INTERNATIONAL INDIAN SCHOOL, AL_JUBAIL

Eastern Province – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

‫المدرسة العالمية الھندية _ الجبيل‬
‫المنطقة الشرقية – المملكة العربية السعودية‬

Class: VII Subject: English Notes: Part - 10 June, 2020

Instructions:
1) Copy the notes neatly in your notebook.
2) Complete the exercises in ‘The New Grammar Tree’, lesson- 24 pg: 133.
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GRAMMAR-ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

A Transitive verb has two voices – a) The Active b) The Passive.

Compare the following sentences:

a) The hunter killed the tiger. (Active)

b) The tiger was killed by the hunter. (Passive)

Both the sentences mean the same thing. In sentence a), the subject (hunter) is shown as
doing something. So, the hunter is the doer of the action; that is, the subject is active. The
verb killed is, therefore, said to be in the Active voice.
In sentence b), the subject (tiger) is shown as receiving something. It is the receiver of the
action; that is, the subject is not active, but passive. The verb was killed is, therefore, said to
be in the Passive Voice.

The passive voice is used when the subject of the active voice is unknown, unimportant or
vague, to shift focus of subject, etc. If the sentence begins with the object or person, we
formulate a passive sentence.

The passive is made with a form of auxiliary ‘to be’ and the past participle of the verb. If we
want to mention who performed the action, we use ‘by’ at the end of a sentence.

Present Simple Tense:

(Auxiliary verb used in passive voice – am / is / are)
Active Voice Passive Voice
1. He writes a letter. A letter is written by him.
2. He does not write a letter. A letter is not written by him.
3. Does he write a letter? Is a letter written by him?
4. They sell books. Books are sold by them.
5. She helps me. I am helped by her.

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Present Continuous Tense:
(Auxiliary verb used in passive voice – am / is / are + being)
Active Voice Passive Voice
1. She is singing a song. A song is being sung by her.
2. She is not singing a song. A song is not being sung by her.
3. Is she singing a song? Is a song being sung by her?
4. They are eating apples. Apples are being eaten by them.
5. You are disturbing me. I am being disturbed by you.

Present Perfect Tense:

(Auxiliary verb used in passive voice – has been / have been)
Active Voice Passive Voice
1. He has completed the work. The work has been completed by him.
2. He has not completed the work. The work has not been completed by him.
3. Has he completed the work? Has the work been completed by him?
4. She has written many poems. Many poems have been written by her.
5. I have baked some cakes. Some cakes have been baked by me.

Past Simple Tense:

(Auxiliary verb used in passive voice – was / were)
Active Voice Passive Voice
1. He bought a car. A car was bought by him.
2. He did not buy a car. A car was not bought by him.
3. Did he buy a car? Was a car bought by him?
4. He decorated the walls. The walls were decorated by him.
5. I helped them. They were helped by me.

Past Continuous Tense:

(Auxiliary verb used in passive voice – was / were + being)
Active Voice Passive Voice
1. She was washing a shirt. A shirt was being washed by her.
2. She is not washing a shirt. A shirt was not being washed by her.
3. Was she washing a shirt? Was a shirt being washed by her?
4. Boys were singing songs. Songs were being sung by boys.

Past Perfect Tense:

(Auxiliary verb used in passive voice – had been)
Active Voice Passive Voice
1. They had won the game. The game had been won by them.
2. They had not won the game. The game had not been won by them.
3. Had they won the game? Had the game been won by them?
4. He had collected coins. Coins had been collected by him.

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Future Simple Tense:
(Auxiliary verb used in passive voice – will be)
Active Voice
1. She will write a poem.
2. She will not write a poem.
3. Will she write a poem?
4. You will receive a letter.
5. They will arrange the money.
Future Perfect Tense:
(Auxiliary verb used in passive voice – will have + been)
Active Voice
1. He will have received the letter.
2. He will not have received the letter.
3. Will he have received the letter?
Passive Voice for Present and Future Modals
Active Voice
Can
1. He can drive a car.
2. Can he drive a car?
Must
1. He must learn this lesson.
2. Must he learn this lesson?
Might
1. She might kill the snake.
2. Might she kill the snake?
Should
1. I should buy this clock.
2. Should I buy this clock?
Ought
1. You ought to help her.
Passive Voice
A poem will be written by her.
A poem will not be written by her.
Will a poem be written by her?
A letter will be received by you.
The money will be arranged by them.
Passive Voice
The letter will have been received by him.
The letter will not have been received by him.
Will the letter have been received by him?
Passive Voice
Can be
A car can be driven by him.
Can a car be driven by him?
Must be
This lesson must be learnt by him.
Must this lesson be learnt by him?
Might be
The snake might be killed by her.
Might the snake be killed by her?
Should be
This clock should be bought by me.
Should this clock be bought by me?
Ought to be
She ought to be helped by you.
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Passive Voice for Past Modals

Active Voice Passive Voice

Should have Should have been

1. I should have started a job. A job should have been started by me.
2. Should I have started a job? Should a job have been started by me?

Must have Must have been

1. He must have passed the exam. The exam must have been passed by him.

May have May have been

1. You may have helped the kids. The kids may have been helped by you.

Might have Might have been

1. He might have killed the snake. The snake might have been killed by him.

Ought to have Ought to have been

1. You ought to have finished the task. The task ought to have been finished by you.

NOTE:

The sentences of the following tenses can’t be changed to Passive Voice.

1. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

2. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
3. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
4. Future Continuous Tense
5. Sentences having intransitive verbs.

Exercise:
Change the verbs in the following sentences from Active into Passive Voice.

1. The mother carried the baby.

A. The baby was carried by the mother.

2. The monkeys performed several tricks.

A. Several tricks were performed by the monkeys.

3. Mohini is cutting fruits.

A. Fruits are being cut by Mohini.

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4. The farmer has sown the seeds.
A. The seeds have been sown by the farmer.

5. Kalidasa wrote many poems and dramas.

A. Many poems and dramas were written by Kalidasa.

6. Mrs. Meena will check our papers tomorrow.

A. Our papers will be checked by Mrs. Meena tomorrow.

7. The magician is keeping the audience enthralled.

A. The audience is being kept enthralled by the magician.

8. She forgave her friend.

A. Her friend was forgiven by her.

9. Amar drinks coffee every morning.

A. Coffee is drunk by Amar every morning.

10. I had told them a lie.

A. A lie had been told to them by me.

11. The doctor operated the patient for twelve hours.

A. The patient was operated by the doctor for twelve hours.

12. I will ask a question.

A. A question will be asked by me.

13. You ought to wash the car.

A. The car ought to be washed by you.

14. He can cut out the picture.

A. The picture can be cut out by him.

15. We might play cards.

A. Cards might be played by us.

Prepared by: Verified by:

Mrs. Fatma Farah Bushra Amreen
Girls’ Section Girls’ Section
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