Grammar - Active and Passive Voice

 

Active   and   Passive   Voice

 

Compare :

1.      Rama helps Hari.

2.      Hari is helped by Rama.

It will be seen that these two sentences express the same meaning.

But in sentence 1, the form of the Verb shows that the person denoted by the subject does something.

Rama (the person denoted by the Subject) does something.

The Verb helps is said to be in the Active Voice.

In sentence 2, the form of the Verb shows that something is done to the peson denoted by the Subject.

Something is done to Hari (the person denoted by the Subject).

The Verb helped is said to be in the Passive Voice.

 

Def. – A verb is in the Active Voice when its form shows (as in sentence 1) that the person or thing denoted by the Subject does something ; or, in other words, is the doer of the action.

The Active Voice is so called because the person denoted by the Subject acts.

 

Def. – A Verb is in the Passive Voice when its form shows (as in the sentence 2) that something is done to the person or thing denoted by the Subject.

The Passive Voice is so called because the person or thing denoted by the Subject is not active but passive, that is, suffers or receives some action.

 

Def. – Voice is that form of a Verb which shows whether what is denoted by the Subject does something or has something done to it.

 

Note the change from the Active Voice to the Passive Voice in the following sentences :

Acive Voice	Passive Voice
Sita loves Savitri.	Savitri is loved by Sita.

 

It will be noticed that when the Verb is change from the Active Voice to the Passive Voice, the Object of the Transitive Verb in the Active Voice becomes the Subejcet of the Verb in the Passive Voice.

[Thus in the above sentence, Savitri which is the object of loves in the Active Voice, becomes the Subject of is loved in the Passive Voice].

Since the Object of a verb in the active voice becomes the Subject of the passive form, it follows that only Transitive Verbs can be used in the Passive Voice, because an Intransitive Verb has no Object.

 

The Active Voice is used when the agent (i.e., does of the action) is to be made prominent ; the Passive, when the person or thing acted upon is to be made prominent. The Passive is, therefore, generally preferred when the active form would involve the use of an indefinite or vague pronoun or noun (somebody, they, people, we, etc.) as subject ; as,

1.      My pen has been stolen. (Somebody has stolen my pen.)

2.      I was asked my name. (They asked me my name.)

3.      English is spoken all ove the world. (People speak English all over the world.)

4.      I have been invited to the party. (Someone has invited me to the party.)

5.      We will execute all orders promptly. (All orders will be executed promptly.)

In such cases the agent with by is usually avoided.

 

Note, however, that, is in the examples given earlier, the by phrase cannot be avoided where the agent has some importance and is necessary to complete the sense.

 

Exercise in Composition 40

Turn the following sentences from the Active Voice to the Passive Voice :

1.      The cat killed the mouse.

-          The mouse was killed by the cat.

2.      The man cut down the tree.

-          The tree was cut down by the man.

3.      Columbus discovered America.

-          America was discovered by Columbus.

4.      His teacher praised him.

-          He was praised by his teacher.

5.      The boy teased the dog.

-          The dog was teased by the boy.

6.      The syce feeds the horse every day.

-          The horse is fed by the syce every day.

7.      The police arrested him.

-          He was arrested.

8.      Rama was making a kite.

-          A kite was being made by Rama.

9.      The boy caught the ball.

-          The ball was caught by the boy.

10.  My father will write a letter.

-          A letter will be written by my father.

11.  I will conquer him.

-          He will be conquered by me.

12.  He kept me waiting.

-          I was kept waiting.

13.  The hunter shot the lion.

-          The lion was shot by the hunter.

14.  Hari opened the door.

-          The door was opened by Hari.

15.  Sohrab threw the ball.

-          The ball was thrown by Sohrab.

16.  Dhondu will bring the pony.

-          The pony will be brought by Dhondu.

17.  Everyone loves him.

-          He is loved by everyone.

18.  My cousin has drawn this picture.

-          This picture has been drawn by my cousin.

19.  The farmer gathers the harvest.

-          The harvest is gathered by the farmer.

20.  His own brother swindled him.

-          He was swindled by his own brother.

21.  The recitation pleased the inspector.

-          The inspector was pleased by the recitation.

22.  Somebody has put out the light.

-          The light has been put out.

23.  The enemy have defeated our army.

-          Our army have been defeated.

24.  I have sold my bicycle.

-          My bicycle has been sold.

25.  People will soon forget it.

-          It will be soon forgotten.

 

Source: High School English Grammar and Composition By Wren & Martin (latest edition)