Active and Passive Voice in Grammar

Active and Passive Voice

Identifying Active Voice

• In active voice, the subject performs the action described by the verb.
• The sentence structure is typically: Subject + Verb + Object
• Examples:
  • The dog bites the man.
  • The teacher writes the lesson plan.
  • The company is launching a new product.

Identifying Passive Voice

• In passive voice, the subject receives the action described by the verb.
• The sentence structure is typically: Subject + Verb (in a form of "to be") + Past Participle
• Examples:
  • The man was bitten by the dog.
  • The lesson plan was written by the teacher.
  • A new product is being launched by the company.

Converting Sentences

• To convert a sentence from active to passive voice:
  • Switch the subject and object
  • Change the verb to a form of "to be" (e.g. is, was, were)
  • Add the past participle of the original verb
• Examples:
  • Active: The dog bites the man.
    • Passive: The man was bitten by the dog.
  • Active: The teacher writes the lesson plan.
    • Passive: The lesson plan was written by the teacher.
• To convert a sentence from passive to active voice:
  • Switch the subject and object
  • Change the verb to its original form
  • Remove the past participle
• Examples:
  • Passive: The man was bitten by the dog.
    • Active: The dog bites the man.
  • Passive: The lesson plan was written by the teacher.
    • Active: The teacher writes the lesson plan.

Active Voice

• The subject performs the action described by the verb in active voice.
• The typical sentence structure is: Subject + Verb + Object.
• Examples of active voice sentences:
  • The dog bites the man.
  • The teacher writes the lesson plan.
  • The company is launching a new product.

Passive Voice

• The subject receives the action described by the verb in passive voice.
• The typical sentence structure is: Subject + Verb (in a form of "to be") + Past Participle.
• Examples of passive voice sentences:
  • The man was bitten by the dog.
  • The lesson plan was written by the teacher.
  • A new product is being launched by the company.

Converting Sentences

• To convert a sentence from active to passive voice:
  • Switch the subject and object.
  • Change the verb to a form of "to be" (e.g., is, was, were).
  • Add the past participle of the original verb.
• Examples of active to passive voice conversion:
  • Active: The dog bites the man. → Passive: The man was bitten by the dog.
  • Active: The teacher writes the lesson plan. → Passive: The lesson plan was written by the teacher.
• To convert a sentence from passive to active voice:
  • Switch the subject and object.
  • Change the verb to its original form.
  • Remove the past participle.
• Examples of passive to active voice conversion:
  • Passive: The man was bitten by the dog. → Active: The dog bites the man.
  • Passive: The lesson plan was written by the teacher. → Active: The teacher writes the lesson plan.