Voice

What is Voice?

Voice refers to the relationship between the subject and the verb in a sentence. It indicates whether the subject of the sentence is performing the action (active voice) or receiving the action (passive voice).

Definitions of Voice by Different Sources:

Oxford Learner’s Dictionary: The form of a verb that shows whether the subject of a sentence is performing the action (active voice) or having the action done to it (passive voice).

Cambridge Dictionary: The grammatical feature that shows whether the subject of a verb is the doer (active voice) or the receiver of an action (passive voice).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary: A characteristic of verbs that indicates the relationship between the subject and the action, showing whether the subject acts (active voice) or is acted upon (passive voice).

Collins English Dictionary: The form of a verb that shows whether the subject performs or receives the action.

There are three main types of voice:

1. Active Voice

Active voice is a sentence structure in which the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. It makes sentences clear, direct, and often more engaging. The structure follows: Subject + Verb + Object.

Examples of Sentences in Active Voice:

• The chef cooked a delicious meal.
• She reads a book every night.
• The cat chased the mouse.
• The students completed the project on time.
• They cleaned the house before the guests arrived.

2. Passive Voice

In passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence, and the subject is either omitted or becomes the agent introduced by "by". The structure follows: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (to be) + Past Participle of the Main Verb + (by + Agent).

Example:

• The letter was written by her.
• A house was built by them.
• The mouse was chased by the cat.
• The lesson is explained by the teacher.
• The book was read by John.
• The food is being cooked by my mother.

3. Causative Voice

Causative voice shows that the **subject causes someone else to do something** or **causes something to happen**. Common causative verbs: make, have, get, let, cause, help. The structure is: Subject + Causative Verb (have, get) + Object + Past Participle.

Example:

• She made him clean the room.
• I had the mechanic fix my car.
• We got the windows repaired.
• He let his son drive the car.
• They made the child apologize.
• She helped me complete the assignment.
• The teacher caused the students to think deeply.

**Voice** refers to the relationship between the subject and the action of the verb. There are two types of voice:

1. Active Voice

- The subject performs the action. - Structure: **Subject + Verb + Object** - Example: - **She wrote a letter.** (She = subject, wrote = verb, a letter = object)

2. Passive Voice

- The focus shifts to the object, and the action is performed on it. - Structure: **Object + Be Verb + Past Participle + (by + Subject, if necessary)** - Example: - **A letter was written by her.**

Key Differences Between Active and Passive Voice

Feature	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Focus	Subject (doer of action)	Object (receiver of action)
Structure	Subject + Verb + Object	Object + Be Verb + Past Participle (+ by Subject)
Usage	More direct and engaging	More formal or when the doer is unknown or unimportant
Example	The chef cooked the meal.	The meal was cooked by the chef.

When to Use Passive Voice?

1. When the doer is unknown:

• - **The window was broken last night.** (Doer is unknown)

2. When the action is more important than the doer:

• - **A new policy was introduced.**

3. In formal or scientific writing:

• - **The experiment was conducted successfully.**

Passive voice is formed by using the verb **"to be"** in the appropriate tense + the **past participle** of the main verb. The subject of the active sentence becomes the **agent** (introduced by "by" if necessary), while the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.

### **1. General Formula**

• **Active:** _Subject + Verb + Object_
• **Passive:** _Object + Form of "to be" + Past Participle + (by + Subject)_

### **2. Tense-wise Passive Voice Formation**

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Present Simple	She writes a letter.	A letter is written (by her).
Present Continuous	She is writing a letter.	A letter is being written (by her).
Present Perfect	She has written a letter.	A letter has been written (by her).
Past Simple	She wrote a letter.	A letter was written (by her).
Past Continuous	She was writing a letter.	A letter was being written (by her).
Past Perfect	She had written a letter.	A letter had been written (by her).
Future Simple	She will write a letter.	A letter will be written (by her).
Future Perfect	She will have written a letter.	A letter will have been written (by her).
Modals	She can write a letter.	A letter can be written (by her).

### **3. Important Notes**

• - The passive is used when the action is more important than the doer.
• - Some sentences (e.g., intransitive verbs) cannot be changed into passive because they lack an object.
• - **Incorrect:** He sleeps. → (No passive form)
• - The agent (the original subject) is sometimes omitted when it is unknown or unimportant.
• - **Example:** The cake was baked **(by someone).** → The cake was baked.

#### **1. Tense:**

Tense refers to the time of an action or event. In English, there are three main tenses, each with four aspects:

- **Present Tense:**

• - Simple Present: *He writes a letter.*
• - Present Continuous: *He is writing a letter.*
• - Present Perfect: *He has written a letter.*
• - Present Perfect Continuous: *He has been writing a letter.*

- **Past Tense:**

• - Simple Past: *He wrote a letter.*
• - Past Continuous: *He was writing a letter.*
• - Past Perfect: *He had written a letter.*
• - Past Perfect Continuous: *He had been writing a letter.*

- **Future Tense:**

• - Simple Future: *He will write a letter.*
• - Future Continuous: *He will be writing a letter.*
• - Future Perfect: *He will have written a letter.*
• - Future Perfect Continuous: *He will have been writing a letter.*

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#### **2. Voice:**

Voice refers to whether the subject performs or receives the action of the verb. There are two voices in English:

- **Active Voice:** The subject performs the action.

• - *She writes a letter.*

- **Passive Voice:** The subject receives the action.

• - *A letter is written by her.*

##### **Changing Active to Passive Voice in Different Tenses:**

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Simple Present	He writes a letter.	A letter is written by him.
Present Continuous	He is writing a letter.	A letter is being written by him.
Present Perfect	He has written a letter.	A letter has been written by him.
Simple Past	He wrote a letter.	A letter was written by him.
Past Continuous	He was writing a letter.	A letter was being written by him.
Past Perfect	He had written a letter.	A letter had been written by him.
Simple Future	He will write a letter.	A letter will be written by him.
Future Perfect	He will have written a letter.	A letter will have been written by him.

**Note:** Future Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous tenses are rarely used in passive voice.

The **impersonal passive** is a structure used when the focus is on the action or event rather than the person or thing performing the action. It's often used when the subject of the sentence is unknown, irrelevant, or general.

In the impersonal passive, we typically use the structure:

"It + passive verb"

**Examples:**

• 1. **Active voice**: People speak English all over the world.
• - **Impersonal passive**: English is spoken all over the world.
• 2. **Active voice**: They will announce the results tomorrow.
• - **Impersonal passive**: The results will be announced tomorrow.
• 3. **Active voice**: Someone has stolen my wallet.
• - **Impersonal passive**: My wallet has been stolen.

In these cases, the agent (the person or thing performing the action) is either not specified or it's understood from the context. The focus shifts from who is performing the action to the action itself.

Modal verbs can be used in the passive voice, but the structure needs to be adjusted slightly. The formula for passive voice with modal verbs is:

Subject + Modal verb + be + past participle of the main verb + (by + agent)

Here are some examples with different modal verbs:

1. **Can**:

• Active: She **can** complete the task.
• Passive: The task **can** be completed (by her).

2. **Should**:

• Active: You **should** read the book.
• Passive: The book **should** be read (by you).

3. **Must**:

• Active: They **must** finish the project.
• Passive: The project **must** be finished (by them).

4. **May**:

• Active: He **may** solve the problem.
• Passive: The problem **may** be solved (by him).

5. **Would**:

• Active: She **would** help with the task.
• Passive: The task **would** be helped with (by her).

6. **Might**:

• Active: They **might** make the announcement.
• Passive: The announcement **might** be made (by them).

In each of these examples, the focus shifts from the subject (the doer of the action) to the object (the receiver of the action), and the modal verb helps to express necessity, possibility, or ability.

Passive voice is used to shift the focus from the subject performing the action to the recipient of the action. This is commonly done with transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object).

### Structure of Passive Voice:

• - **Active voice**: Subject + Verb + Object
• - **Passive voice**: Object + Verb (in the appropriate tense) + by + Subject (optional)

### Example with Transitive Verbs:

1. **Active voice**:

• - The chef **prepared** the meal.
  • - **Subject**: The chef
  • - **Verb**: prepared
  • - **Object**: the meal

2. **Passive voice**:

• - The meal **was prepared** by the chef.
  • - **Object**: The meal
  • - **Verb**: was prepared
  • - **Subject** (optional): by the chef

### Steps to form Passive Voice:

• 1. **Identify the object** in the active sentence (the receiver of the action).
• 2. **Move the object** to the beginning of the sentence to become the subject of the passive sentence.
• 3. **Use the appropriate form of the verb "to be"** based on the tense of the active sentence.
• 4. **Add the past participle of the main verb** (usually the same form as in the active sentence).
• 5. Optionally, **include the original subject** using "by."

### More Examples:

• Active: The teacher **explained** the lesson.
• Passive: The lesson **was explained** by the teacher.
• Active: The company **will launch** a new product.
• Passive: A new product **will be launched** by the company.
• Active: She **writes** a letter.
• Passive: A letter **is written** by her.

While most sentences can be converted into the passive voice, there are a few exceptions where it either doesn't work or sounds unnatural. Here are the main exceptions:

1. Verbs that do not take a direct object (intransitive verbs): Intransitive verbs do not have a direct object, so they cannot form passive voice.

- **Example:**

• Active: She sleeps.
• Passive: *Not possible* (because "sleeps" doesn’t have a direct object).

2. Verbs of perception (like "see," "hear," etc.): When these verbs are used in sentences where there is no direct object, they can't be made passive.

- **Example:**

• Active: I heard him sing.
• Passive: He was heard to sing. (This works because "him" is the object of "heard" and "sing" is the complement.)

3. Verbs that are typically used in a stative sense (like "belong," "seem," "exist"): These verbs often express states rather than actions, so they generally do not appear in the passive voice.

- **Example:**

• Active: This book belongs to her.
• Passive: *Not possible* (The idea of "belonging" doesn’t translate into a passive structure).

4. Verbs with a direct object but no clear agent (for example, "seem," "belong"): Some verbs imply action or states but do not have a clear "doer," making passive constructions awkward or meaningless.

- **Example:**

• Active: The news seems important.
• Passive: *Not possible* (Because there is no clear agent to be made the subject).

5. Modal Verbs: When using modal verbs like "can," "should," or "must," it's possible to form passive sentences, but it can be awkward depending on the context.

- **Example:**

• Active: She can solve the problem.
• Passive: The problem can be solved by her. (This is fine, but often the active voice is preferred in cases with modals.)

6. Reflexive Verbs: Verbs used reflexively (where the subject and object are the same) generally do not work in the passive voice.

- **Example:**

• Active: She prides herself on her achievements.
• Passive: *Not possible* (The subject and object are the same, making it impractical to form a passive sentence).

The reflexive passive voice in English is a construction that combines the reflexive form of a verb with a passive structure. It indicates that the subject both performs and receives the action, and the verb is in a passive voice.

In reflexive passive voice, the sentence structure typically uses a reflexive pronoun (e.g., "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," "ourselves," "themselves") along with the passive verb.

**Formation of Reflexive Passive Voice**:

• 1. Use the reflexive pronoun.
• 2. Use a form of the verb "to be" (e.g., is, are, was, were) followed by the past participle of the verb.
• 3. The subject remains the same, and the action reflects back to it.

### Example 1:

• **Active Voice**: She taught herself.
• **Reflexive Passive Voice**: She was taught by herself.

### Example 2:

• **Active Voice**: He injured himself.
• **Reflexive Passive Voice**: He was injured by himself.

To convert a sentence from active voice to passive voice, follow these steps:

### 1. **Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object**:

• - **Active voice**: The subject performs the action, and the object receives the action.
• - **Passive voice**: The object becomes the subject of the sentence, and the subject becomes the agent (often introduced with "by").

### 2. **Change the Object to the Subject**:

• - The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.

### 3. **Use the Correct Form of the Auxiliary Verb "to be"**:

• - The verb "to be" must agree with the tense of the main verb in the active voice sentence. The main verb is then changed into its past participle form.

### 4. **Optionally, Add the Original Subject**:

• - The original subject becomes the agent, introduced by the word "by." This part is optional and can be omitted if not needed.

### **Examples**:

1. **Active Voice**:

• - "She writes a letter."
• - **Passive Voice**: "A letter is written by her."

2. **Active Voice**:

• - "They built the house."
• - **Passive Voice**: "The house was built by them."

3. **Active Voice**:

• - "The chef prepared the m
eal."
• - **Passive Voice**: "The meal was prepared by the chef."

### **Key Points to Remember**:

• - The verb "to be" changes based on the tense of the active sentence.
• - The agent (doer) can often be omitted if it's unclear or unimportant.

Passive voice is used in English when the focus is on the **action** or the **object** of the action, rather than the **doer** (subject). It's often used in the following situations:

1. When the doer is unknown or unimportant:

Example:

• The window was broken." (We don't know who broke it, and it's not necessary to mention.)

2. When the doer is less important than the action or object:

Example:

• The book was read by many people." (The focus is on the book being read, not on who read it.)

3. When the doer is obvious or implied:

Example:

• The homework was completed." (It's assumed that a student or someone did the work, but it's not necessary to mention who.)

4. In scientific or formal writing:

Example:

• The experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis." (Passive voice is often used to emphasize the process or result in scientific contexts.)

5. To maintain objectivity:

Example:

• Mistakes were made during the project." (This avoids placing blame on a specific individual.)

In contrast, **active voice** emphasizes the subject performing the action, making it more direct and clear. For instance:

- Active: "John broke the window."

- Passive: "The window was broken by John."

Here are some common mistakes to avoid, especially regarding voice:

1. Confusing Active and Passive Voice: Using passive voice unnecessarily.

• ✘ The book was read by her every day.
• ✓ She read the book every day.

2. Omitting the Agent in Passive Voice: Leaving out the agent (the one performing the action) when it's important for clarity.

• ✘ The book was read.
• ✓ The book was read by her.

3. Incorrect Tense Usage in Passive Voice: Using the wrong tense when converting to passive voice.

• ✘ The letter is sent yesterday. (Incorrect tense)
• ✓ The letter was sent yesterday.

4. Using Passive Voice in Situations Where Active is Better: Overusing passive voice can make sentences sound weak or unclear.

• ✘ The report was written by John and submitted to the manager by him.
• ✓ John wrote the report and submitted it to the manager.

5. Incorrect Use of Modals in Passive Voice: Misplacing modals in passive sentences.

• ✘ The task can be completed by you easily.
• ✓ The task can be easily completed by you.

6. Not Recognizing When Active Voice is Preferable: Using passive voice when active voice would be clearer and more direct.

• ✘ The decision was made to increase the budget.
• ✓ They decided to increase the budget.

Here are some practice exercises on voice (active and passive voice):

Exercise 1: Convert the following sentences into passive voice.

• 1. The chef prepared a delicious meal.
• 2. The teacher explained the lesson clearly.
• 3. They will complete the project by next week.
• 4. The manager gave the employees a bonus.
• 5. The students are writing an essay.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the following sentences in active voice.

• 1. A beautiful painting was created by the artist.
• 2. The book was read by millions of people.
• 3. The invitations have been sent by Sarah.
• 4. The match will be played by the teams tomorrow.
• 5. A new policy was introduced by the company.

Exercise 3: Determine whether each sentence is in active or passive voice.

• 1. The cake was baked by my grandmother.
• 2. She delivered the package on time.
• 3. The report will be submitted by the team.
• 4. John painted the house last summer.
• 5. A new bridge is being built in the city.