ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
Compare:
Tris helps Tobias.
Tobias is helped by Tris.
In sentence 1, the form of the verb shows that the person denoted by the subject does something. I.e. Tris( the person denoted by subject) does something. Therefore, the verb ‘helps’ is said to be an active voice.
In sentence 2, the form of the verb shows that something is done to the person denoted by the subject. I.e. Something is done to Tobias (the person denoted by the subject.) The verb ‘helped’ is said to be passive voice.
Definition of voice: Voice is that form of the verb which shows whether what is denoted by the subject does something or has something done to it.
Active Voice:-
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.
It is used when the agent/doer must be made prominent.
Passive Voice:-
A verb is in the passive voice when its form shows (as in 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.
It is used when the person or thing acted upon must be made prominent. It is also used when an active voice would involve the use of indefinite or vague pronoun or noun i.e. when we don’t know who the agent is.
Examples of conversion:
Active: Edward loves Will.
Passive: Will is loved by Edward.
Active: Some boys are helping the wounded man.
Passive: The wounded man is being helped by some boys.
Active: Who did this?
Passive: By whom was this done?
Note: when a verb is changed from active to passive, the object of the transitive verb in the active voice becomes the subject of the verb in the passive voice. Since, the object of the verb in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive form, it follows that only transitive verbs can be used in the passive voice, because an intransitive verb has no object.
The passive voice is formed with the suitable tense of the verb followed by the past participle.
Refer to the table below for further details:-
| Tense(or modal + base) | Active voice | Passive Voice |
| Simple present |
take takes |
am taken is taken are taken |
| Present continuous |
am taking is taking are taking |
am being taken is being taken are being taken |
| Present Perfect |
has taken have taken |
has been taken have been taken |
| Simple past | took |
was taken were taken |
| Past continuous |
was taking were taking |
was being taken were being taken |
| Past Perfect | had taken | had been taken |
| Simple future |
will take shall take |
will be taken shall be taken |
| can/may/must, etc. + base |
can take must take |
can be taken must be taken |
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