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CLASS : 4SA02
ACTIVE VOICE
A feature of sentences in which the subject performs the action of the verb and the direct
object is the goal or the recipient: The mechanic fixed the car.
PASSIVE VOICE
A feature of sentences in which the object or goal of the action functions as the sentence
subject and the main verb phrase includes the verb to be and the past participle: The car was
fixed by the mechanic.
#Characteristics
#Pattern of sentence
When we change the sentence from active to passive voice, the object becomes the
subject.
We can use sentences with only transitive verbs in passive voice that is we can change
the sentences having object into this voice
This form may or may not tell clearly about the action which has done it.
To make clear the action who has done it we should add ‘by’
#Pattern of sentence
In the passive voice, “By” is used when the agent needs to know the job/ activity.
Passive voice is used when the statement doesn’t need to know the agent
Passive voice is used when we don’t know or forget who the agent.
When we are more interested in the job than the agent who works, we can use Passive
voice
Example: When she arrived home a police arrested her — it’s better: when she
arrived home she was arrested (by a police).
Be
Is
Are
A
Was
Were
Has been
Have been
Will be/ Being
Furthermore, Active and Passive voice are also related to Transitive and Intransitive verbs.
TRANSITIVE VERBS
Transitive verbs are verbs that have subjects or direct objects that receive the action. They are
either active voice or passive voice.
Transitive Active
Transitive Passive
Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action with the doer in a prepositional
phrase or omitted in the sentence.
TIPS: The verb in the transitive passive voice always has is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or
been as an auxiliary or helping verb.
INTRANSITIVE VERBS
Intransitive verbs are verbs that have no receiver of the action. They are classified
as intransitive complete or intransitive linking.
Intransitive linking
Intransitive linking are sentences with a predicate nominative (word or group of words
that complete a linking verb and renames the subject as noun) or predicate adjective (an
adjective that is used to predicate an attribute of the subject of the sentence).
Example: The girl is Mary. (predicate nominative) The girl is cute. (predicate adjective)
Explanation:
The girl is Mary = “The girl” is subject, Linking verb is the word “is” and predicate
nominative, the word “Mary”
The girl is cute = “The girl” is subject, Linking verb is the word “is” and predicate Adjective
is the word “Cute". The word "cute" is affectively renames subject of the sentence.
Intransitive complete
Intransitive complete is a type of verb that does action but no one receives the action of
the verb or complete without transferring their action to anyone or anything.
Example: The bell rang suddenly, The girl knitted all evening, They were here.
Explanation:
The bell rang suddenly = There is no receiver of the action in the sentence
The girl knitted all evening = There is no receiver of the action in the sentence
They were here = There is no action or predicate nominative or predicate adjective
1. The sentence must have objects (transitive verb). If there is no object then there must be
question word who asks the object.
2. Object active sentence became the subject of passive sentences.
3. Subject or active sentences into passive sentences that preceded the object word “by”.
4. The verb used is verb III (past participle) which is preceded by to be.
5. The adjusted sentence structure by tenses.
Rules
1. The places of subject and object are interchanged i.e. the object shifts to the place of
subject and subject shifts to the place of object in passive voice.
Example:
Active voice : I make a cake.
Passive voice : A cake is made by me.
Subject (I) of sentence shifted to the place of object (cake) and object (cake) shifted to the
place of subject (I) in passive voice.
2. Sometimes in passive voice, subject of sentence is not used. Besides, subject of sentence
can be omitted in passive voice, if without subject it can give enough meaning in passive
voice.
Example:
Passive voice : Cake is sold in market.
TIPS
If we want to change this passive voice form into active voice, there must be a subject. The
subject must be “someone or somebody”
3. Sentence of Passive voice always used 3rd form of verb (past participle) as main verb for
all tenses. Base form of verb or present participle will be never used in passive voice.
Moreover, the word “by” is used before subject in sentences in passive voice.
Example:
Active voice : The hunter kills the lion.
Passive voice : The lion is killed by the hunter.
4. The word “by” is not always used before subject in passive voice but it can be replaced
“with, to, etc” may also be used before subject in passive voice.
Examples:
5. Auxiliary verbs are used passive voice according to the tense of sentence.
MUST MUST BE
MAY MAY BE
MIGHT MIGHT BE
She might kill the snake. The snake might be killed by her.
Subject + might + verb + Object Object + might be + past participle +
by + subject
She might not kill the snake. The snake might not be killed by her.
Subject + might not + verb + Object Object + might not be + past
participle + by + subject
Might she kill the snake? Might the snake be killed by her?
SHOULD SHOULD BE
I should not buy this clock. This clock should not be bought by
me.
Subject + should not + verb + Object Object + Should not be + past
participle + by + subject
Should I buy this clock? Should this clock be bought by me?
OUGHT TO OUGHT TO BE
I should not have started a job. A job should not have been started
by me
Subject + should have not + past Object + should have not been + past
participle + Object participle + by + subject
He must have passed the exam. The exam must have been passed by
him.
Subject + must + have + past Object + must have been + past
participle + Object participle + by + subject
He must not have passed the exam. The exam must not have been passed
by him.
Subject + must not+ have + past Object + must not have been + past
participle + Object participle + by + subject
MAY HAVE MAY HAVE BEEN
You may have helped the kids. The kids may have been helped by
you.
Subject + may + have + past Object + may have been + past
participle + Object participle + by + subject
You may not have helped the kids. The kids may not have been helped
by you.
Subject + may not have+ past Object + may not have been + past
participle + Object participle + by + subject
He might have killed the snake. The snake might have been killed by
her.
Subject + might have + past Object + might have been + past
participle + Object participle + by + subject
He might have not killed the snake. The snake might not have been killed
by her.
Subject + might have not + past Object + might not have been + past
participle + Object participle + by + subject
You ought to have finished the task. The task ought to have been finished
by you
Subject + ought to have + past Object + ought to have been + past
participle + Object participle + by + subject
You ought not to have finished the The task ought not to have been
task. finished by you
Subject + ought not to have + past Object + ought not to have been +
participle + Object past participle + by + subject
How to change an active sentence into a passive sentence, the steps are:
For example:
Timmy washed the dog _ The dog was washed (by Timmy)
SOURCES :
Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. (n.d.). Daily Grammar. Retrieved
From.http://www.dailygrammar.com/Lesson-118-Transitive-and-Intransitive-
Verbs.html