Language → Grammar → Active & Passive Voice
Class 7–10
Active and passive are not just grammar rules — they are choices about emphasis. Science reports prefer passive. Narratives prefer active. Understanding why changes how you write.
In Active Voice, the subject performs the action. The structure flows naturally: Subject → Action → Object.
In Passive Voice, the subject receives the action. The doer moves to the end — or disappears entirely.
"The committee approved the proposal."
Subject (committee) performs the action. Direct, clear, energetic. Emphasis on the doer.
"The proposal was approved by the committee."
Subject (proposal) receives the action. Emphasis shifts to what was done, not who did it.
Doer is unknown: "The ancient temple was built 800 years ago."
Doer is unimportant: "Results will be declared on Friday."
Formal/scientific writing: "The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions."
News headlines: "Three workers injured in factory fire."
Railway announcement: "Passengers are requested to carry valid ID." (who requests? unimportant)
Government notice: "Applications will be accepted until 30 April."
Cricket commentary: "The match was won by India in the final over."
A transitive verb takes a direct object. Only these can be made passive.
Can: "She wrote a letter." → "A letter was written by her." ✓
Cannot: "She sleeps." — "sleep" has no object, so no passive is possible.
When converting, pronouns change case:
I → me · he → him · she → her · they → them · we → us
"She praised him." → "He was praised by her."
| Tense | Active Form | Passive Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | writes | is/am/are + written |
| Simple Past | wrote | was/were + written |
| Simple Future | will write | will be + written |
| Present Continuous | is writing | is/am/are + being + written |
| Past Continuous | was writing | was/were + being + written |
| Present Perfect | has/have written | has/have + been + written |
| Past Perfect | had written | had + been + written |
| Future Perfect | will have written | will have + been + written |
| Modal (can/must/may) | can write | can + be + written |
write → written · take → taken · give → given · make → made · do → done · see → seen · build → built · teach → taught · buy → bought · speak → spoken · break → broken · know → known
Active: "She is writing a letter."
Passive: "A letter is being written by her."
Students often write "is written" — that is Simple Present passive, a different tense entirely. Continuous passive always has being.
Transform each sentence as directed. Submit all for AI feedback on accuracy.
When the doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant, drop the "by" phrase entirely:
"The window was broken." (by whom? we don't know)
"Passengers are requested to cooperate." (by whom? irrelevant)
Never write "by someone" — just omit it.
A very common pattern in Indian school exams: students write passive sentences for Present Perfect correctly but forget the "been":
"The work has completed."
✓ "The work has been completed."
Present Perfect passive always needs has/have + been + V3.
10 questions · Identify voice, transform sentences, spot errors · Instant explanation
Type any question about active or passive voice — transformation rules, tenses, when to use each, or specific sentences you are unsure about. The AI will answer with Indian-context examples.
Examples: "How do I change Present Perfect to passive?" · "When should I NOT use passive?" · "Modal sentences mein passive kaise banate hain?"