CBSE Class 6 English Grammar Active and Passive Voice
1. Consider the following sentences :
Lata sings a song.
A song is sung by Lata.
There is practically no difference in the meanings of these two sentences. These are two different ways of presenting the same thing. But in the first sentence the Subject performs the action while in the second sentence, the Subject of the Verb is acted upon. It means that it (the Subject:) becomes the object in the second sentence.
Thus, the voice shows whether the Subject of a Verb acts or is acted upon.
Active Voice :
When the Subject of a Verb acts, the Verb is said to be in the Active Voice ; as—
I made a mistake.
Passive Voice :
When the object of the Active Voice becomes the Subject, the Verb is said to be in the Passive Voice ; as—
A mistake was made by me.
The Subject dominates in Active Voice but the Object dominates in Passive Voice.
Note.
It is only the form of the verb in a sentence which shows whether the subject is the doer or the receiver of the action. A sentence in passive voice may or may not have the ‘by’ phrase attached. Thus in the above sentences. A mistake was made’ is a complete sentence.
2. Rules for changing a Verb from the Active Voice into the Passive Voice :
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1. The object of the Active Verb is made the Subject of the Passive Verb.
2. The Subject of the Active Verb is made the object of some Preposition (generally ‘by’). 3. The Verb of the Active Voice gets the Past Participle form pf the Finite Verb and some form of the verb ‘to be’ (be, is, am, are, has been, was, were, had been, will be. is being etc.) will be used before it in the passive voice. 4. Some vague and indefinite subjects like ‘everyone’, ‘they’, ‘people’, ‘someone’, ‘somebody, everybody. ‘anybody’, etc. are dropped if they are the subjects of the active voice. 5. The Tense of the Verb does not change. |
Example : He has done his work. (Active)
His work has been done by him. (Passive)
3. The Pronouns (when these act as subject) are changed, as given below:
| Subject | Object | |
| I | becomes | me |
| We | becomes | us |
| You | becomes | you |
| She | becomes | her |
| He | becomes | him |
| They | becomes | them |
| It | becomes | it |
| Who | becomes | whom |
4. The following table gives the form of the verb ‘see’ in Passive Voice in the various Tenses :
Tense Chart (Possiue Voice)
| Tense | Indefinite | Continuous | Perfect |
| Present |
is/am/are + verb in third form
is seen am seen are seen |
is/am/are + being + verb in third form
is being seen am being seen are being seen |
has/have + been + verb in third form
has been seen have been seen |
| Past |
was/were + verb in third form
was seen were seen |
was/were + being + verb in third form
was being seen were being seen |
had + been + verb in third form
had been seen |
| Future |
will/shall + be + verb in third form
will be seen shall be seen |
— No change |
will/shall + have been + verb in third form
will have been seen shall have been seen |
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Note.
The following four types of sentences cannot he changed into passive voice :
1. Present Perfect Continuous. 2. Past Perfect Continuous. 3. Future Continuous. 4. Future Perfect. Continuous. |
Exercise 1
(Miscellaneous)
[Solved]
I. Rewrite the following sentences putting the Verbs given against them in the appropriate Passive Voice form :
1. She ………. up by her aunt. (bring)
2. Invitation cards ………. to all her friends. (send)
3. You will ………. to the feast. (invite)
4. The result ………. on Monday. (declare)
5. They ………. at the report of the gun. (alarm)
6. We ………. at his failure. (shock)
Answers
1. was brought
2. have been sent/were sent/will be sent etc.
3. be invited
4. was declared/will be declared
5. were alarmed/will be alarmed
6. were shocked
II. Change the voice of the following sentences :
| Active | Passive |
| 1. She sings a sweet song. | A sweet song is sung by her. |
| 2. Do you not play hockey ? | Is hockey not played by you ? |
| 3. Does he sell lottery tickets ? | Are lottery tickets sold by him ? |
| 4. I am bending the branch. | The branch is being bent by me. |
| 5. Is she boiling potatoes ? | Are the potatoes being boiled by her ? |
| 6. Are the servants bringing tea ? | Is tea being brought by the servants ? |
Multiple Choice Questions
Read the statements given below and tick the correct option :
I. Identify as directed :
Identify the Passive Voice :
Question 1.
(i) Reena sings a song
(ii) The students were making a chart.
(iii) She lost the match
(iv) A mistake was made by her
Question 2.
(i) A song is sung by Lata
(ii) He bought the pens
(iii) They study the book
(iv) Lalit killed the snake.
Identify the Active Voice :
Question 3.
(i) The rumour has been spread
(ii) The ship had been broken
(iii) Why did the teacher punish you ?
(iv) The noise was made by the class
Question 4.
(i) The letter has been posted
(ii) The thief was arrested
(iii) The song was sung
(iv) They lost everything
II. Fill in the objects :
Question 5.
He ran a ………
(i) scooter
(ii) race
(iii) fight
(iv) building
Question 6.
The police has arrested the ……….
(i) machine
(ii) tree
(iii) bird
(iv) thief
III. Choose the correct option :
Choose the Passive form :
Question 7.
(i) I was spoken by her
(ii) I am spoken by her
(iii) I was spoken to by her
(iv) She was spoken by me
Question 8.
(i) She was laughed by him
(ii) He is laughed by him
(iii) He was laughed by him
(iv) He was laughed at by her
Which sentence does not make a Passive Voice
Question 9.
(i) Students study a book
(ii) Students will be studying a book
(iii) Students studied a book
(iv) Students are studying a book
Question 10.
(i) The gardener will have been watering the plants
(ii) the gardener waters the plants
(iii) The gardener watered the plants
(iv) The gardener will water the plants
Answers
1. (iv)
2. (i)
3. (iii)
4. (iv)
5. (ii)
6. (iv)
7. (iii)
8. (iv)
9. (ii)
10. (i)
