Active and Passive Voice Lesson free online

Active and Passive Voice in English

In a sentence, the voice refers to the relationship between the subject and the verb. 

In active voice, the subject of the sentence is performing the action of the verb. 

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is receiving the action of the verb.

Examples of active voice:

1. She writes a letter. (The subject "she" is performing the action of writing.)
2. The cat chased the mouse. (The subject "cat" is performing the action of chasing.)
3. They built a house. (The subject "they" is performing the action of building.)

Examples of passive voice:

1. A letter is written by her. (The subject "letter" is receiving the action of being written.)
2. The mouse was chased by the cat. (The subject "mouse" is receiving the action of being chased.)
3. A house was built by them. (The subject "house" is receiving the action of being built.)

Practical uses of active and passive voice:

• Active voice is often used to make a sentence more direct and concise. It can also make the sentence more engaging, as it puts the focus on the subject that is performing the action. Examples:

• The cat chased the mouse. (more direct and engaging than "The mouse was chased by the cat.")

• Passive voice is often used to shift the focus of a sentence from the doer of an action to the action itself or the recipient of the action. It can also be used to downplay the importance of the doer or to avoid naming them. Examples:

• A letter was written by her. (focuses on the action of writing rather than the doer)

• The experiment was conducted by the researchers. (downplays the importance of the researchers)

Special cases about active and passive voice:

• Some verbs cannot be used in passive voice. These include verbs of perception (see, hear, feel, etc.), verbs that express a change of state (become, grow, turn, etc.), and modal verbs (can, may, must, etc.). Examples:

• I see the sun. (not "The sun is seen by me.")

• She became a doctor. (not "A doctor was become by her.")

• You must finish your homework. (not "Your homework must be finished by you.")

• Some sentences may have multiple objects (a direct object and an indirect object). In these cases, the direct object becomes the subject in the passive voice, and the indirect object becomes a prepositional phrase. Example:

• Active: He gave his sister a gift.

• Passive: A gift was given to his sister by him.

Comprehension exercises Active and Passive Voice :

1. Choose the correct verb to complete the sentence in active voice: The cat _______ the mouse. 

    

   Answer: chased

2. Identify the subject in the following sentence in passive voice: The mouse was chased by the cat. 

    

   Answer: mouse

3. Complete the following sentence in active voice: A letter _______ written by her. 

    

   Answer: is

4. Choose the correct verb to complete the sentence in passive voice: They _______ a house. 

    

   Answer: built