In English grammar, “voice” refers to the relationship between the subject of a sentence and the action it describes. There are two types of voice:
1. Active Voice: The subject performs the action.
– Example: *John* (subject) *wrote* (verb) *the letter* (object).
2. Passive Voice: The subject receives the action.
– Example: *The letter* (subject) *was written* (verb) *by John* (agent).
Tense Examples in Active and Passive Voice:
1. Present Simple
– **Active**: The chef *cooks* the meal.
– **Passive**: The meal *is cooked* by the chef.
2. Past Simple
– **Active**: She *baked* a cake.
– **Passive**: A cake *was baked* by her.
3. **Future Simple**
– **Active**: He *will clean* the room.
– **Passive**: The room *will be cleaned* by him.
4. **Present Continuous**
– **Active**: They *are building* a house.
– **Passive**: A house *is being built* by them.
5. **Past Continuous**
– **Active**: She *was painting* the wall.
– **Passive**: The wall *was being painted* by her.
6. **Future Continuous** (rarely used in passive)
– **Active**: He *will be driving* the car.
– **Passive**: The car *will be being driven* by him. (rare and awkward)
7. **Present Perfect**
– **Active**: They *have finished* the report.
– **Passive**: The report *has been finished* by them.
8. **Past Perfect**
– **Active**: She *had completed* the task.
– **Passive**: The task *had been completed* by her.
9. **Future Perfect**
– **Active**: He *will have solved* the problem.
– **Passive**: The problem *will have been solved* by him.
10. **Present Perfect Continuous** (rare in passive) – **Active**: They *have been discussing* the issue.
– **Passive**: The issue *has been being discussed* by them. (rarely used)
Most commonly, the passive voice is used with action verbs and when the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action, rather than the doer.
Here are **5 additional examples** for each tense in **active** and **passive** voice to expand on the earlier examples.
1. **Present Simple**
– **Active**:
1. The teacher *explains* the lesson.
2. She *reads* the newspaper every day.
3. The manager *approves* the reports.
4. He *plays* the guitar well.
5. They *sell* fresh vegetables in the market.
– **Passive**:
1. The lesson *is explained* by the teacher.
2. The newspaper *is read* by her every day.
3. The reports *are approved* by the manager.
4. The guitar *is played* well by him.
5. Fresh vegetables *are sold* in the market by them.
—
2. **Past Simple**
– **Active**:
1. The scientist *discovered* a new planet.
2. She *wrote* a novel.
3. They *painted* the house last summer.
4. He *watched* the movie yesterday.
5. The company *launched* a new product.
– **Passive**:
1. A new planet *was discovered* by the scientist.
2. A novel *was written* by her.
3. The house *was painted* by them last summer.
4. The movie *was watched* by him yesterday.
5. A new product *was launched* by the company.
3. **Future Simple**
– **Active**:
1. The artist *will create* a masterpiece.
2. They *will organise* the event next week.
3. She *will prepare* dinner tonight.
4. He *will fix* the computer tomorrow.
5. The team *will win* the match.
– **Passive**:
1. A masterpiece *will be created* by the artist.
2. The event *will be organised* by them next week.
3. Dinner *will be prepared* by her tonight.
4. The computer *will be fixed* by him tomorrow.
5. The match *will be won* by the team.
4. **Present Continuous**
– **Active**:
1. The mechanic *is repairing* the car.
2. She *is cleaning* the windows.
3. They *are organising* a party.
4. He *is teaching* the students.
5. The company *is hiring* new employees.
– **Passive**:
1. The car *is being repaired* by the mechanic.
2. The windows *are being cleaned* by her.
3. A party *is being organised* by them.
4. The students *are being taught* by him.
5. New employees *are being hired* by the company.
5. **Past Continuous**
– **Active**:
1. The writer *was drafting* a novel.
2. They *were discussing* the problem.
3. She *was organising* the documents.
4. He *was playing* the piano.
5. The chef *was preparing* the meal.
– **Passive**:
1. A novel *was being drafted* by the writer.
2. The problem *was being discussed* by them.
3. The documents *were being organised* by her.
4. The piano *was being played* by him.
5. The meal *was being prepared* by the chef.
6. **Future Continuous** (rarely used in passive)
– **Active**:
1. They *will be celebrating* their anniversary.
2. She *will be giving* a speech at the event.
3. He *will be travelling* to Europe next month.
4. The teacher *will be marking* the exams.
5. The company *will be negotiating* a new contract.
– **Passive** (rare):
1. Their anniversary *will be being celebrated* by them.
2. A speech *will be being given* by her at the event.
3. Europe *will be being travelled* to by him next month.
4. The exams *will be being marked* by the teacher.
5. A new contract *will be being negotiated* by the company.
7. **Present Perfect**
– **Active**:
1. The engineer *has designed* a new system.
2. They *have solved* the puzzle.
3. She *has published* three books.
4. He *has built* a new website.
5. The chef *has cooked* a delicious meal.
– **Passive**:
1. A new system *has been designed* by the engineer.
2. The puzzle *has been solved* by them.
3. Three books *have been published* by her.
4. A new website *has been built* by him.
5. A delicious meal *has been cooked* by the chef.
8. **Past Perfect**
– **Active**:
1. The team *had completed* the project.
2. She *had written* the report before the meeting.
3. They *had finished* the renovation.
4. He *had taken* the test by noon.
5. The manager *had approved* the budget.
– **Passive**:
1. The project *had been completed* by the team.
2. The report *had been written* by her before the meeting.
3. The renovation *had been finished* by them.
4. The test *had been taken* by him by noon.
5. The budget *had been approved* by the manager.
9. **Future Perfect**
– **Active**:
1. The architect *will have designed* the building by next year.
2. She *will have written* the article by tomorrow.
3. They *will have completed* the project by the deadline.
4. He *will have solved* the issue by evening.
5. The company *will have launched* the product by summer.
– **Passive**:
1. The building *will have been designed* by the architect by next year.
2. The article *will have been written* by her by tomorrow.
3. The project *will have been completed* by them by the deadline.
4. The issue *will have been solved* by him by evening.
5. The product *will have been launched* by the company by summer.
10. **Present Perfect Continuous** (rare in passive)
– **Active**:
1. They *have been developing* a new app.
2. She *has been researching* for the project.
3. He *has been fixing* the car.
4. The students *have been studying* for hours.
5. The company *has been upgrading* the system.
– **Passive** (rare):
1. A new app *has been being developed* by them.
2. The project *has been being researched* by her.
3. The car *has been being fixed* by him.
4. Hours of study *have been being done* by the students.
5. The system *has been being upgraded* by the company. (rarely used)
11.**Future Perfect Continuous Tense**
The **Future Perfect Continuous** tense is used to describe actions that will have been happening for a period of time at a point in the future. The passive form is rarely used and is quite awkward.
**Active Voice Examples:**
1. By next year, he *will have been working* at the company for five years.
2. By 5 p.m., we *will have been driving* for ten hours straight.
3. She *will have been studying* for the exam for three weeks by the time it takes place.
4. They *will have been living* in this city for a decade by 2025.
5. By next summer, the team *will have been training* for the championship for six months.
**Passive Voice Examples (rare and awkward):**
1. By next year, the project *will have been being worked on* for five years.
2. By 5 p.m., the road *will have been being driven* on for ten hours straight.
3. By the time of the exam, the materials *will have been being studied* for three weeks.
4. By 2025, this house *will have been being lived in* for a decade.
5. By next summer, the championship *will have been being trained for* for six months.
12.**Past Perfect Continuous Tense**
The **Past Perfect Continuous** tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing in the past up to a certain point.
**Active Voice Examples:**
1. He *had been working* at the company for five years before he resigned.
2. They *had been waiting* for the bus for over an hour when it finally arrived.
3. She *had been studying* for the exam for weeks before it was cancelled.
4. We *had been living* in that city for ten years before we moved.
5. By the time the teacher arrived, the students *had been discussing* the topic for an hour.
**Passive Voice Examples (rare):**
1. The project *had been being worked on* for five years before it was completed.
2. The bus *had been being waited for* for over an hour before it finally arrived.
3. The exam *had been being studied for* for weeks before it was cancelled.
4. The house *had been being lived in* for ten years before it was sold.
5. The topic *had been being discussed* for an hour by the students before the teacher arrived.