Someone has stolen my bag → My bag has been stolen. Do they speak English? → Is English spoken by them? Riya can do skydiving → Skydiving can be done by Riya. By whom was your bike stolen? → Who stole your bike? The book contains over 200 recipes → Over 200 recipes are contained in the book. Keep the door open → Let the door be kept open.
How this is examined
Six sentences, any five, one mark each (80-mark paper), or eight sentences in the 100-mark paper. At least one is already passive and must be turned active, one is a question and one is an imperative. Check the tense of be, the past participle (written, sung, eaten, built, fought, stolen) and the case of the pronoun.
Now try the real questions: English past question papers.