Active and Passive Voice Rules & MCQ
A complete, exam-focused guide to Active and Passive Voice with tense-wise rules, sentence transformation, modal verbs, imperatives, interrogatives, common traps and practice MCQs.
What Is Active and Passive Voice?
Voice shows the relationship between the subject and the action expressed by the verb. In English grammar, the two main voices are Active Voice and Passive Voice.
Active Voice
The subject performs the action.
Example: Riya writes a letter.
Riya = doer, writes = action, a letter = receiver.
Passive Voice
The grammatical subject receives the action.
Example: A letter is written by Riya.
A letter = receiver, is written = passive verb.
Passive Voice is useful when the receiver of the action is more important than the doer, or when the doer is unknown, obvious or not important to mention.
Active Voice vs Passive Voice
| Point | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Focuses on the doer. | Focuses on the receiver/action. |
| Basic order | Subject + Verb + Object | Object + Be + V3 + by + Subject |
| Verb | Normal tense form | Appropriate form of be + V3 |
| Agent | Normally the subject. | May appear after by or may be omitted. |
| Example | The boy opened the door. | The door was opened by the boy. |
Basic Rule for Changing Active into Passive
Use this five-step method in most ordinary transitive sentences:
Subject = the teacher | Verb = teaches | Object = English
Passive: English is taught by the teacher.
Active:
Subject + Verb + ObjectPassive:
Object + suitable Be + V3 + by + Subject
The tense does not disappear during transformation. Instead, the tense is carried by the auxiliary structure in the passive sentence.
Active and Passive Voice: Tense-wise Rules
The safest way to solve voice-change questions is to identify the tense first and then select the correct passive structure.
| Tense | Active Structure | Passive Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | S + V1/V5 + O | O + am/is/are + V3 | He writes a letter → A letter is written by him. |
| Present Continuous | S + am/is/are + V-ing + O | O + am/is/are + being + V3 | She is writing a letter → A letter is being written by her. |
| Present Perfect | S + has/have + V3 + O | O + has/have + been + V3 | They have completed the work → The work has been completed by them. |
| Past Simple | S + V2 + O | O + was/were + V3 | He opened the door → The door was opened by him. |
| Past Continuous | S + was/were + V-ing + O | O + was/were + being + V3 | They were building the bridge → The bridge was being built by them. |
| Past Perfect | S + had + V3 + O | O + had been + V3 | She had finished the work → The work had been finished by her. |
| Future Simple | S + will + V1 + O | O + will be + V3 | They will complete the task → The task will be completed by them. |
| Future Perfect | S + will have + V3 + O | O + will have been + V3 | He will have completed it → It will have been completed by him. |
Present Tense Voice Rules
1. Present Simple
Active: People speak English here.
Passive: English is spoken here.
2. Present Continuous
Active: The workers are repairing the road.
Passive: The road is being repaired by the workers.
3. Present Perfect
Active: The committee has approved the plan.
Passive: The plan has been approved by the committee.
Past Tense Voice Rules
1. Past Simple
Active: The police arrested the thief.
Passive: The thief was arrested by the police.
2. Past Continuous
Active: They were repairing the bridge.
Passive: The bridge was being repaired by them.
3. Past Perfect
Active: She had completed the assignment.
Passive: The assignment had been completed by her.
Future Tense Voice Rules
1. Future Simple
Active: The company will launch the product.
Passive: The product will be launched by the company.
2. Future Perfect
Active: They will have completed the work.
Passive: The work will have been completed by them.
Pronoun Changes in Active to Passive Voice
When the active subject moves after by, the subject pronoun generally changes to its object form.
| Active Subject | After “by” | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | me | by me |
| we | us | by us |
| you | you | by you |
| he | him | by him |
| she | her | by her |
| it | it | by it |
| they | them | by them |
Special Rules of Active and Passive Voice
1. Modal Verbs
With can, could, may, might, must, should, ought to, etc., use:
modal + be + V3.
Active: You must obey the rules.
Passive: The rules must be obeyed by you.
Active: We can solve the problem.
Passive: The problem can be solved by us.
2. Imperative Sentences
Commands and requests require special structures. A common passive pattern is:
Let + object + be + V3.
Active: Open the door.
Passive: Let the door be opened.
Active: Do not waste water.
Passive: Let water not be wasted.
3. Interrogative Sentences
In questions, retain the interrogative structure while changing the main verb into the passive form.
Active: Did the boy break the window?
Passive: Was the window broken by the boy?
Active: Who wrote this book?
Passive: By whom was this book written?
4. Double Object Sentences
Verbs such as give, send, offer, teach, show, tell may take two objects. Either object may sometimes become the passive subject depending on the intended focus.
Active: The teacher gave me a book.
Passive: I was given a book by the teacher.
Also: A book was given to me by the teacher.
5. “People Say/Believe/Think…” Structures
Reporting structures can have more than one passive pattern.
Active: People say that he is honest.
Passive: It is said that he is honest.
Alternative: He is said to be honest.
6. Verbs Without an Object
A normal passive transformation requires an object that can become the passive subject. Therefore, ordinary intransitive verbs such as sleep, arrive, come, go, die normally do not form a standard passive sentence.
7. Prepositional / Phrasal Structures
When the verb is followed by a necessary preposition, the preposition may remain with the verb.
Active: They laughed at him.
Passive: He was laughed at by them.
Active: Someone has looked after the child.
Passive: The child has been looked after.
When Should Passive Voice Be Used?
The window was broken last night.
The identity of the doer is unknown or irrelevant.
The results were published yesterday.
The process/result matters more than the person who published them.
The patient was taken to hospital.
The receiver of the action is the main focus.
The samples were tested under controlled conditions.
Passive constructions are common where the action or process is more important than the agent.
Common Active & Passive Voice Exam Traps
| Trap | Wrong Approach | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Ignoring tense | Change only the word order. | Preserve the original tense through the passive auxiliary. |
| Using V2 instead of V3 | The letter was wrote. | The letter was written. |
| Wrong pronoun | by he | by him |
| Forgetting “being” | The road is repaired now. for a continuous action | The road is being repaired. |
| Forgetting “been” | The work has completed. | The work has been completed. |
| Passive without object | Trying to passivise “He slept.” | First check whether a usable object exists. |
| Adding “by” unnecessarily | The thief was arrested by someone. | The thief was arrested. |
Active to Passive Voice: Fast Decision Tree
→ If yes, continue.
Step 2: Identify the tense.
→ Present / Past / Future / Perfect / Continuous.
Step 3: Move the object to the front.
Step 4: Select the correct form of be.
Step 5: Use the main verb in V3.
Step 6: Add by + agent only when useful or required.
Step 7: Check pronoun, number and meaning.
Practice Before You Forget the Rules
Reading rules is only the first step. Solve mixed grammar questions repeatedly so that tense recognition, V3 selection and auxiliary choice become automatic.
🆓 Free Registration – Start MCQ Practice 📲 Join Daily English & Exam UpdatesActive and Passive Voice MCQ
Try each question before opening the answer. These questions cover tense identification, auxiliary verbs, V3, modals, interrogatives, imperatives and common transformation traps.
Choose the correct passive form.
A) English was taught by the teacher.
B) English is taught by the teacher.
C) English has taught by the teacher.
D) English is teaching by the teacher.
Answer & Explanation
B. Present Simple passive = is/am/are + V3. “English is taught by the teacher.”
A) A letter is written by her.
B) A letter was being written by her.
C) A letter is being written by her.
D) A letter has been written by her.
Answer & Explanation
C. Present Continuous passive = is/am/are + being + V3.
A) The work has been completed by them.
B) The work was completed by them.
C) The work is completed by them.
D) The work had completed by them.
Answer & Explanation
A. Present Perfect passive = has/have + been + V3.
A) The thief is arrested by the police.
B) The thief was arrested by the police.
C) The thief has arrested by the police.
D) The thief had arrested by the police.
Answer & Explanation
B. “Arrested” is Past Simple, so passive uses was/were + V3.
A) The road was repaired by them.
B) The road was being repaired by them.
C) The road is being repaired by them.
D) The road had been repaired by them.
Answer & Explanation
B. Past Continuous passive = was/were + being + V3.
A) The work had been finished by her.
B) The work was being finished by her.
C) The work has been finished by her.
D) The work had finished by her.
Answer & Explanation
A. Past Perfect passive = had been + V3.
A) The project is completed by them.
B) The project will be completed by them.
C) The project will have completed by them.
D) The project was completed by them.
Answer & Explanation
B. Future Simple passive = will be + V3.
A) The rules must obey you.
B) The rules must be obeyed by you.
C) The rules are must obeyed by you.
D) The rules must have obeyed by you.
Answer & Explanation
B. Modal passive = modal + be + V3.
A) Let the door be opened.
B) Let the door opened.
C) The door is open by you.
D) The door was opened.
Answer & Explanation
A. A standard imperative passive pattern is Let + object + be + V3.
A) Was the window broken by the boy?
B) Is the window broken by the boy?
C) Has the window been broken by the boy?
D) Did the window break by the boy?
Answer & Explanation
A. Past Simple interrogative becomes Was/Were + object + V3....
A) English is spoken all over the world.
B) English was spoken all over the world.
C) English has spoken all over the world.
D) English speaks all over the world.
Answer & Explanation
A. Present Simple passive. The agent “people” is unnecessary.
A) My bag has been stolen.
B) My bag was stolen by someone has.
C) My bag is stolen.
D) My bag had stolen.
Answer & Explanation
A. Present Perfect passive. The unknown agent can be omitted.
A) The result will announce.
B) The result will be announced by the manager.
C) The result is announced by the manager.
D) The result was announced by the manager.
Answer & Explanation
B. Future Simple passive = will be + V3.
A) Who was written this poem?
B) By whom was this poem written?
C) By who this poem was written?
D) Whom wrote this poem?
Answer & Explanation
B. “Who” as the active agent becomes “by whom” in the formal passive construction.
A) A bridge is built by the workers.
B) A bridge was being built by the workers.
C) A bridge is being built by the workers.
D) A bridge has been built by the workers.
Answer & Explanation
C. Present Continuous passive uses is/am/are + being + V3.
A) The problem can be solved by the students.
B) The problem can solved by the students.
C) The problem is can be solved by the students.
D) The problem could solved by the students.
Answer & Explanation
A. “Can” + passive = can be + V3.
Which is correct?
A) I was given a book by him.
B) I was gave a book by him.
C) A book was give me by him.
D) I gave a book by him.
Answer & Explanation
A. With a double-object verb, “me” can become the passive subject: “I was given a book by him.”
A) He was laughed by them.
B) He was laughed at by them.
C) He laughed at by them.
D) He had laughed at them.
Answer & Explanation
B. The preposition “at” remains with the verb phrase.
A) It is said that he is honest.
B) It was said he honest.
C) He said to be honest by people.
D) He is say honest.
Answer & Explanation
A. “It is said that…” is a standard passive reporting structure.
A) It has no subject.
B) It has no verb.
C) It has no direct object.
D) It is in the wrong tense.
Answer & Explanation
C. A standard passive transformation normally needs an object that can become the passive subject.
Choose the active form.
A) She writes the letter.
B) She wrote the letter.
C) She has written the letter.
D) She was writing the letter.
Answer & Explanation
B. “Was written” indicates Past Simple passive, so active is “She wrote the letter.”
A) They complete the work.
B) They completed the work.
C) They have completed the work.
D) They had completed the work.
Answer & Explanation
C. “Has been completed” corresponds to Present Perfect passive.
Which active sentence is correct?
A) They repair the road.
B) They repaired the road.
C) They are repairing the road.
D) They have repaired the road.
Answer & Explanation
C. “Is being repaired” is Present Continuous passive.
A) Our team wins the match.
B) Our team won the match.
C) Our team has won the match.
D) Our team was winning the match.
Answer & Explanation
B. “Was won” = Past Simple passive → “Our team won”.
A) Rina opened the door.
B) The door was opened by Rina.
C) Rina is opening the door.
D) Rina opens the door.
Answer & Explanation
B. The subject “door” receives the action expressed by “was opened”.
A) Let water not be wasted.
B) Let water not wasted.
C) Water do not waste.
D) Water was not wasted.
Answer & Explanation
A. Negative imperative passive commonly uses Let + object + not + be + V3.
A) The papers will have been checked by the teacher.
B) The papers will be checked by the teacher.
C) The papers have been checked by the teacher.
D) The papers were checked by the teacher.
Answer & Explanation
A. Future Perfect passive = will have been + V3.
A) The letter was wrote by him.
B) The letter was written by him.
C) The letter was write by him.
D) The letter was writing by him.
Answer & Explanation
B. Passive voice requires the past participle V3: write → wrote → written.
A) I am followed.
B) I am being followed.
C) I was followed.
D) I have been followed.
Answer & Explanation
B. Present Continuous passive = am/is/are + being + V3.
A) Our elders should respected by us.
B) Our elders should be respected by us.
C) Our elders are should be respected by us.
D) Our elders should have respected by us.
Answer & Explanation
B. Modal passive = should + be + V3.
30-Second Active & Passive Voice Revision Formula
- Find the active sentence's object.
- Identify the tense.
- Move the object to the front.
- Select the correct form of be.
- Change the main verb to V3.
- Change the old subject to the correct object pronoun after by, if needed.
- Remove the agent when it is unknown, obvious or unnecessary.
- Read the whole sentence again for meaning and tense.
Active & Passive Voice: Common Error Correction
| Incorrect | Correct | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| The work was complete by him. | The work was completed by him. | Use V3 after the passive auxiliary. |
| The letter is writing by her. | The letter is being written by her. | Present Continuous passive requires “being + V3”. |
| The work has completed. | The work has been completed. | Present Perfect passive requires “been”. |
| The task can solved. | The task can be solved. | Modal passive requires “be + V3”. |
| The boy was punished by he. | The boy was punished by him. | Use object pronoun after “by”. |
How to Prepare Active & Passive Voice for Competitive Exams
Do not memorise isolated transformations. First master the relationship between tense and passive auxiliaries. Then practise sentence types such as statements, questions, commands, modal sentences and sentences with prepositions.
- Revise all major tense structures.
- Memorise the V1–V2–V3 forms of common irregular verbs.
- Practise 10–20 voice transformations daily.
- Maintain a mistake notebook for auxiliary and V3 errors.
- Mix Voice with Tense, Articles, Prepositions and Subject-Verb Agreement practice.
- Attempt timed MCQs after completing the theory.
For broader grammar preparation, use the Competitive English Grammar Complete Guide as the main grammar hub.
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Active & Passive Voice – AEO Quick Answers
Active Voice is a sentence structure in which the subject performs the action.
What is Passive Voice?Passive Voice is a sentence structure in which the grammatical subject receives the action.
What is the basic passive structure?Object + appropriate form of be + V3 + optional by + agent
Identify the object, preserve the tense, use the correct passive auxiliary and change the main verb to V3.
Can every sentence be changed into passive?No. Standard passive transformation normally requires a suitable object. Many intransitive verbs do not form an ordinary passive.
Ready for the Next Level of Grammar Practice?
Build accuracy by combining Voice with Tense, Articles, Prepositions and Subject-Verb Agreement. Then move from theory to timed MCQ practice.
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View Police All-in-OneFrequently Asked Questions – Active & Passive Voice
What is the difference between Active and Passive Voice?
Active Voice places the doer of the action in the subject position. Passive Voice places the receiver of the action in the grammatical subject position and normally uses an appropriate form of be + V3.
What is the basic formula for Passive Voice?
A common formula is Object + appropriate form of be + V3 + by + subject.
The “by + subject” part can often be omitted when the agent is unknown, obvious or unimportant.
Which form of the verb is used in Passive Voice?
The main verb is normally changed to its past participle or V3 form. For example, write → written, make → made, complete → completed.
Does the tense change during Active to Passive transformation?
No. The meaning and tense should be preserved. What changes is the verb construction: the passive auxiliary structure carries the tense while the main verb appears in V3.
Why is “being” used in some passive sentences?
Continuous passive structures use being + V3. For example, “They are repairing the road” becomes “The road is being repaired.”
Why is “been” used in Perfect Passive?
Perfect passive constructions use has/have/had + been + V3. For example, “They have completed the work” becomes “The work has been completed.”
Can an intransitive verb normally be changed into Passive Voice?
Not in the standard object-based transformation. A sentence such as “He slept” has no direct object that can become the passive subject.
When should “by” be omitted in Passive Voice?
Omit the agent when the doer is unknown, obvious, generic or irrelevant. “The thief was arrested” is usually more natural than “The thief was arrested by someone.”
What is the easiest way to solve Voice MCQs?
First identify the object, then identify the tense, select the passive auxiliary, use V3 and finally check pronouns and meaning.
