Change the Voice (Active Voice & Passive Voice) – (Class 5 to 10)

Explained in the Simplest and Clearest Way

In English grammar, Change the Voice has a distinct but very important study.  Change the Voice means changing a sentence from one form to another without changing its meaning.

There are two types of voice:

1. Active Voice

2. Passive Voice

Before learning how to change the voice, let us understand what voice actually means.

🔍 What Does “Voice” Mean?

The voice of a sentence shows:

• who does the action

• what happens to the object

In simple words:

Voice tells us who is doing the work and who is receiving the work.

✨ Active Voice

✅ What is Active Voice?

A sentence is in Active Voice when:

• the subject does the action

• the subject is active

🧠 Structure of Active Voice:

Subject + Verb + Object

📌 Examples:

• Ram writes a letter.

• She sings a song.

• The boy kicked the ball.

Here:

• Ram, She, The boy → do the action

• So these sentences are in Active Voice

✨ Passive Voice

✅ What is Passive Voice?

A sentence is in Passive Voice when:

• the subject receives the action

• the focus is on the work done, not on the doer

🧠 Structure of Passive Voice:

Object + helping verb + past participle (V³) + by + subject

📌 Examples:

• A letter is written by Ram.

• A song is sung by her.

• The ball was kicked by the boy.

Here:

• The action is more important than the doer

• So these sentences are in Passive Voice

🔁 Why Do We Change the Voice?

We change the voice:

• to make writing formal

• to focus on the result or action

• in news reports

• in scientific writing

• in examinations

👉 Meaning of the sentence never changes, only the form changes.

🧩 How to Change Active Voice into Passive Voice

(Step-by-Step – Very Important)

Let us learn this slowly and clearly.

🔹 Step 1: Identify Subject, Verb, Object

Example:

Ram writes a letter.

• Subject → Ram

• Verb → writes

• Object → a letter

🔹 Step 2: Make the Object the New Subject

A letter …………

🔹 Step 3: Change the Verb

• Use helping verb (is / am / are / was / were / has been / will be etc.)

• Use past participle (V³) of the main verb

Write:

A letter is written

🔹 Step 4: Add “by + subject”

A letter is written by Ram.

✔ Sentence is changed successfully.

🧾 Example with Tense

🕒 Present Tense

• Active: She writes a letter.

• Passive: A letter is written by her.

🕒 Past Tense

• Active: He wrote a story.

• Passive: A story was written by him.

🕒 Future Tense

• Active: They will complete the work.

• Passive: The work will be completed by them.

👤 Change of Pronouns (Very Important)

When we change the voice, pronouns also change.

Example:

• Active: She helps me.

• Passive: I am helped by her.

❌ When “by” Is Not Used

If the doer is:

• unknown

• unimportant

• obvious

We do not use “by”.

Example:

• Active: Someone stole my bag.

• Passive: My bag was stolen.

🔄 Passive to Active Voice (Reverse Process)

Steps:

1. Identify the real doer after by

2. Make it the subject

3. Change the verb form

4. Make the subject the object

Example:

• Passive: The work was done by the teacher.

• Active: The teacher did the work.

🌼 Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Using wrong helping verb
❌ Forgetting past participle (V³)
❌ Not changing pronouns
❌ Changing meaning of sentence

👉 Always check tense first.

🌟 Final Summary (Easy to Remember)

• Active Voice → Subject does the action

• Passive Voice → Subject receives the action

• Object of Active = Subject of Passive

• Verb must be in past participle (V³)

• Meaning remains the same

🧩 Important Sub-Types (Based on Sentence Form)

Though there are only two main types, questions may appear in different forms.

🔹 1️⃣ Change the Voice of Assertive Sentences

(Statements)

• Active: He opens the door.

• Passive: The door is opened by him.

🔹 2️⃣ Change the Voice of Interrogative Sentences

(Questions)

• Active: Did she write a letter?

• Passive: Was a letter written by her?

👉 Rule: Question form remains a question.

🔹 3️⃣ Change the Voice of Imperative Sentences

(Orders / Requests)

• Active: Close the door.

• Passive: Let the door be closed.

🔹 4️⃣ Change the Voice of Negative Sentences

• Active: He did not break the glass.

• Passive: The glass was not broken by him.

❌ Sentences That Cannot Be Changed

Some sentences cannot be changed into Passive Voice because they have no object.

Examples:

• He sleeps.

• She runs fast.

👉 These sentences have no object, so passive voice is not possible.

🌼 Simple Summary (Very Easy)

👉 Meaning never changes, only form changes.