ACTIVE VOICE

Active voice is used to indicate the grammatical subject of the verb is performing the action or
causing the happening denoted by the verb. With the active voice, you learn ‘who’ or ‘what’ is
responsible for the action at the beginning of the sentence. In other words, the subject performs
the action denoted by the verb. With help of active voice more powerful sentences can be build
than passive voice.

Use of active voice:

1. Active voice is used in a clause whose subject expresses the agent of the main verb.
2. Subject can be easily identified by asking ‘who’ or ‘what’ to the verb.

3. Sentences are short and easily understandable.

PASSIVE VOICE

In Passive voice the sentence focus on object i.e. who/what is receiving the action and not on
who/what is performing the action. In passive voice, the actor of the of the verb (action) is either
understood at the end of the sentence or maybe not told. The passive voice is used in writing
facts, truth, lab or technical reports in which the actor is not important or unknown, but the action
happening on the object is very important.

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however,
who or what is performing the action.

Use of passive voice:

1. It is used if it doesn‘t need to know or we don‘t know the actor performing the job.
2. In the end of the clause or sentence “by” is prefixed to know the actor performing the job.

3. It is used if we are more interested in the job than the actors who work.
Active: The teacher punished him for coming late.

Passive: He was Punished by the teacher for coming late.

 PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

The simple present expresses an action in the present taking place once, never or several times. It
is also used for actions that take place one after another and for actions that are set by a timetable
or schedule. The simple present also expresses facts in the present.

Present simple Subject + am/is/are + Past participle

Active: Somebody cleans this room everyday.

Passive: This room is cleaned everyday.

eg. a. English is spoken (by people) all over the world.

b. I am taught English by Mrs. Devi

note: if the object is not certain perpetrators such as: by people, by her, by him, by them etc.,
may be omitted.

Negative:

a. French is not spoken all over the world

b. I am not taught grammar by my teacher

Question:

a. Is this book written by Mrs.Devi?

b. Yes, it is written by Mrs.devi

a. Are you taught by the teacher about Passive Voice?

b. No, I am not taught about Passive Voice.
  PAST SIMPLE TENSE

The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never, several times. It can
also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.

Past simple Subject + Was/Were + Past participle

Active: Somebody cleaned this room yesterday.

Passive: This room was cleaned yesterday.

e.g. a. the money was returned yesterday.

b. five men were arrested by the police

Negative:

a. I wasn’t informed about it.

b. They were not invited for the meeting.

Question:

a. Were you invited to attend the meeting?

b. Yes, I was invited.

a. Was he informed about it?

b. No, he was not informed.