How to Change Active to Passive Voice and Viceversa

English Grammar Lesson
English Exercises on Passive to Active Voice and Viceversa.


 Chapter 12: The Passive Voice
                      4.Changing the Voice of a Verb

 4. Changing the voice of a verb 
When the verb of a sentence is changed from the Active Voice to the Passive Voice and the other words in the sentence are left unaltered, a change in meaning results. In the following examples, the verbs are underlined.

e.g. Active Voice: He is driving to the airport.
      Passive Voice: He is being driven to the airport.

The person referred to by the subject of the first sentence is behaving actively; the person is doing the driving. The person referred to by the subject of the second sentence is behaving passively; someone else is doing the driving.

Using the first person singular of the verb to show as an example, the following table compares the most commonly used tenses of the Indicative Mood of the Passive Voice with the corresponding tenses of the Active Voice.

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Simple Present	I show	I am shown
Negative Statement:	I do not show	I am not shown
Present Continuous	I am showing	I am being shown
Present Perfect	I have shown	I have been shown
Simple Past	I showed	I was shown
Negative Statement:	I did not show	I was not shown
Past Continuous	I was showing	I was being shown
Past Perfect	I had shown	I had been shown
Simple Future	I will show	I will be shown
Future Perfect	I will have shown	I will have been shown
Simple, with would	I would show	I would be shown
Perfect, with would	I would have shown	I would have been shown

Exercise 4 

4. For each of the following sentences, first indicate the tense of the underlined verb, and then change the verb from the Active Voice to the corresponding tense in the Passive Voice. Take note of the resulting change in the meaning of the sentence. For example:
      They drive to work at seven o'clock every morning.
      Simple Present: They are driven to work at seven o'clock every morning.

      Did he notice?
      Simple Past: Was he noticed?

      She is not telling the truth.
      Present Continuous: he is not being told the truth.

      We have sent a message.
      Present Perfect: We have been sent a message.

      I will pay.
      Simple Future: I will be paid.

1. Do they expect to leave?
2. He is giving instructions.
3. They have moved to a new location.
4. She will fly to London.
5. He has offered a discount.
6. They have stopped.
7. Will you have given the order?
8. We sent a favorable reply.
9. We were teaching German.
10. I understand.
11. He is offering free advice.
12. She will rush to the reception.

Exercise 5

5. For each of the following sentences, first indicate the tense of the underlined verb, and then change the verb from the Passive Voice to the corresponding tense in the Active Voice. Take note of the resulting change in the meaning of the sentence. For example:
      We are paid regularly.
      Simple Present: We pay regularly.

      She is not assisted every day.
      Simple Present: She does not assist every day.

      Was he not being flown to Boston?
      Past Continuous: Was he not flying to Boston?

      It has been grown here for the past twenty years.
      Present Perfect: It has grown here for the past twenty years.

      Might they be called at nine o'clock?
      Simple conjugation with might: Might they call at nine o'clock?

1. We can be heard easily.
2. She is being given advice.
3. Were they not flown over the lake?
4. I had been transferred to another department.
5. He is being stopped.
6. We have been sent a letter.
7. He is not being taught music theory.
8. Should they have been flown to their next destination?
9. They will be watched constantly.
10. We had been driven to the beach this morning.
11. Has he been checked into the hotel?
12. Could I have been told the news yesterday?

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