What is Passive Voice?

S2-SA1-0124

Grade Level:

Class 2

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

Passive voice is a way of writing sentences where the action is more important than who or what is doing the action. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action, rather than performing it.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine your friend ate your favourite samosa. If you say, 'My friend ate the samosa,' that's active voice. But if you want to focus on the samosa, you could say, 'The samosa was eaten by my friend.' This is passive voice.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's change an active sentence to passive voice:

Active Sentence: The delivery boy dropped the parcel.

Step 1: Identify the subject (who performs the action) - 'The delivery boy'.
---Step 2: Identify the verb (the action) - 'dropped'.
---Step 3: Identify the object (who or what receives the action) - 'the parcel'.
---Step 4: Make the object the new subject of your passive sentence: 'The parcel...'
---Step 5: Add a form of 'to be' (was/were, is/are) that matches the original verb's tense and the new subject: 'The parcel was...'
---Step 6: Use the past participle form of the main verb: 'The parcel was dropped...'
---Step 7: (Optional) Add 'by' and the original subject if you want to mention who did it: 'The parcel was dropped by the delivery boy.'

Answer: The parcel was dropped by the delivery boy.

Why It Matters

Understanding passive voice helps you write clearly and professionally, especially in fields like journalism, law, and scientific reports. Journalists use it to report news objectively, and lawyers use it to state facts without assigning blame directly. It's a key skill for effective communication in many careers.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Always using 'by' in passive voice sentences | CORRECTION: The 'by' phrase (agent) is optional. If who did the action is unknown or unimportant, you can leave it out. Example: 'The road was repaired' (no 'by' phrase needed if the repair crew is not important).

MISTAKE: Confusing passive voice with past tense | CORRECTION: Passive voice can be in any tense (present, past, future). It's about the subject receiving the action, not when the action happened. Example: 'The homework IS being done' (present passive) vs. 'The homework WAS done' (past passive).

MISTAKE: Using passive voice when active voice is clearer | CORRECTION: Active voice is usually more direct and impactful. Use passive voice intentionally when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or you want to emphasize the action or receiver. Example: 'The team won the match' (active, clear) vs. 'The match was won by the team' (passive, less direct).

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Change the following active sentence to passive voice: 'My mother bakes delicious rotis.' | ANSWER: Delicious rotis are baked by my mother.

QUESTION: Rewrite this sentence in passive voice, removing the 'by' phrase: 'The police caught the thief.' | ANSWER: The thief was caught.

QUESTION: Identify whether the following sentence is in active or passive voice: 'The new Metro line will be opened next month.' | ANSWER: Passive voice.

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of the following sentences is in passive voice?

My brother plays cricket every evening.

The students submitted their assignments on time.

A new bridge is being built near our village.

The chef prepared a special thali for the guests.

The Correct Answer Is:

Option C, 'A new bridge is being built near our village,' is in passive voice because the subject 'A new bridge' receives the action of 'being built.' The other options have subjects that perform the action, making them active voice.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

You often see passive voice in news reports. For example, a headline might say, 'Funds were allocated for school improvements,' rather than 'The government allocated funds for school improvements.' This focuses on the action and its impact, which is common in formal reporting and official statements from bodies like the Municipal Corporation or the Health Ministry.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

ACTIVE VOICE: Subject performs the action | PASSIVE VOICE: Subject receives the action | SUBJECT: The noun or pronoun performing or receiving the action | VERB: The action word | OBJECT: The noun or pronoun receiving the action in an active sentence

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you understand passive voice, you can learn about 'Active Voice' to see the difference more clearly and choose the best voice for your writing. Then, you can explore 'Subject-Verb Agreement' to ensure your sentences are always grammatically correct.