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:
Active Voice
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.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| I | me |
| we | us |
| he | him |
| she | her |
| they | them |
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:
Identify the real doer after by
Make it the subject
Change the verb form
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)
| Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active → Passive | Focus on the action |
| Passive → Active | Focus on the doer |
👉 Meaning never changes, only form changes.
