Active passive voice rules are essential for understanding English grammar clearly. These rules help students and learners change sentences from active to passive voice and vice versa with ease.
This complete guide covers all tenses, sentence types, pronouns, modal verbs, complex sentences, examples, and exercises, making it a comprehensive resource for learners.
This article focuses on detailed step-by-step rules, while our complete guide covers the full topic, including tenses, examples, and exercises.
Before learning the rules, it is important to understand the basic concept of voice. Without knowing what active and passive voice mean, it becomes difficult to apply the rules correctly.
Whether you are a beginner or preparing for exams, this guide will help you learn and practice voice change step by step.
What is Active and Passive Voice?
Voice is the form of the verb that shows whether the subject (person or thing) of the sentence is active (does something) or passive (something is done to him or her or it) in the action.
Example:
- The teacher rebuked me. (active Voice)
- I was rebuked by the teacher. (passive Voice)
When the subject performs the action, it is called the active Voice.
When the subject receives the action, it is called passive Voice.
Now that you understand the basic idea of voice, let us look at the two main types used in English grammar.
Types of Voice
There are two types of voice:
- active Voice
- passive Voice
Let us first understand the active voice, which is the most commonly used form in everyday communication.
What is Active Voice?
When the subject acts, the sentence is in the active Voice.
Examples:
- I eat rice
- They play football
- He made the doll
- You are driving the car
Once you understand the active voice, it becomes easier to learn the passive voice, in which the focus shifts from the doer to the action.
What is Passive Voice?
When the subject receives the action, the sentence is in Passive Voice.
Examples:
- Rice is eaten by me
- Football is played by them
- The doll was made by him
- The car is being driven by you
Before learning the rules of active and passive voice, it is very important to understand tenses. Without knowing the tense of a sentence, changing it from active to passive voice becomes difficult and often leads to mistakes. So, let us first understand how voice works in all tenses.
Active and Passive Voice Rules: All Tenses
Understanding tense-based rules is very important for voice change. These rules help you understand how the active voice is converted into passive voice across different tenses.
To learn full tense-wise conversion, check our Passive Voice Tenses: Rules, Uses & Examples.
Active Passive Voice Rules for Present Tense:
Let us begin with the present tense, the most basic and most frequently used tense in English.
| Present Tense Form | Active Voice Examples | Passive Voice Structure | Passive Voice Examples |
| Indefinite | I play football. | S+ am/is/are+ V(P-P)+ by + O | Football is played by me. |
| Continuous | We are playing football. | S+ am/is/are+ being +V(P-P)+ by+ O | Football is being played by me. |
| Perfect | He has played football. | S+ has/have+ been +V(P-P)+ by+ O | Football has been played by me. |
| Perfect Continuous | They have been playing football. | S+ has/have+ been + being + V(P-P)+ by + O | Football has been being played by me. |
Examples:
Active: I eat rice.
Passive: Rice is eaten by me.
Active: He beats you.
Passive: You are beaten by him.
Active: I am eating rice.
Passive: Rice is being eaten by me.
Active: He is writing a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by him.
Active: I have eaten rice.
Passive: Rice has been eaten by me.
Active: He has written a letter.
Passive: A letter has been written by him.
Active: I have been eating rice.
Passive: Rice has been being eaten by me.
Active: He has been writing a letter.
Passive: A letter has been being written by him.
Once you understand the present tense, the next step is to learn how voice changes in the past tense.
Active Passive Voice Rules for Past Tense:
Once you understand the present tense, the next step is to learn how the voice changes in the past tense.
| Past Tense Form | Active Voice Examples | Passive Voice Structure | Passive Voice Examples |
| Indefinite | I played football. | S+ was/were+ V(P-P)+ by + O | Football was played by me. |
| Continuous | We were playing football. | S+ was/were+ being +V(P-P)+ by+ O | Football was being played by me. |
| Perfect | He had played football. | S+ had+ been +V(P-P)+ by+ O | Football had been played by me. |
| Perfect Continuous | They had been playing football. | S+ had + been + being + V(P-P)+ by + O | Football had been being played by me. |
Examples:
Active: I ate rice.
Passive: Rice was eaten by me.
Active: He rebuked you.
Passive: You were rebuked by him.
Active: I was eating rice.
Passive: Rice was being eaten by me.
Active: We were making noise.
Passive: Noise was being made by us.
Active: I had eaten rice.
Passive: Rice had been eaten by me.
Active: We had made mistakes.
Passive: Mistakes had been made by us.
Active: I had been eating rice.
Passive: Rice had been being eaten by me.
Active: He had been writing a letter.
Passive: A letter had been being written by him.
Active Passive Voice Rules for Future Tense:
Now, let us move to future tense, where actions are yet to happen but still follow specific voice rules.
| Future Tense Form | Active Voice Examples | Passive Voice Structure | Passive Voice Examples |
| Indefinite | I shall play football. | S+ shall be / will be+ V(P-P)+ by + O | Football will be played by me. |
| Continuous | We will be playing football. | S+ shall be / will be+ being V(P-P)+ by + O | Football will be being played by me. |
| Perfect | He will have played football. | S+ shall have/will have+ been +V(P-P)+ by+ O | Football will have been played by me. |
| Perfect Continuous | They will have been playing football. | S+ shall have / will have + been + being + V(P-P)+ by + O | Football will have been being played by me. |
Examples:
Active: I shall eat rice.
Passive: Rice will be eaten by me.
Active: He will rebuke you.
Passive: You will be rebuked by him.
Active: I shall be driving the car.
Passive: The car will be being driven by me.
Active: He will be writing a letter.
Passive: A letter will be written by him.
Active: I shall have eaten rice.
Passive: Rice will have been eaten by me.
Active: He will have written a letter.
Passive: A letter will have been written by him.
Active: I shall have eaten rice.
Passive: Rice will have been eaten by me.
Active: He will have written a letter.
Passive: A letter will have been written by him.
Apart from tense, pronouns also play an important role in voice change, especially when switching subject and object positions.
Active Passive Voice Rules for Pronouns
Pronouns change their form when shifting from subject to object, which is essential for correct sentence transformation.
| Subject Pronoun | Object Pronoun | Possessive Pronoun |
| I | me | my |
| We | us | our |
| You | you | your |
| He | him | his |
| She | her | her |
| They | them | their |
| Ravi | Ravi | Ravi’s (his) |
N.B – There will be no change of 'Nouns' in terms of Subject and Object from Active to Passive Voice.
Now that you understand tense and pronouns, let us learn the step-by-step rules for changing assertive (declarative) sentences from active to passive voice.
Active Passive Voice Rules for Assertive (Declarative) Sentences (Step-by-Step Guide with Examples)
Active and passive voice show whether the subject performs or receives an action. In assertive (declarative) sentences, the conversion follows a clear and systematic method, making them the easiest type to transform.
Rule 1: Find out the Subject, Verb, and Object
In the first step, identify the subject, verb, and object of the sentence.
Examples:
- She was singing a song. – She (Subject) was singing (Verb) a song (Object).
- John eats rice. – John (Subject) eats (Verb) rice (Object).
Rule 2: Identify the Tense and Voice
In the second step, identify the tense and voice of the given sentence.
Examples:
- She was singing a song → Past Continuous Tense, active Voice
- John eats rice → Simple Present Tense, active Voice
The tense and voice can be identified from the main verb of the sentence.
Rule 3: Object becomes Subject
In this step, the object of the active voice becomes the subject of the passive voice.
Examples:
- She was singing a song. – A song __________
- John eats rice. – Rice __________
Rule 4: Use Appropriate Auxiliary Verb
In this step, use the correct auxiliary verb according to the tense. Common auxiliary verbs include:
1. am / is / are / was / were / has / have / had / will be / shall be – for simple/indefinite form
2. has / have / had / will have / shall have – perfect/perfect continuous form
3. Use “being” for continuous form or “been” for perfect form where required.
Examples:
- She was singing a song. — A song was being __________
- John eats rice. — Rice is __________
Active Passive Voice Rules Chart (Auxiliary Verbs)
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| eat / eats | am/is/are eaten |
| am/is/are eating | am/is/are being eaten |
| has/have eaten | has/have been eaten |
| has/have been eating | has/have been being eaten |
| ate | was/were eaten |
| was/were eating | was/were being eaten |
| had eaten | had been eaten |
| had been eating | had been being eaten |
| shall/will eat | shall be/will be eaten |
| shall/will be eating | shall be/will be being eaten |
| shall/will have eaten | shall have been/will have been eaten |
Rule 5: Use Past Participle Form (V3)
In this step, change the main verb into its past participle form (V3).
Examples:
- She was singing a song. — A song was being sung __________
- John eats rice. — Rice is eaten __________
Rule 6: Use “by” + Doer
In this step, add the preposition “by” followed by the doer of the action.
Examples:
- She was singing a song. — A song was being sung by __________
- John eats rice. — Rice is eaten by __________
Note: Sometimes “by + doer” can be omitted if it is not important.
Rule 7: Subject becomes Object
Finally, the subject of the active voice becomes the object of the passive voice.
Examples:
- She was singing a song. — A song was being sung by her. (Passive Voice)
- John eats rice. — Rice is eaten by John. (Passive Voice)
After understanding the detailed step-by-step rules, it is helpful to learn a quick method to remember the process easily.
Quick Steps of Active Passive Voice Rules
These simple steps will help you quickly convert any active sentence into passive voice.
Follow these simple steps to change active voice into passive voice:
- Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object
- Make the object the new subject
- Use the correct helping verb according to the tense
- Change the main verb into its past participle form (V3)
- Add “by + subject” (if needed)
Example:
Active: She writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by her.
For detailed step-by-step rules, visit our Active Passive Voice Changing Rules Examples Exercises Answers.
After learning how to change active voice into passive voice, it is equally important to understand how to convert passive voice back into active voice.
Passive to Active Voice Rules (Step-by-Step Guide with Examples)
To convert passive voice into active voice, you need to identify the doer of the action and adjust the sentence structure accordingly. The following step-by-step rules will help you perform this transformation correctly.
Rule 1: Identify the Subject, Object, and Doer
In a passive voice sentence, the object receives the action, and the doer (agent) may or may not be mentioned. To convert it into active voice, first identify the subject, object, and doer (if given).
Example:
Passive: The book (object) was written (verb) by the author (doer)
Active: The author (subject) wrote (verb) the book (object)
Rule 2: Choose the Correct Verb
In active voice, the subject acts, so use a verb that correctly matches the subject and the tense.
Example:
Passive: The presentation (object) was given by Sarah (doer)
Active: Sarah (subject) gave (verb) the presentation (object)
Rule 3: Adjust the Verb Tense
While converting into the active voice, maintain the correct tense based on the original sentence.
Example:
Passive: The cake (object) will be baked by the baker (doer)
Active: The baker (subject) will bake (verb) the cake (object)
You can also learn full tense-based conversion in our How to Change Active to Passive Voice in All Tenses.
After understanding how to change sentences between active and passive voice, it is important to learn how these rules apply to different sentence types, such as interrogative sentences.
Active Passive Voice Rules for Interrogative Sentences (With Examples)
Interrogative sentences (questions) follow a slightly different structure in passive voice. Special attention is required to maintain the correct order of auxiliary verbs and the subject.
Rules:
- Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb (V3) + by + Object?
- Wh-word + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb (V3) + by + Object?
Examples:
Active: Do I eat rice?
Passive: Is rice eaten by me?
Active: Are you eating rice?
Passive: Is rice being eaten by you?
Active: Have you eaten rice?
Passive: Has rice been eaten by you?
Active: Where did Anil find the bag?
Passive: Where was the bag found by Anil?
Active: How did you open the door?
Passive: How was the door opened by you?
Practice more in our Passive Voice of Interrogative Sentences with Examples.
After understanding interrogative sentences, it is important to learn how modal auxiliary verbs behave in active and passive voice, as they follow a fixed structure.
Active Passive Voice Rules for Modal Auxiliary Verbs (With Examples)
Modal auxiliary verbs such as can, may, must, should, and will follow a specific pattern in passive voice. Understanding this structure is essential for correct sentence transformation.
Rule:
Subject + Modal Auxiliary Verb + be + Main Verb (V3) + by + Object
Examples:
Active: I can do this work.
Passive: This work can be done by me.
Active: You may help your brother.
Passive: Your brother may be helped by you.
Learn more in our detailed guide on Active Passive Voice of Modal Auxiliary Verbs.
After learning simple sentence structures, it is important to understand how voice change works in complex sentences, which contain more than one clause.
Active Passive Voice Rules for Complex Sentences (With Examples)
Complex sentences consist of a principal clause and one or more subordinate clauses. While changing voice, each clause must be handled carefully to maintain the correct meaning.
Rule:
In active to passive voice change of complex sentences, if both the principal clause and the subordinate clause contain transitive verbs, then the verbs of both clauses must be changed.
Examples:
Active Voice: I know that he did the work.
Passive Voice: It is known to me that the work was done by him.
OR
Passive Voice: That the work was done by him is known to me.
Active Voice: Everybody says that you have done it.
Passive Voice: It is said by everybody that it has been done by you.
OR
Passive Voice: That it has been done by you is said by everybody.
Note: Sometimes, an introductory “It” is used in the passive structure.
For more advanced structures, read our Active Passive Voice Complex Sentences Rules with Examples.
Even after learning the rules, students often make mistakes while changing voice.
Common Mistakes in Active Passive Voice Rules
Understanding these common errors will help you avoid mistakes and improve accuracy.
| Mistake | Wrong Example | Correct Example |
| Using wrong verb form | Rice is eat by him | Rice is eaten by him |
| Missing helping verb | Rice eaten by him | Rice is eaten by him |
| Wrong tense conversion | He wrote a letter → A letter is written | A letter was written |
| Using V1 instead of V3 | Work is do by me | Work is done by me |
| Missing “being” in continuous | Food is cooked | Food is being cooked |
| Missing “been” in perfect | Work has done | Work has been done |
| Incorrect subject-object change | He helps me → I help by him | I am helped by him |
| Wrong pronoun form | By she | By her |
| Extra “by” misuse | By him the work is done by | The work is done by him |
| Using passive for intransitive verb | He sleeps → Is slept by him | Not possible |
| Wrong auxiliary verb | Rice are eaten by him | Rice is eaten by him |
| Double subject mistake | The work it is done by him | The work is done by him |
| Incorrect modal structure | Work can done by me | Work can be done by me |
| Wrong interrogative structure | Is eaten rice by you? | Is rice eaten by you? |
| Forgetting “by + doer” (when needed) | Letter was written | Letter was written by him |
| Wrong word order | By him the work done is | The work is done by him |
| Using passive unnecessarily | The match was played by them | They played the match |
| Mixing tense incorrectly | Work has being done | Work has been done |
To improve accuracy, practice more from our Active Passive Voice Exercises with Answers.
After learning the rules of voice change, it is important to understand where passive voice is used in real-life communication.
Uses of Passive Voice in English Writing
Passive voice is commonly used in formal writing, reports, and situations where the action is more important than the doer.
We use passive voice in the following situations:
- When we do not know who has done the action
Example: My pocket has been picked. - When the action is more important than the doer
Example: English is accepted as a global language. - In situations of social and historical importance
Example: America was discovered by Columbus. - In newspaper reports
Example: Delhi was lashed by a thunderstorm on Monday evening. - To describe a process
Example: A mango pickle is prepared with the following steps. - In invitations, requests, and announcements
Example: Passengers are requested to keep a safe distance.
See real-life usage examples in our 99+ Active and Passive Voice Examples with Answers.
While passive voice is useful in many situations, it should not be used unnecessarily in all types of writing.
When Not to Use Passive Voice
Using passive voice in the wrong context can make sentences unclear and less engaging.
Avoid using passive voice in the following situations:
- When the doer of the action is important
- When you want clear and direct sentences
- In informal or conversational writing
Example:
Passive: The work was completed by Ram
Active: Ram completed the work
Now, let us see why the active voice is often preferred in writing and communication.
Advantages of Active Voice
Active voice makes sentences clearer, more direct, and engaging for readers.
Using active voice in writing offers several advantages:
- Clarity: Sentences are clear and easy to understand.
- Engagement: Creates a direct connection with readers.
- Impact: Makes writing stronger and more persuasive.
- Efficiency: Uses fewer words to convey meaning.
The best way to understand voice change is through examples. Let us now practice with real sentence transformations.
Work Out Examples of Active to Passive Voice
The following examples will help you clearly understand how active sentences are converted into passive voice.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Ram kills a frog | A frog is killed by Ram |
| I am doing the work | The work is being done by me |
| I have drawn the picture | The picture has been drawn by me |
| He has been building a new house | A new house has been being built by him |
| Harris read a book | A book was read by Harris |
| They were playing football | Football was being played by them |
| You had finished the task | The task had been finished by you |
| They had been doing the work | The work had been being done by them |
| I shall give you a pen | A pen will be given to you by me |
| They will be carrying loads | Loads will be being carried by them |
| We will have done the work | The work will have been done by us |
After understanding the rules and examples, it is time to test your knowledge.
Exercises of Active to Passive Voice
Try these exercises to improve your understanding of active and passive voice.
A. Change the following into Passive Voice:
- They play cricket.
- They are beating the man mercilessly.
- John has obtained high marks.
- The worker has been doing work for 3 hours.
- The girl threw a stone.
- Children were sucking oranges.
- Virat Kohli declared the end of the innings.
- The boy had been doing his homework.
- Shefali will buy a bag.
- The farmers will be catching fish.
- Anirban will have retained the Nobel.
- They will have been finishing the task.
- Naveen does not look at the moon.
- Sonali is not eating an apple.
- Tania has not composed a poem.
- The man has not been driving the car.
- We did not kill a tiger.
- The boy was not throwing stones.
- I had not written the letter.
- They had not been playing football.
- You will not get the prize.
- Father will not be reading the newspaper.
- Mother will not have finished cooking.
- They will not have been making noise.
Practice more in our detailed Active Passive Voice Exercises with Answers (2026). (will be added soon)
Active Passive Voice for Classes 5 to 10
Practice active and passive voice with class-wise examples and exercises. Choose your class below to learn step by step.
For class-wise practice, explore:
- Active Passive Voice for Class 5
- Active Passive Voice for Class 6
- Active Passive Voice for Class 7
- Active Passive Voice for Class 8
- Active Passive Voice for Class 9
- Active Passive Voice for Class 10
Finally, let us answer some common questions about active and passive voice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some commonly asked questions about active and passive voice. These FAQs will help clear common doubts and strengthen your understanding.
Q: What is active voice?
A: Active voice is a sentence construction in which the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.
Q: How do I convert a sentence from active to passive voice?
A: To convert a sentence from active to passive voice, follow these steps: identify the subject and object, make the object the new subject, use the correct form of the auxiliary verb “be,” change the main verb into its past participle form (V3), and add “by + subject” if needed.
Q: When should I use passive voice?
A: Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action rather than the doer, when the doer is unknown, or in formal and scientific writing.
Q: Is passive voice grammatically incorrect?
A: No, passive voice is grammatically correct. However, it should be used carefully to maintain clarity and avoid unnecessary complexity.
Q: How can I identify passive voice in a sentence?
A: Passive voice usually contains a form of the verb “be” (am, is, are, was, were) followed by the past participle (V3) of the main verb.
Q: Is active voice always better than passive voice?
A: Not always. Active voice is generally clearer and more direct, but passive voice is useful when the focus is on the action or when the doer is not important.
Q: How can I improve my use of active and passive voice?
A: You can improve by practicing regularly, understanding grammar rules, and observing how active and passive voice are used in real sentences.
Now that you have learned all the rules and examples, let us summarize.
Conclusion
Active and passive voice rules help improve clarity, writing skills, and grammar accuracy.
Active and passive voice are important for clear communication in English. By understanding the rules and practicing with examples and exercises, you can use both forms confidently and improve your writing skills.
