Active and Passive Voice Exercise

Understanding active and passive voice is essential for mastering English grammar. This guide aims to clarify the definitions, differences, conversion methods, and practical exercises related to both voices.

What is Active Voice?

Active voice is when the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. For example, in the sentence “The dog chased the cat,” the dog (subject) is doing the chasing (verb).

What is passive voice?

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. For example, “The cat was chased by the dog” indicates that the cat (subject) is receiving the action of being chased.

Differences Between Active and Passive Voice

• Focus: Active voice focuses on the doer of the action, while passive voice emphasizes the action itself or the recipient.
• Structure: In active voice, the structure is subject + verb + object. In passive voice, it is Object + Form of “to be” + Past Participle + (by Subject).

How to Convert Between Active and Passive Voice

Steps for Conversion

1. Identify the subject, verb, and object in the active voice.
2. Switch the object and subject.
3. Change the verb to the appropriate form of “to be” + past participle.
4. Add “by” before the original subject if necessary.

Examples of Conversion

• Active: The teacher explains the lesson.
• Passive: The lesson is explained by the teacher.

Examples of Active and Passive Voice

Exercises On Active and Passive Voice

Simple Present Tense

Rules for Conversion: – Active: Subject + Verb (present) + Object; Passive: Object + is/are (present) + Past Participle

Convert to Passive Voice:

1. The chef prepares a meal.

2. She sings a beautiful song.

3. They clean the house every day.

Answers:

1. A meal is prepared by the chef.

2. A beautiful song is sung by her.

3. The house is cleaned every day by them.

Present Continuous Tense

Rules for Conversion: – Active: Subject + am/is/are (present) + Verb-ing – Passive: Object + am/is/are (present) + being + Past Participle

Convert to Passive Voice:

1. The chef is preparing the special dish.

2. She is singing a song.

Answers:

1. The special dish is being prepared by the chef.

2. A song is being sang by her.

Present Perfect Tense

Rules for Conversion: – Active: Subject + has/have + Past Participle – Passive: Object + has/have + been + Past Participle

Convert to Passive Voice:

1. They have completed the project.

2. She has written a novel.

Answers:

1. The project has been completed.

2. A novel has been written by her.

Simple Past Tense

Rules for Conversion: – Active: Subject + Verb (past) + Object; Passive: Object + was/were (past) + Past Participle

Convert to Passive Voice:

1. She wrote a letter.

2. They built a house.

Answers:

1. A letter was written by her.

2. A house was built by them.

Past Continuous Tense

Rules for Conversion: – Active: Subject + was/were + Verb-ing – Passive: Object + was/were + being + Past Participle

Convert to Passive Voice:

1. She was writing a letter.

2. They were building a house.

Answers:

1. A letter was being written by her.

2. A house was being built by them.

Past Perfect Tense

Rules for Conversion: – Active: Subject + had + Past Participle – Passive: Object + had + been + Past Participle

Convert to Passive Voice:

1. She had completed the assignment.

2. They had fixed the car.

Answers:

1. The assignment had been completed by her.

2. The car had been fixed by them.

Simple Future Tense

Rules for Conversion: – Active: Subject + will/shall + Verb; Passive: Object + will/shall + be + Past Participle

Convert to Passive Voice:

1. She will write a letter.

2. They will build a house.

Answers:

1. A letter will be written by her.

2. A house will be built by them.

Active and Passive Voice Exercises

These exercises will help you practice converting sentences between active and passive voice across different tenses.

Exercise 1: Simple Present Tense

Instructions: Convert the following active voice sentences to passive voice.

1. The cat catches the mouse.
2. The teacher explains the rules.
3. The students complete their assignments.
4. The chef prepares breakfast.
5. The gardener waters the plants.

Exercise 2: Present Continuous Tense

Instructions: Convert the following active voice sentences to passive voice.

1. She is reading a book.
2. They are playing soccer in the park.
3. The workers are building a new bridge.
4. He is washing the car.
5. The children are drawing pictures.

Exercise 3: Present Perfect Tense

Instructions: Convert the following active voice sentences to passive voice.

1. They have finished the project.
2. She has baked a cake.
3. The committee has approved the proposal.
4. He has painted the fence.
5. The students have learned the lesson.

Exercise 4: Simple Past Tense

Instructions: Convert the following active voice sentences to passive voice.

1. The dog chased the cat.
2. She wrote a letter.
3. They built a treehouse.
4. The artist painted a beautiful mural.
5. He fixed the bike.

Exercise 5: Past Continuous Tense

Instructions: Convert the following active voice sentences to passive voice.

1. She was cleaning the house.
2. They were watching a movie.
3. The team was playing the final match.
4. He was cooking dinner.
5. The children were building a sand castle.

Exercise 6: Past Perfect Tense

Instructions: Convert the following active voice sentences to passive voice.

1. She had completed her homework.
2. They had repaired the car.
3. He had sold the house.
4. The teacher had given the assignment.
5. We had finished the work.

Exercise 7: Simple Future Tense

Instructions: Convert the following active voice sentences to passive voice.

1. She will write a report.
2. They will launch the new product.
3. He will clean the room.
4. The company will hire new employees.
5. The children will play games.

Answers to Active and Passive Voice Exercises

Exercise 1: Simple Present Tense

1. The mouse is caught by the cat.
2. The rules are explained by the teacher.
3. The assignments are completed by the students.
4. Breakfast is prepared by the chef.
5. The plants are watered by the gardener.

Exercise 2: Present Continuous Tense

1. A book is being read by her.
2. Soccer is being played by them in the park.
3. A new bridge is being built by the workers.
4. The car is being washed by him.
5. Pictures are being drawn by the children.

Exercise 3: Present Perfect Tense

1. The project has been finished by them.
2. A cake has been baked by her.
3. The proposal has been approved by the committee.
4. The fence has been painted by him.
5. The lesson has been learned by the students.

Exercise 4: Simple Past Tense

1. The cat was chased by the dog.
2. A letter was written by her.
3. A treehouse was built by them.
4. A beautiful mural was painted by the artist.
5. The bike was fixed by him.

Exercise 5: Past Continuous Tense

1. Her house was being cleaned.
2. A movie was being watched by them.
3. The final match was being played by the team.
4. Dinner was being cooked by him.
5. A sandcastle was being built by the children.

Exercise 6: Past Perfect Tense

1. Her homework had been completed by her.
2. The car had been repaired.
3. The house had been sold by him.
4. The assignment had been given by the teacher.
5. The work had been finished by us.

Exercise 7: Simple Future Tense

1. A report will be written by her.
2. Their new product will be launched.
3. The room will be cleaned by him.
4. New employees will be hired by the company.
5. Games will be played by the children.

FAQs On Active and Passive Voice Exercise 

What is an active and passive exercise?

Active and passive exercises involve identifying the voice of a sentence or converting it from active to passive voice or vice versa.

How do you change passive voice to active?

To convert a sentence from passive to active voice, identify the subject and object, switch their places, remove the word “by,” and adjust the verb accordingly.