Voice change exercise | Active to Passive Voice
Passive voice exercises
1. Active: The old man wants money.
Passive: Money is wanted by the old man.
2. Active: The young writer entertained the lady admirer.
Passive: The lady admirer was entertained by the young writer.
3. Active: The lady guest took the writer to task. Passive: The writer was taken to task by the lady guest.
4. Active: They were digging a canal.
Passive: A canal was being dug by them.
5. Active: He will have done the task.
Passive: The task will have been done by him.
6. Active: She is singing a patriotic song.
Passive: A patriotic song is being sung by her.
7. Active: They ran a race.
Passive: A race was run by them.
8. Active: I know how he has done it.
Passive: It is known to me how it has been done by him.
Or, How it has been done by him is known to me.
9. Active: The President made him General.
Passive: He was made General by the President.
10. Active: You kept me waiting.
Passive: I was kept waiting by you.
11. Active: Panic seized the young writer.
Passive: The young writer was seized with panic.
12. Active: Jerry called it laurel.
Passive: It was called laurel by Jerry.
13. Active: I saw him going across the field.
Passive: He was seen going across the field by me.
14. Active: He has not broken the axe handle.
Passive: The axe handle has not been broken by him.
Assertive Sentence Passive Voice
15. Active: I made him write the essay.
Passive: He was made to write the essay by me.
16. Active: I know that she called you a fool.
Passive: It is known to me that you were called a fool by her.
17. Active: The orange tastes sour.
Passive: The orange is sour when it is tasted.
Or, The orange is tasted sour.
18. Active: We ought to obey our teachers.
Passive: Our teachers ought to be obeyed by us.
19. Active: You must not drive the car.
Passive: The car must not be driven by you.
20. Active: The widow killed herself.
Passive: The widow was killed by herself.
21. Active: I bought the book which he liked.
Passive: The book which was liked by him was bought by me.
22. Active: I gave him the dog-whistle.
Passive: He was given the dog-whistle by me.
23. Active: Circumstances obliged me to go.
Passive: I was obliged to go.
24. Active: We can gain nothing without labour.
Passive: Nothing can be gained without labour.
25. Active: The cow is milking.
Passive: The cow is being milked.
26. Active: The book is printing.
Passive: The book is being printed.
27. Active: We elected him secretary.
Passive: He was elected secretary by us.
28. Active: The albatross made the wind blow.
Passive: The wind was made to blow by the albatross.
29. Active: They said that John would help him.
Passive: It was said by them that he would be helped by John.
Or, That John would help him was said by them.
30. Active: They searched his office and they found a number of stolen documents.
Passive: His office was searched and a number of stolen documents were found by them.
31. Active: We should not laugh at a lame man.
Passive: A lame man should not be laughed at by us.
32. Active: The cat killed the mouse.
Passive: The mouse was killed by the cat.
33. Active: Mice kill the mouse.
Passive: The mouse is killed by mice.
34. Active: Alisha is playing table tennis.
Passive: Table tennis is being played by Alisha.
35. Active: Alisha was playing table tennis.
Passive: Table tennis was being played by Alisha.
36. Active: Alisha will be playing table tennis.
Passive: Table tennis will be being played by Alisha.
Interrogative Sentence Passive Voice
1. Active: Who broke the glass?
Passive: By whom was the glass broken?
2. Active: What do you want?
Passive: What is wanted by you?
3. Active: Whom do you prefer?
Passive: Who is preferred by you?
4. Active: Where did you find these fishes?
Passive: Where were these fishes found by you?
5. Active: Did the old sailor kill the albatross?
Passive: Was the albatross killed by the old sailor?
6. Active: Will you buy a pen?
Passive: Will a pen be bought by you?
7. Active: Does Harry play basketball?
Passive: Is basketball played by Harry?
8. Active: Did Harry play basketball?
Passive: Was basketball played by Harry?
9. Active: Was Harry playing basketball?
Passive: Was basketball being played Harry?
10. Active: Has Harry played basketball?
Passive: Has basketball been played by Harry?
11. Active: Do you learn it?
Passive: Is it learn by you?
12. Active: Were they playing cricket?
Passive: Was cricket being played by them?
13. Active: Have they played basketball?
Passive: Has basketball been played by them?
14. Active: Who killed the rat?
Passive: By whom was the rat killed?
15. Active: Who can do the work?
Passive: By whom can the work be done?
16. Active: Did Harry play volleyball?
Passive: Was volleyball played by Harry?
17. Active: Does Harry writes a love letter?
Passive: Is a love letter written by Harry?
Imperative Sentence Passive Voice
1. Active: Carry this load.
Passive: Let this load be carried (by you).
2. Active: Do not beat the servant.
Passive: Let not the servant be beaten.
3. Active: Do not hate the needy.
Passive: Let not the needy be hated.
4. Active: Do not waste your time.
Passive: Let not your time be wasted.
5. Active: Do not make a noise.
Passive: Let not a noise be made.
6. Active: Always speak the truth.
Passive: Let the speak be spoken always.
7. Active: Do the work now.
Passive: Let the work be done now.
Exceptional voice Change exercise
1. Active: He annoyed me.
Passive: I was annoyed with me.
2. Active: I know the man
Passive: The man is known to me.
3. Active: His behaviour surprised me.
Passive: I was surprised at his behaviour.
4. Active: The news shocked him.
Passive: He was shocked at the news.
5. Active: I saw him go.
Passive: He was seen to go by me.
6. Active: He made me do the work.
Passive: I was made to do the work by him.
7. Active: His conduct shocked me.
Passive: I was shocked at his conduct.
8. Active: Light filled the room.
Passive: The room was filled with light.
9. Active: Her manners pleased us very much.
Passive: We were very much pleased with her manners.
10. Active: The novels of Charles Dickens interest me.
Passive: I am interested in the novels of Charles Dickens.
11. Active: Someone has stolen my purse.
Passive: My purse has been stolen.
12. Active: Circumstances obliged to go.
Passive: I was obliged to go.
13. Active: We can grain nothing without labour.
Passive: Nothing can be grained without labour.
14. Active: Why did they refuse him admittance?
Passive: Why was he refused admittance?
15. Active: We should not encourage indiscipline.
Passive: Indiscipline should not be encouraged.
16. Active: Mother looked after the girl.
Passive: The girl was looked after by mother.
17. Active: He has worked out the answer correctly.
Passive: The answer has been correctly worked out by him.
18. Active: Someone built this building in 1976.
Passive: This building was built in 1976.
19. Active: Adam presided over the meeting.
Passive: The meeting was presided over by Adam.
20. Active: People consider me honest.
Passive: I am considered honest.
21. Active: She likes people to obey her.
Passive: She likes to be obeyed by people.
22. Active: People believe that you know.
Passive: It is supposed that you know.
23. Active: We will not admit children under eight.
Passive: Children under eight will not be admitted by us.
24. Active: It is time to do your duty.
Passive: It is time for your duty to be done.
25. Active: I knew him.
Passive: He was known to me.
Why and when do we use passive voice?
1. When the subject is implied
Example: Effective steps have been taken to ensure our business.
2. To discovery or invention.
Example: Smartphone was invented by
Martin Cooper
3. To be born
Example: Erica was born in 1998.
4. To show the origin of something
Example:
i. Rice is grown in plenty in Thailand.
5. To request or invite someone
Example: He is requested to come.
6. For the classification of something.
Example: Verb is divided into two main parts.
7. To define something
Example: Voice is called in the manner of expressing the verb.
8. In the case of describing the process in the corner
Example: Coffee is prepared from boiling water.
9. To give Order, Advice, Warning etc. to someone
Example:
i. My father is advised to follow the lecture.
ii. Alcohol should be given up.
10. To explain the origin of anger in the corner
Example: Lung diseases is caused by smoking.
11. In case of Notice or Announcement
Example: The debate will be held tomorrow.
12. In case of submitting a report
Example: A number of war criminals have been arrested.
