Change of Voice questions with answers and concepts

Learn change of voice with concept notes and worked examples, then practise focused questions with explained answers. Build accuracy for placement and competitive aptitude tests before trying timed mode.

99 practice questionsPage updated 24 Sept 2026Review metadata pendingPractice questions

Practise this concept

Change of Voice, also known as Active and Passive Voice transformation, is a fundamental grammar concept frequently tested in aptitude examinations. It involves converting sentences from the active form (where the subject performs the action) to the passive form (where the subject receives the action), while maintaining the original meaning and tense of the sentence.

Key formulas and rules

10 rules

Simple Present: Active: $S + V_{1} + O \to$ Passive: $O + is/am/are + V_{3} + by S$

Simple Past: Active: $S + V_{2} + O \to$ Passive: $O + was/were + V_{3} + by S$

Simple Future: Active: $S + will/shall + V_{1} + O \to$ Passive: $O + will/shall be + V_{3} + by S$

Present Continuous: Active: $S + is/am/are + V_{ing} + O \to$ Passive: $O + is/am/are being + V_{3} + by S$

Past Continuous: Active: $S + was/were + V_{ing} + O \to$ Passive: $O + was/were being + V_{3} + by S$

Present Perfect: Active: $S + has/have + V_{3} + O \to$ Passive: $O + has/have been + V_{3} + by S$

Past Perfect: Active: $S + had + V_{3} + O \to$ Passive: $O + had been + V_{3} + by S$

Future Perfect: Active: $S + will have + V_{3} + O \to$ Passive: $O + will have been + V_{3} + by S$

Modal Auxiliaries: Active: $S + M + V_{1} + O \to$ Passive: $O + M + be + V_{3} + by S$

Imperative Sentences: Active: $Verb + O \to$ Passive: $Let + O + be + V_{3}$ or $You are requested/ordered to + V_{1}$

Key concepts

Understanding Active Voice

In Active Voice, the grammatical subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. The structure follows: Subject (doer) + Verb + Object (receiver). Active voice creates direct, clear, and concise sentences. Example: 'The chef prepares the meal.' Here, 'the chef' (subject) is doing the action of preparing, and 'the meal' (object) receives the action.

Understanding Passive Voice

In Passive Voice, the grammatical subject receives the action rather than performing it. The structure follows: Object (receiver) + form of 'be' + Past Participle + (by + Subject/doer). The doer can be omitted when unknown or unimportant. Example: 'The meal is prepared by the chef.' Here, 'the meal' becomes the subject receiving the action, while 'the chef' (the actual doer) follows 'by'.

Tense Preservation Rule

When converting between voices, the tense of the original sentence must be preserved. The tense is carried by the 'be' verb in passive constructions. For example, 'She writes letters' (Present Simple) becomes 'Letters are written by her' (still Present Simple). Similarly, 'They built the house' (Past Simple) becomes 'The house was built by them' (still Past Simple).

Omission of the 'By' Phrase

The 'by' phrase (indicating who performed the action) is optional in passive voice. It is omitted when: the doer is unknown ('The car was stolen'), the doer is obvious or unimportant ('The thief was arrested'), or when the doer is general ('English is spoken here'). When present, personal pronouns change form: I->me, he->him, she->her, we->us, they->them.

Intransitive Verbs Cannot Be Passivized

Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be converted to passive voice. Intransitive verbs like 'arrive', 'sleep', 'happen', 'die', 'fall', 'go', 'come', 'exist' cannot form passive constructions because there is no object to become the subject. Example: 'He slept peacefully' has no passive form because 'slept' is intransitive.

Special Cases and Exceptions

Certain verb types have specific passive rules: (1) Verbs with two objects (give, send, tell, offer) can form two passive versions: 'They gave me a book' -> 'I was given a book' or 'A book was given to me'. (2) Complex objects with infinitives: 'They made him leave' -> 'He was made to leave'. (3) Phrasal verbs keep their particles: 'She turned down the offer' -> 'The offer was turned down by her'. (4) Quasi-passive verbs (sell, wash, read, write, open, shut, smell, taste, feel) can use active form with passive meaning: 'The book sells well'.

Check the idea while it is fresh.Open a focused exercise without losing this article.Practise this concept

Worked examples

Example 1

Convert to Passive Voice: The teacher explains the lesson.

Solution

Step 1: Identify components - Subject: The teacher, Verb: explains (Present Simple), Object: the lesson.
Step 2: Make the object the new subject: The lesson.
Step 3: Determine correct 'be' verb form for Present Simple singular: is.
Step 4: Use past participle of explain: explained.
Step 5: Add 'by + subject' (converting 'the teacher' to object pronoun is optional, keeping as 'the teacher').
Passive: The lesson is explained by the teacher.

Example 2

Convert to Active Voice: The window was broken by the ball.

Solution

Step 1: Identify passive components - Subject (receiver): The window, Be verb: was, Past participle: broken, By phrase: by the ball (doer).
Step 2: Make the doer ('the ball') the new subject.
Step 3: Determine original tense from 'was broken': Past Simple.
Step 4: Convert past participle to Past Simple active verb: broke.
Step 5: Make original subject ('the window') the new object.
Active: The ball broke the window.

Example 3

Convert to Passive Voice: They have completed the project on time.

Solution

Step 1: Identify components - Subject: They, Verb: have completed (Present Perfect), Object: the project.
Step 2: Make the object the new subject: The project.
Step 3: Apply Present Perfect passive structure: has/have + been + V3.
Step 4: 'The project' is singular, so use 'has been completed'.
Step 5: Add 'by them' (converting 'they' to 'them').
Passive: The project has been completed by them.
Note: 'on time' remains unchanged as it's an adverbial phrase.

Example 4

Convert to Passive Voice: We must finish this work today.

Solution

Step 1: Identify components - Subject: We, Verb: must finish (modal), Object: this work.
Step 2: Apply modal passive structure: modal + be + V3.
Step 3: Make object the subject: This work.
Step 4: Combine: must + be + finished.
Step 5: Add 'by us' (converting 'we' to 'us').
Passive: This work must be finished by us today.
Note: The time expression 'today' maintains its position at the end or beginning.

Representative solved questions

See the kind of question in this topic before opening the full practice set.

Question 1

Change to active voice: 'Let the work be started at once.'

Start the work at once.
Let us start the work at once.
You should start the work at once.
The work should be started at once.

Answer: B. Let us start the work at once.

Explanation

Step 1: 'Let...be started' is imperative passive construction.
Step 2: In active imperative, use 'Let us/Let's + verb' for suggestion/invitation.
Step 3: 'Let us start' is the standard active equivalent.
Step 4: This converts the passive imperative to active first-person plural imperative.
Answer: Let us start the work at once.

Sources and review notes

This is an AISEA-authored practice question.

Review status: accepted · Reviewed 2026-08-13 · structure and answer-key checks, editorial quality checks, duplicate screening

Question 2

Change to passive voice: 'We ought to respect our parents.'

Our parents ought to respect by us.
Our parents ought to be respected by us.
Our parents ought to have been respected by us.
Our parents should be respected by us.

Answer: B. Our parents ought to be respected by us.

Explanation

Step 1: Modal 'ought to' (moral obligation) is followed by 'be' in passive.
Step 2: Structure: ought to + be + past participle (respected).
Step 3: Keep the same modal 'ought to' for moral obligation.
Step 4: 'Should' has different nuance (advice vs. moral duty).
Answer: Our parents ought to be respected by us.

Sources and review notes

This is an AISEA-authored practice question.

Review status: accepted · Reviewed 2026-08-13 · structure and answer-key checks, editorial quality checks, duplicate screening

Question 3

Change to active voice: 'I was made to wait for two hours.'

They made me waiting for two hours.
They made me to wait for two hours.
They made me wait for two hours.
They were making me wait for two hours.

Answer: C. They made me wait for two hours.

Explanation

Step 1: 'Was made to wait' is causative passive (make + infinitive).
Step 2: In active, 'make' takes bare infinitive (without 'to').
Step 3: 'Made me wait' not 'made me to wait' (bare infinitive rule).
Step 4: Past simple 'made' matches 'was made'.
Answer: They made me wait for two hours.

Sources and review notes

This is an AISEA-authored practice question.

Review status: accepted · Reviewed 2026-08-13 · structure and answer-key checks, editorial quality checks, duplicate screening

Common mistakes and useful habits

Always preserve the tense of the original sentence when converting voices. The tense is indicated by the form of 'be' in passive constructions.
Remember that only transitive verbs (verbs with direct objects) can be converted to passive voice. Intransitive verbs cannot form passives.
When converting to passive, personal pronouns in the subject position change to object form in the 'by' phrase: I->me, he->him, she->her, we->us, they->them.
The past participle (V3 form) is used in all passive constructions regardless of tense. This is the key identifying feature of passive voice.
Verbs with two objects (give, send, offer, tell, show) can form two different passive versions. Either object can become the subject of the passive sentence.
In sentences with modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, should, would), the passive structure is: modal + be + past participle (for simple modals) or modal + have + been + past participle (for modal perfect).
Phrasal verbs must keep their particles together when converted to passive: 'They called off the meeting' -> 'The meeting was called off.'
Quasi-passive constructions (where active form has passive meaning) often appear with verbs like sell, wash, read, write, open, and feel: 'This fabric washes easily' means 'This fabric is easily washable'.

Ready to test your understanding?

Work through 99 questions with explanations after each answer.

Start practice

Next topic: Change of Speech