ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE:
You may know that we can’t make any sentence without a verb. And you may know that there are two kinds of verbs. One is Transitive verb and other is Intransitive verb. The later form of verb (Intransitive) can make a complete sentence by adding it’s subject to it, as, She sleeps. But the former kind of verb (Transitive) does not have this quality, as, He cooked or We shall eat, because until and unless you add an object to these sentences, their meaning cannot be completed, as, He cooked meat and We shall eat rice. So remember that a Transitive verb needs an object and it does not have the quality or ability to make a sentence by only connecting itself with a subject. But, an Intransitive verb does not need an object and has the ability to make a complete sentence without an object. Keep in mind about the subject that is does some work, but so far as object is concerned, it doesn't do any work but something is done to it.
Voice literally means sound formed in larynx and uttered by mouth but in English Grammar voice means the way of expression. There are two voices (way of expression). One is the Active Voice and the other is Passive Voice.
The voice shows the kind of relationship that exists between its subject and object.
In the Active Voice the verb shows that its subject actually performs the action, as,
The hunter killed the lion.
Here, the verb killed is in the active voice as the subject, the hunter, performs the action denoted by it.
In the Passive Voice the verb shows that its subject does not perform the action but receives it, as,
The lion was killed by the hunter.
Here the subject, the lion, does not perform the action expressed by the verb. The hunter who is the object performs the action. Most transitive verbs i.e. the verbs which take direct objects can be used in passive voice.
e.g. They loved their country. (Active Voice)
Their country was loved by them. (Passive Voice)
To change an active sentence in a passive sentence, make the following changes:
a) Make the subject of the active sentence the object of the passive sentence.
b) Place the preposition ‘by’ before the object of the passive sentence, and
c) Replace the main verb by the past participle form (3rd form) and use, is, are, am, was, were, will be, shall be, is being, are being, am being, was being, were being, has been, have been, had been, will have been, and shall have been, before it.
d) The following table shows the structure of the active and passive voice:
These four changes are illustrated below:
Subject Active verb Object
The hunter killed the lion.
Subject Passive verb Object
The lion was killed the hunter.
A sentence with a transitive verb (verb taking a direct object) plus an object may be turned from the active voice into the passive voice by shifting the subject and the object and making necessary changes in the verb phrases. It must be remembered that passive voice is generally used when:
i) the subject of a sentence is unknown or difficult to specify.
ii) It is desirable not to specify the subject or
iii) We wish to emphasize the object rather than the subject.
Tense Active structure Example
Simple present root or ‘s’ form I (eat) food.
He (eats) food.
My parents (love) me.
They (eat) apples.
Simple past past tense I (ate) food.
Simple future shall/will + root form I (shall eat) food.
Present progressive am/are/is + present participle I (am eating) food.
We (are eating) food.
He (is eating) food.
Past Progressive was/were + present participle I (was eating) food.
We (were eating) food.
Future progressive shall be/will be + present I (shall be eating) food.
participle. I (will be eating) food.
Present perfect have/ has + past participle I (have eaten) food.
He (has eaten) food.
Past perfect had + past participle He (had eaten) food.
Future perfect shall have/ will have I (shall have eaten) food.
+ past participle He (will have eaten) food
Present perfect have been/has been + present I (have been eating) food.
progressive participle He (has been eating) food.
Past perfect had been + present participle I (had been eating) food.
progressive
Future perfect shall have been/will have been I (shall have been eating) food.
progressive + present participle He (will have been eating)
food.
Tense Passive structure Example
Simple present am/are/is + past participle Food (is eaten) by me.
Apples (are eaten) by them.
I (am loved) by my parents.
Simple past was/were + past participle Food (was eaten) by me.
Apples (were eaten) by me.
Simple future shall be/will be + past participle Food (will be eaten) by me.
I (shall be loved) by my parents.