Active and Passive Voice in English

Active and Passive Voice in English: Rules, Examples & Practice (2026)

Voice tells you who does the action and who receives it in a sentence. In the active voice, the subject does the action: Ravi wrote the letter. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action: The letter was written by Ravi. Same fact, two different ways of framing it — and knowing how to switch between them is a skill that shows up everywhere, from your school grammar test to the SSC and banking exams.

The basic transformation is a swap. The object of the active sentence (the letter) becomes the subject of the passive one. The verb changes into "be" + past participle (was written). And the original subject (Ravi) moves to the end as "by + agent" (by Ravi). That's the whole engine. Once you see those three moves, every "voice change" question becomes the same puzzle wearing different tenses.

This guide gives you the core rule, a clean 3-step method, a tense-by-tense conversion table, the special cases (questions, imperatives), and — the part most students skip and then regret — a 15-sentence practice set with a full answer key. If you're still building confidence with the basics, our guide to English speaking for beginners pairs well with this one.

The Core Rule (With a Labelled Example)

Every English verb tense in the passive follows one formula:

Passive = [correct form of "be"] + [past participle of the main verb] (+ by + agent)

The past participle is the "third form" of the verb — the V3. For write it's written; for eat it's eaten; for clean it's cleaned. The tense you started with decides which form of be you use, but the V3 stays fixed.

Here's an active sentence broken into its parts:

The chef (subject) cooked (verb) the meal (object).

Now watch the three pieces move:

The meal (new subject — was the object) was cooked (be + V3) by the chef (by + agent — was the subject).

The object (the meal) jumped to the front. The verb became was cooked — the past tense of be plus the past participle. And the original subject went to the back with by. That's it. Master this one sentence and the rest is just tenses.

One thing to notice early: only sentences with an object can be made passive. A verb that takes an object is called transitive. Sentences like She sleeps or He laughed have no object, so they simply can't be turned into the passive — there's nothing to promote to the subject spot.

The 3-Step Conversion Method

When an exam gives you "Change the voice," run this checklist every single time. It stops you from guessing.

Step 1 — Find the object and make it the new subject. Ask "the verb what?" In The gardener waters the plants, watering what? The plants. So the plants becomes your new subject.

Step 2 — Change the verb to "be + past participle," matching the original tense. The original is present simple (waters), so the passive be is are (plants = plural). Add the V3 of water, which is watered. You get are watered.

Step 3 — Move the original subject to the end with "by." The gardener becomes by the gardener.

Result: The plants are watered by the gardener.

A quick note on pronouns — they change form when they move. Subject pronouns become object pronouns:

• I → me
• we → us
• he → him
• she → her
• they → them
• you → you (no change)
• it → it (no change)

So I wrote it becomes It was written by me — not by I. Small detail, easy mark to lose.

And here's a mark you can gain: when the doer is unknown or unimportant, you're allowed to drop the "by + agent" completely. Somebody stole my bike becomes My bike was stolen — you don't need by somebody. Examiners expect you to drop vague agents like someone, people, they.

Tense-by-Tense Conversion Table

This is the table to memorise. The pattern is always be + V3; only the form of be shifts with the tense. Study how the same simple sentence changes shape across tenses.

Notice the three "tricky" rows students trip on:

• Continuous tenses need being: is being written, was being written.
• Perfect tenses need been: has been written, had been written.
• Future and modals need be: will be written, must be written, can be repaired.

There's no passive form for perfect continuous tenses (has been writing) or future continuous (will be writing) in normal use — exams don't ask you to convert them, so don't worry about those. If keeping tenses straight is a struggle, our post on basic English sentences with Hindi meaning shows the same tenses in everyday sentences.

Questions in the Passive

Questions follow the same be + V3 rule, but you have to rebuild the question so it still sounds like a question. The trick depends on the type of question word.

Yes/No questions (Do / Does / Did / Is / Was / Has / Will…) Start the passive with the helping verb of be.

• Active: Did she write the letter?

• Passive: Was the letter written by her?

• Active: Has he finished the work?

• Passive: Has the work been finished by him?

Wh- questions (What / When / Who / Why / How) Keep the question word in front, then apply the passive.

• Active: What did you buy?
• Passive: What was bought by you?

Questions with "Who" (as the doer) When who is the subject/doer, it turns into by whom in the passive.

• Active: Who broke the window?
• Passive: By whom was the window broken?

Read those aloud a couple of times. The word order feels odd at first, but it locks in fast with repetition — which is exactly why practising out loud beats silent reading. That's the same idea we cover in fluency vs accuracy: you build correct patterns by using them, not just staring at them.

Imperatives in the Passive

Imperatives are command sentences — Open the door, Do it now, Don't touch that. They have a hidden subject (you), so they need a special passive shape. The most common pattern is "Let + object + be + past participle."

• Active: Open the door.

• Passive: Let the door be opened.

• Active: Finish your homework.

• Passive: Let your homework be finished.

For negative commands, use "Let not" or, more naturally, "…is not to be…":

• Active: Don't waste the water.
• Passive: Let the water not be wasted.

For commands that give advice or instruction, exams often accept the "You are requested to…" / "You are advised to…" form:

• Active: Please help me.
• Passive: You are requested to help me.

Imperative conversions show up often in SSC and bank-exam grammar sections, so it's worth drilling these three patterns until they're automatic.

When to Use Passive vs Active

Grammar rules tell you how to convert. Good writing tells you when to. The two voices aren't equal — each has jobs it does better.

Use the passive when:

• The doer is unknown. My phone was stolen. (You don't know who took it.)
• The doer is unimportant or obvious. The results will be announced on Friday. (We don't care who announces them.)
• You're writing about science or process. The water is heated to 100°C. (Focus is on the action, not the person.)
• You're reporting news formally. Three suspects were arrested last night. (Neutral, objective tone.)
• You want a formal, impersonal register. Applications must be submitted by 5 PM. (Rules and notices lean passive.)

Use the active when:

• You're speaking. Active is shorter, clearer, and lands faster in real conversation.
• You want to sound confident and direct. I finished the report beats The report was finished by me.
• Clarity matters most. Active sentences name the doer up front, so the listener isn't left guessing.
• You're telling a story. He opened the door and walked in keeps energy; passive would drain it.

Here's the practical takeaway for spoken English: default to active. Overusing the passive is one of the fastest ways to sound stiff, wordy, or evasive when you talk. Exams may test your ability to form the passive, but the moment you're in a real conversation, active voice keeps you clear and confident. If speaking fluently is your goal, our guide on how to speak English fluently leans hard on this active-first habit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the errors that cost marks in exams and clarity in speech. Watch for all six.

1. Forgetting to change the verb form. Wrong: The song is sing by her. Right: The song is sung by her. You must use the past participle (V3), not the base verb.

2. Wrong form of "be" for the tense. Wrong: The letter is written by her yesterday. Right: The letter was written by her yesterday. Match be to the original tense.

3. Dropping "being" or "been." Continuous needs being (is being cleaned); perfect needs been (has been cleaned). Missing them is the single most common voice-change error.

4. Keeping the wrong pronoun form. Wrong: The gift was given by I. Right: The gift was given by me. Subject pronouns become object pronouns after by.

5. Trying to make intransitive verbs passive. Wrong: A good sleep was slept by him. Verbs with no object (sleep, arrive, laugh, die) simply can't be passive. Leave them active.

6. Adding "by" where it isn't needed. The road is being repaired is complete. Don't force by someone or by workers when the agent is obvious or unknown.

Getting comfortable with articles helps you place a/an/the correctly on the new subject too — see our articles a, an, the rules guide, since a lot of voice-change answers hinge on the right article.

Practice Set: 15 Sentences (With Answer Key)

Convert each sentence to the opposite voice. Sentences 1–10 are active → change them to passive. Sentences 11–15 are passive → change them to active. Cover the answers below and try all fifteen before you check.

Active → Passive

1. The teacher explains the lesson.
2. Farmers grow rice in this region.
3. She is baking a cake.
4. The company has launched a new app.
5. A dog bit the postman.
6. The workers were building a bridge.
7. Someone had stolen my wallet.
8. The manager will approve your leave.
9. You must follow the rules.
10. Close the window.

Passive → Active

11. The homework is checked by the teacher.
12. The match was won by our team.
13. A new hospital is being constructed by the government.
14. The letters have been posted by the clerk.
15. English is spoken all over the world.

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Answer Key

1. The lesson is explained by the teacher.
2. Rice is grown in this region (by farmers).
3. A cake is being baked by her.
4. A new app has been launched by the company.
5. The postman was bitten by a dog.
6. A bridge was being built by the workers.
7. My wallet had been stolen. (agent dropped — "someone" is vague)
8. Your leave will be approved by the manager.
9. The rules must be followed (by you).
10. Let the window be closed.
11. The teacher checks the homework.
12. Our team won the match.
13. The government is constructing a new hospital.
14. The clerk has posted the letters.
15. People speak English all over the world. (agent supplied — passive had none)

Score yourself: 12+ and you've got the mechanics down. 8–11, review the tense table. Below 8, redo Steps 1–3 slowly on each miss — the errors usually cluster in the continuous and perfect rows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest way to change active to passive voice?

Use three steps every time. First, find the object and make it the new subject. Second, change the verb to be + past participle, keeping the same tense (the form of be carries the tense, the V3 stays fixed). Third, move the old subject to the end after by. If the doer is unknown or obvious, drop the by part entirely.

Which tenses cannot be changed into passive voice?

Perfect continuous tenses (has/had been writing) and future continuous (will be writing) don't have natural passive forms, so exams won't ask you to convert them. Also, any sentence with an intransitive verb — a verb with no object, like sleep, arrive, laugh, come — cannot be made passive, because there's no object to promote to the subject position.

Is passive voice wrong or bad English?

No. Passive voice is perfectly correct and often the better choice — in science writing, news reports, formal notices, and any time the doer is unknown or unimportant. The advice to "avoid the passive" only applies to overuse in casual speaking and storytelling, where active voice sounds clearer and more direct. Both voices are correct; you pick the one that fits the situation.

How do I convert a question into passive voice?

Keep it a question. For yes/no questions, start with the helping form of be (Was the letter written by her?). For wh- questions, keep the question word in front, then apply the passive (What was bought by you?). When who is the doer, it becomes by whom (By whom was the window broken?).

What is the passive form of an imperative sentence?

Use "Let + object + be + past participle." For example, Open the door becomes Let the door be opened. Negative commands use "Let … not be …" (Let the water not be wasted), and polite requests can use "You are requested to …" (Please help me → You are requested to help me).

Do I always need to write "by + the doer" in passive sentences?

No. You drop the by + agent whenever the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious. My bike was stolen needs no by someone; English is spoken worldwide needs no by people. Examiners actually expect you to remove vague agents like someone, people, they, one.

Wrapping Up

Active and passive voice come down to one repeatable move: swap the object to the front, rebuild the verb as be + past participle, and send the old subject to the back with by — dropping it when the doer doesn't matter. Keep the tense table close, watch the being / been traps, and drill the practice set until the conversions feel automatic. That's everything a school test, SSC, or banking exam will throw at you.

But remember the deeper lesson for real English: when you speak, active voice keeps you clear, direct, and confident. Passive has its place on paper; conversation belongs to the active voice. The best way to make that a habit is to talk — out loud, often, with feedback. Practise speaking naturally with TalkDrill and let the correct patterns become second nature, one conversation at a time. To check the rules first, try TalkDrill's English Grammar Basics course or the free Grammar Quest game.