ACTIVE TO PASSIVE VOICE

The ACTIVE VOICE emphasises the DOER, the person or people who do the ACTION.

The PASSIVE VOICE is used when we want to emphasize the ACTION or when the person doing the
action is not important.

STEPS:

1. Identify the SUBJECT of the sentence (the doer).

2. Identify the OBJECT of the sentence (the ‘thing’ that is acted on, the verb acts on the object)

3. Identify the verb(s) and the tense (present simple, present continuous, present perfect etc.)

4. “PROMOTE” the object of the sentence.

5. Put the verb in the passive form: TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE (the verb TO BE always goes I the
tense from step 3 and the main verb in the past participle). If there is 1 VERB in the active
voice there will be 2 in the passive. If there are two verbs in the active there will be 3 in
passive.

6. (“DEMOTE” the subject, use by….).

They speak English.

Section A
1. They speak English.

2. He helps the elderly.

3. The students clean the canteen.

4. The cleaners clean the classrooms.

5. Politicians decide the laws.

Section B

1. They are fixing the iPad.

2. I am writing the essay.

 3. She is making the dinner.

4. Sarah is teaching the class.

5. He is telling a story.

Section C

1. They have bought a house.

2. He has read the book.

3. The students have cleaned the canteen.

4. The engineers have designed the new tower.

 5. He has sold all the tickets.

Section D

1. She painted the house.

2. He washed the car.

3. They redecorated their flat.

4. I sold the car.

5. I bought the boat.

 Section E
1. They collect money for sick children.

2. The principal has not painted the school this year.

3. The teacher usually returns the exams within two weeks.

4. Someone has found my shoe.

5. They built the house in 1995.

6. He is teaching them a new trick.

7. The cleaners cleaned the hotel room three hours ago.

8. Rihanna sang the song.

9. Penguin published the book last year.

10. People are doing more online shopping these days.