Have you ever wondered why we say, “The teacher explains the lesson,” but also, “The lesson is explained by the teacher”? Both sentences have the same meaning, but they are written in different ways. One is in the active voice, and the other is in the passive voice.
Learning Active and Passive Voice is an important step in improving your English grammar and writing skills. Whether you’re writing an essay, preparing for an exam, or simply trying to speak English more confidently, understanding these two sentence structures will help you communicate more clearly.
The good news is that Active and Passive Voice isn’t as difficult as it seems. Once you understand the basic rules and formulas, changing a sentence from active to passive becomes much easier.
In this guide, you’ll learn the difference between active and passive voice, simple grammar rules, tense-wise formulas, plenty of real-life examples, common mistakes, and practice exercises. Everything is explained in easy English, making this guide perfect for beginners.
Quick Answer
Active Voice means the subject performs the action.
Example:
Sarah writes a letter.
Passive Voice means the subject receives the action.
Example:
A letter is written by Sarah.
What Is Active Voice?
In Active Voice, the subject performs the action. This sentence structure is clear, direct, and easy to understand. Most English sentences are written in the active voice because they sound more natural.
Examples
- John drives the car.
- My mother cooks dinner.
- The students complete their homework.
- Emma reads a novel every week.
- The doctor examines the patient.
In each sentence, the subject is doing the action.
What Is Passive Voice?
In Passive Voice, the subject receives the action instead of performing it. Passive voice is often used when the person doing the action is unknown, unimportant, or already understood from the context.
Examples
- The car is driven by John.
- Dinner is cooked by my mother.
- Homework is completed by the students.
- A novel is read by Emma every week.
- The patient is examined by the doctor.
Notice that the focus changes from the person doing the action to the object receiving it.
Difference Between Active and Passive Voice
Both active voice and passive voice express the same idea, but they focus on different parts of the sentence. In active voice, the subject performs the action. In passive voice, the subject receives the action.
Understanding this difference will help you write clearer and more natural English sentences.
Active Voice
In active voice, the subject performs the action. This is the most common sentence structure in English because it is simple, direct, and easy to understand.
Examples:
- Sarah writes a letter.
- The teacher explains the lesson.
- My father drives the car.
- The chef cooks dinner.
- The students finish their homework.
Passive Voice
In passive voice, the subject receives the action. This structure is useful when the action is more important than the person performing it.
Examples:
- A letter is written by Sarah.
- The lesson is explained by the teacher.
- The car is driven by my father.
- Dinner is cooked by the chef.
- Homework is finished by the students.
Active Voice vs Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Sarah writes a letter. | A letter is written by Sarah. |
| The teacher explains the lesson. | The lesson is explained by the teacher. |
| My father drives the car. | The car is driven by my father. |
| The chef cooks dinner. | Dinner is cooked by the chef. |
| The students finish their homework. | Homework is finished by the students. |
Active and Passive Voice Formula
Learning the formula is the easiest way to change a sentence from active voice to passive voice. Once you understand the basic pattern, converting sentences becomes much simpler.
Active Voice Formula
Subject + Verb + Object
Examples:
- Emma reads a book.
- The police caught the thief.
- My brother repaired the bicycle.
Passive Voice Formula
Object + Helping Verb + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject
Examples:
- A book is read by Emma.
- The thief was caught by the police.
- The bicycle was repaired by my brother.
Basic Rules of Active and Passive Voice
Before changing a sentence from active voice to passive voice, remember these simple grammar rules.
Rule 1: The Object Becomes the Subject
The object in the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
Example:
Active: The teacher teaches English.
Passive: English is taught by the teacher.
Rule 2: Use the Third Form (V3) of the Verb
The main verb always changes to its past participle (V3) form in passive voice.
Examples:
- write → written
- eat → eaten
- make → made
- drive → driven
- build → built
Rule 3: Choose the Correct Helping Verb
The helping verb changes according to the tense of the sentence.
Examples:
- is written
- was written
- has been written
- will be written
Rule 4: Use “by” Before the Doer (When Needed)
If it’s important to mention who performed the action, use by before the subject.
Example:
Active: John painted the wall.
Passive: The wall was painted by John.
If the doer is unknown or unimportant, you can leave it out.
Example:
Passive: The window was broken.
Rule 5: Only Transitive Verbs Can Be Changed
Only verbs that have an object can be changed into passive voice.
Correct:
Active: She wrote a letter.
Passive: A letter was written by her.
Incorrect:
Active: The baby cried.
This sentence cannot be changed into passive voice because cried has no object.
Present Simple Active and Passive Voice
The Present Simple Tense is used to talk about daily routines, habits, facts, and general truths. In active voice, the subject performs the action. In passive voice, the subject receives the action.
Learning the Present Simple Active and Passive Voice formula makes it much easier to change sentences correctly. The most important thing to remember is that the main verb changes to its third form (V3) in passive voice.
Present Simple Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Subject + V1 (s/es) + Object | Object + is/am/are + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Present Simple Active and Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Sarah writes a letter. | A letter is written by Sarah. |
| The teacher teaches English. | English is taught by the teacher. |
| My mother cooks dinner. | Dinner is cooked by my mother. |
| John drives the car. | The car is driven by John. |
| They clean the classroom. | The classroom is cleaned by them. |
| The doctor examines the patient. | The patient is examined by the doctor. |
| Emma reads a novel. | A novel is read by Emma. |
| The chef prepares lunch. | Lunch is prepared by the chef. |
| The students complete the project. | The project is completed by the students. |
| My father washes the car. | The car is washed by my father. |
| Lisa paints beautiful pictures. | Beautiful pictures are painted by Lisa. |
| The company sells computers. | Computers are sold by the company. |
| We watch English movies. | English movies are watched by us. |
| The gardener waters the plants. | The plants are watered by the gardener. |
| The police catch criminals. | Criminals are caught by the police. |
| She answers every question. | Every question is answered by her. |
| They build modern houses. | Modern houses are built by them. |
| My brother repairs bicycles. | Bicycles are repaired by my brother. |
| The waiter serves the food. | The food is served by the waiter. |
| The nurse checks the patients. | The patients are checked by the nurse. |
Quick Tips
- Use is, am, or are in passive voice.
- Always use the third form (V3) of the main verb.
- The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
- Use by only when the doer is important.
Present Continuous Active and Passive Voice
The Present Continuous Tense is used to describe actions that are happening right now or around the present time. In active voice, the subject is performing the action. In passive voice, the focus changes to the object receiving the action.
When changing a sentence into passive voice, remember to use is/am/are + being + V3.
Present Continuous Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Subject + is/am/are + V-ing + Object | Object + is/am/are + being + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Present Continuous Active and Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Sarah is writing a letter. | A letter is being written by Sarah. |
| The teacher is teaching English. | English is being taught by the teacher. |
| My mother is cooking dinner. | Dinner is being cooked by my mother. |
| John is driving the car. | The car is being driven by John. |
| They are cleaning the classroom. | The classroom is being cleaned by them. |
| The doctor is examining the patient. | The patient is being examined by the doctor. |
| Emma is reading a novel. | A novel is being read by Emma. |
| The chef is preparing lunch. | Lunch is being prepared by the chef. |
| The students are completing the project. | The project is being completed by the students. |
| My father is washing the car. | The car is being washed by my father. |
| Lisa is painting a beautiful picture. | A beautiful picture is being painted by Lisa. |
| The company is launching a new product. | A new product is being launched by the company. |
| We are watching an English movie. | An English movie is being watched by us. |
| The gardener is watering the plants. | The plants are being watered by the gardener. |
| The police are questioning the suspect. | The suspect is being questioned by the police. |
| She is answering every question. | Every question is being answered by her. |
| They are building a new bridge. | A new bridge is being built by them. |
| My brother is repairing the bicycle. | The bicycle is being repaired by my brother. |
| The waiter is serving the food. | The food is being served by the waiter. |
| The nurse is checking the patients. | The patients are being checked by the nurse. |
Quick Tips
- Use is/am/are + being + V3 in passive voice.
- Keep the tense the same when changing the sentence.
- The object becomes the subject in passive voice.
- Use by only when it is necessary to mention the doer.
Present Perfect Active and Passive Voice
The Present Perfect Tense is used for actions that have already been completed or actions that still affect the present. In passive voice, use has/have + been + V3 to keep the same meaning.
Present Perfect Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Subject + has/have + V3 + Object | Object + has/have + been + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Present Perfect Active and Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Sarah has written a letter. | A letter has been written by Sarah. |
| The teacher has explained the lesson. | The lesson has been explained by the teacher. |
| My mother has cooked dinner. | Dinner has been cooked by my mother. |
| John has driven the car home. | The car has been driven home by John. |
| They have cleaned the classroom. | The classroom has been cleaned by them. |
| The doctor has examined the patient. | The patient has been examined by the doctor. |
| Emma has finished the novel. | The novel has been finished by Emma. |
| The chef has prepared lunch. | Lunch has been prepared by the chef. |
| The students have completed the project. | The project has been completed by the students. |
| My father has washed the car. | The car has been washed by my father. |
| Lisa has painted a beautiful picture. | A beautiful picture has been painted by Lisa. |
| The company has launched a new product. | A new product has been launched by the company. |
| We have watched the movie. | The movie has been watched by us. |
| The gardener has watered the plants. | The plants have been watered by the gardener. |
| The police have arrested the thief. | The thief has been arrested by the police. |
| She has answered every question. | Every question has been answered by her. |
| They have built a modern house. | A modern house has been built by them. |
| My brother has repaired the bicycle. | The bicycle has been repaired by my brother. |
| The waiter has served the food. | The food has been served by the waiter. |
| The nurse has checked all the patients. | All the patients have been checked by the nurse. |
Quick Tips
- Use has been with singular subjects.
- Use have been with plural subjects.
- Always use the past participle (V3) in passive voice.
- Keep the meaning of the sentence unchanged while changing its structure.
Past Simple Active and Passive Voice
The Past Simple Tense is used to talk about actions that started and finished in the past. In active voice, the subject performs the action. In passive voice, the subject receives the action.
To change a sentence into passive voice, use was/were + V3 (past participle). This is one of the most common passive voice structures in English.
Past Simple Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Subject + V2 + Object | Object + was/were + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Past Simple Active and Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Sarah wrote a letter. | A letter was written by Sarah. |
| The teacher explained the lesson. | The lesson was explained by the teacher. |
| My mother cooked dinner. | Dinner was cooked by my mother. |
| John drove the car. | The car was driven by John. |
| They cleaned the classroom. | The classroom was cleaned by them. |
| The doctor examined the patient. | The patient was examined by the doctor. |
| Emma finished the novel. | The novel was finished by Emma. |
| The chef prepared lunch. | Lunch was prepared by the chef. |
| The students completed the project. | The project was completed by the students. |
| My father washed the car. | The car was washed by my father. |
| Lisa painted a beautiful picture. | A beautiful picture was painted by Lisa. |
| The company launched a new product. | A new product was launched by the company. |
| We watched the movie. | The movie was watched by us. |
| The gardener watered the plants. | The plants were watered by the gardener. |
| The police arrested the thief. | The thief was arrested by the police. |
| She answered every question. | Every question was answered by her. |
| They built a modern house. | A modern house was built by them. |
| My brother repaired the bicycle. | The bicycle was repaired by my brother. |
| The waiter served the food. | The food was served by the waiter. |
| The nurse checked all the patients. | All the patients were checked by the nurse. |
Quick Tips
- Use was with singular subjects.
- Use were with plural subjects.
- Always use the third form (V3) of the main verb.
- The object in the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
Past Continuous Active and Passive Voice
The Past Continuous Tense describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. In passive voice, use was/were + being + V3.
Past Continuous Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Subject + was/were + V-ing + Object | Object + was/were + being + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Past Continuous Active and Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Sarah was writing a letter. | A letter was being written by Sarah. |
| The teacher was explaining the lesson. | The lesson was being explained by the teacher. |
| My mother was cooking dinner. | Dinner was being cooked by my mother. |
| John was driving the car. | The car was being driven by John. |
| They were cleaning the classroom. | The classroom was being cleaned by them. |
| The doctor was examining the patient. | The patient was being examined by the doctor. |
| Emma was reading a novel. | A novel was being read by Emma. |
| The chef was preparing lunch. | Lunch was being prepared by the chef. |
| The students were completing the project. | The project was being completed by the students. |
| My father was washing the car. | The car was being washed by my father. |
| Lisa was painting a beautiful picture. | A beautiful picture was being painted by Lisa. |
| The company was launching a new product. | A new product was being launched by the company. |
| We were watching the movie. | The movie was being watched by us. |
| The gardener was watering the plants. | The plants were being watered by the gardener. |
| The police were questioning the suspect. | The suspect was being questioned by the police. |
| She was answering every question. | Every question was being answered by her. |
| They were building a new bridge. | A new bridge was being built by them. |
| My brother was repairing the bicycle. | The bicycle was being repaired by my brother. |
| The waiter was serving the food. | The food was being served by the waiter. |
| The nurse was checking the patients. | The patients were being checked by the nurse. |
Quick Tips
- Use was/were + being + V3 in passive voice.
- The tense does not change when converting the sentence.
- Keep the meaning of the sentence the same.
- Use by only when it is important to mention the doer.
Past Perfect Active and Passive Voice
The Past Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. In passive voice, use had been + V3 (past participle) to show that the action had already been completed.
Past Perfect Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Subject + had + V3 + Object | Object + had been + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Past Perfect Active and Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Sarah had written a letter. | A letter had been written by Sarah. |
| The teacher had explained the lesson. | The lesson had been explained by the teacher. |
| My mother had cooked dinner. | Dinner had been cooked by my mother. |
| John had driven the car. | The car had been driven by John. |
| They had cleaned the classroom. | The classroom had been cleaned by them. |
| The doctor had examined the patient. | The patient had been examined by the doctor. |
| Emma had finished the novel. | The novel had been finished by Emma. |
| The chef had prepared lunch. | Lunch had been prepared by the chef. |
| The students had completed the project. | The project had been completed by the students. |
| My father had washed the car. | The car had been washed by my father. |
| Lisa had painted a beautiful picture. | A beautiful picture had been painted by Lisa. |
| The company had launched a new product. | A new product had been launched by the company. |
| We had watched the movie. | The movie had been watched by us. |
| The gardener had watered the plants. | The plants had been watered by the gardener. |
| The police had arrested the thief. | The thief had been arrested by the police. |
| She had answered every question. | Every question had been answered by her. |
| They had built a modern house. | A modern house had been built by them. |
| My brother had repaired the bicycle. | The bicycle had been repaired by my brother. |
| The waiter had served the food. | The food had been served by the waiter. |
| The nurse had checked all the patients. | All the patients had been checked by the nurse. |
Quick Tips
- Always use had been + V3 in passive voice.
- The helping verb had never changes.
- Use the past participle (V3) of the main verb.
- Keep the original meaning of the sentence.
Future Simple Active and Passive Voice
The Future Simple Tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. In passive voice, use will be + V3.
Future Simple Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Subject + will + V1 + Object | Object + will be + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Future Simple Active and Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Sarah will write a letter. | A letter will be written by Sarah. |
| The teacher will explain the lesson. | The lesson will be explained by the teacher. |
| My mother will cook dinner. | Dinner will be cooked by my mother. |
| John will drive the car. | The car will be driven by John. |
| They will clean the classroom. | The classroom will be cleaned by them. |
| The doctor will examine the patient. | The patient will be examined by the doctor. |
| Emma will finish the novel. | The novel will be finished by Emma. |
| The chef will prepare lunch. | Lunch will be prepared by the chef. |
| The students will complete the project. | The project will be completed by the students. |
| My father will wash the car. | The car will be washed by my father. |
| Lisa will paint a beautiful picture. | A beautiful picture will be painted by Lisa. |
| The company will launch a new product. | A new product will be launched by the company. |
| We will watch the movie. | The movie will be watched by us. |
| The gardener will water the plants. | The plants will be watered by the gardener. |
| The police will arrest the thief. | The thief will be arrested by the police. |
| She will answer every question. | Every question will be answered by her. |
| They will build a modern house. | A modern house will be built by them. |
| My brother will repair the bicycle. | The bicycle will be repaired by my brother. |
| The waiter will serve the food. | The food will be served by the waiter. |
| The nurse will check all the patients. | All the patients will be checked by the nurse. |
Quick Tips
- Use will be + V3 in passive voice.
- The helping verb will remains the same.
- The object becomes the subject in passive voice.
- This tense is commonly used to describe future plans or predictions.
Future Perfect Active and Passive Voice
The Future Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future. When changing a sentence into passive voice, use will have been + V3 (past participle). This structure helps you express that an action will already have been completed before another future event.
Future Perfect Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Subject + will have + V3 + Object | Object + will have been + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Future Perfect Active and Passive Voice
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Sarah will have written a letter. | A letter will have been written by Sarah. |
| The teacher will have explained the lesson. | The lesson will have been explained by the teacher. |
| My mother will have cooked dinner. | Dinner will have been cooked by my mother. |
| John will have driven the car. | The car will have been driven by John. |
| They will have cleaned the classroom. | The classroom will have been cleaned by them. |
| The doctor will have examined the patient. | The patient will have been examined by the doctor. |
| Emma will have finished the novel. | The novel will have been finished by Emma. |
| The chef will have prepared lunch. | Lunch will have been prepared by the chef. |
| The students will have completed the project. | The project will have been completed by the students. |
| My father will have washed the car. | The car will have been washed by my father. |
| Lisa will have painted a beautiful picture. | A beautiful picture will have been painted by Lisa. |
| The company will have launched a new product. | A new product will have been launched by the company. |
| We will have watched the movie. | The movie will have been watched by us. |
| The gardener will have watered the plants. | The plants will have been watered by the gardener. |
| The police will have arrested the thief. | The thief will have been arrested by the police. |
| She will have answered every question. | Every question will have been answered by her. |
| They will have built a modern house. | A modern house will have been built by them. |
| My brother will have repaired the bicycle. | The bicycle will have been repaired by my brother. |
| The waiter will have served the food. | The food will have been served by the waiter. |
| The nurse will have checked all the patients. | All the patients will have been checked by the nurse. |
Quick Tips
- Use will have been + V3 in passive voice.
- The helping verbs will have remain the same.
- Always use the third form (V3) of the main verb.
- This tense describes an action that will be completed before another future action.
Active and Passive Voice with Modal Verbs
Modal verbs such as can, could, may, might, must, should, would, shall, and ought to can also be changed into passive voice. To make a passive sentence, use the modal verb followed by be + V3 (past participle).
Modal Verb Formula
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Subject + Modal Verb + V1 + Object | Object + Modal Verb + be + V3 + by + Subject |
Examples of Active and Passive Voice with Modal Verbs
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| She can solve the problem. | The problem can be solved by her. |
| They should complete the project. | The project should be completed by them. |
| We must follow the rules. | The rules must be followed by us. |
| John may drive the car. | The car may be driven by John. |
| You can open the window. | The window can be opened by you. |
| They might invite us. | We might be invited by them. |
| The company should improve the service. | The service should be improved by the company. |
| The police must catch the thief. | The thief must be caught by the police. |
| My brother can repair the bicycle. | The bicycle can be repaired by my brother. |
| She could answer the question. | The question could be answered by her. |
| We may finish the work today. | The work may be finished today by us. |
| They must clean the room. | The room must be cleaned by them. |
| The chef can prepare dinner quickly. | Dinner can be prepared quickly by the chef. |
| You should read this book. | This book should be read by you. |
| The doctor must examine the patient. | The patient must be examined by the doctor. |
| We could solve the puzzle. | The puzzle could be solved by us. |
| They would accept the offer. | The offer would be accepted by them. |
| She might send the email today. | The email might be sent today by her. |
| The manager can approve the request. | The request can be approved by the manager. |
| Students should follow the classroom rules. | The classroom rules should be followed by students. |
Quick Tips
- Use Modal Verb + be + V3 in passive voice.
- The modal verb never changes.
- Always use the past participle (V3) of the main verb.
- Modal verbs are commonly used in formal writing, instructions, and advice.
| Tense | Passive Formula |
|---|---|
| Present Simple | is/am/are + V3 |
| Present Continuous | is/am/are being + V3 |
| Present Perfect | has/have been + V3 |
| Past Simple | was/were + V3 |
| Past Continuous | was/were being + V3 |
| Past Perfect | had been + V3 |
| Future Simple | will be + V3 |
| Future Perfect | will have been + V3 |
| Modal | modal + be + V3 |
Active and Passive Voice Exercises with Answers
Practice is the best way to master Active and Passive Voice. Try changing the following active sentences into passive voice before checking the answers.
Exercise: Change Active Voice into Passive Voice
- Sarah writes a letter.
- The teacher explains the lesson.
- My mother cooks dinner.
- John drives the car.
- They clean the classroom.
- The doctor examines the patient.
- Emma reads a novel.
- The chef prepares lunch.
- The students complete the project.
- My father washes the car.
Answers
- A letter is written by Sarah.
- The lesson is explained by the teacher.
- Dinner is cooked by my mother.
- The car is driven by John.
- The classroom is cleaned by them.
- The patient is examined by the doctor.
- A novel is read by Emma.
- Lunch is prepared by the chef.
- The project is completed by the students.
- The car is washed by my father.
Frequently Asked Questions About Active and Passive Voice
How can I learn Active and Passive Voice quickly?
The fastest way to learn Active and Passive Voice is to understand the basic formula first and then practice every day. Start with one tense at a time, compare active and passive sentences, and try converting simple sentences on your own. Reading examples aloud and completing grammar exercises regularly will help you master voice change much faster.
What is Active Voice?
Active voice is a sentence structure in which the subject performs the action.
Example:
Sarah writes a letter.
What is Passive Voice?
Passive voice is a sentence structure in which the subject receives the action.
Example:
A letter is written by Sarah.
When should I use passive voice?
Use passive voice when the action is more important than the person performing it or when the doer is unknown
Is active voice better than passive voice?
Active voice is usually clearer, shorter, and easier to understand. However, passive voice is useful in formal writing, scientific reports, and situations where the action is more important than the subject.
Can every sentence be changed into passive voice?
No. Only sentences with transitive verbs (verbs that have an object) can be changed into passive voice.
Conclusion
Learning Active and Passive Voice is one of the most important steps toward improving your English grammar and writing skills. Once you understand the basic rules, formulas, and sentence patterns, changing between active and passive voice becomes much easier.
Start by practicing one tense at a time, then move on to more advanced sentence structures. Read the examples carefully, complete the exercises, and try creating your own sentences every day. With regular practice, you’ll use Active and Passive Voice naturally and confidently in both speaking and writing.