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English Grammar · Chapter 12 · Active & Passive Voice

Active & Passive Voice

In the active voice the subject does the action ("Ram wrote a letter"); in the passive voice the object of the action becomes the subject ("A letter was written by Ram"). To change voice you follow one fixed recipe — move the object to the front, turn the verb into be + past participle in the same tense, and add "by + old subject". This chapter builds that recipe tense by tense, then the special cases the exam loves.कर्तृवाच्य (active) में कर्ता कार्य करता है ("Ram wrote a letter"); कर्मवाच्य (passive) में कार्य का कर्म कर्ता बन जाता है ("A letter was written by Ram")। वाच्य बदलने के लिए एक निश्चित विधि: कर्म को आगे लाएँ, क्रिया को उसी काल में be + past participle बनाएँ, और "by + पुराना कर्ता" जोड़ें। यह अध्याय वह विधि काल-दर-काल बनाता है, फिर परीक्षा की पसंदीदा विशेष स्थितियाँ।
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Topic 01

The Rule of Voice Change

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Active & Passive Voice — downloadable PDF
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Three steps turn active into passive: (1) the object becomes the new subject; (2) the verb becomes the correct form of be + past participle (V3); (3) the old subject moves to the end after by. "Ram wrote a letter" → "A letter was written by Ram."तीन चरणों से active → passive: (1) कर्म नया कर्ता बनता है; (2) क्रिया be + past participle (V3) का सही रूप बनती है; (3) पुराना कर्ता by के बाद अंत में जाता है। "Ram wrote a letter" → "A letter was written by Ram."

No passive.कोई passive नहीं। Only sentences with an object (transitive verbs) can be made passive. The perfect-continuous tenses and future continuous have no passive; intransitive verbs (sleep, go) cannot be made passive. केवल कर्म वाले वाक्य (सकर्मक क्रिया) passive बन सकते हैं। perfect-continuous और future continuous का passive नहीं; अकर्मक क्रिया (sleep, go) का passive नहीं।
📝 Self-testस्वयं-परीक्षण 4 MCQs

In changing to passive, the object of the active sentence becomes the:passive में बदलते समय active वाक्य का कर्म बन जाता है:

  1. verb
  2. object
  3. preposition
  4. subject
✔ D. The object moves to the front as the new subject.✔ D. कर्म आगे आकर नया कर्ता बनता है।

In the passive, the main verb is always in the form of the:passive में मुख्य क्रिया हमेशा किस रूप में होती है:

  1. base form (V1)
  2. simple past (V2)
  3. past participle (V3)
  4. present participle (V-ing)
✔ C. Passive uses "be + past participle (V3)".✔ C. passive में "be + past participle (V3)"।

"People speak English all over the world." Its passive is:"People speak English all over the world." का passive है:

  1. English is spoken all over the world.
  2. English is being spoken all over the world.
  3. English was spoken all over the world.
  4. English has spoken all over the world.
✔ A. Simple present → is/am/are + V3 → "is spoken".✔ A. simple present → is/am/are + V3 → "is spoken"।

Which sentence has no passive form?किस वाक्य का passive रूप नहीं है?

  1. She sings a song.
  2. The baby is sleeping.
  3. They built a house.
  4. He wrote a letter.
✔ B. "sleep" is intransitive (no object) → no passive.✔ B. "sleep" अकर्मक (कोई कर्म नहीं) → कोई passive नहीं।
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Topic 02

Present & Past Passives

TensePassive formExample (passive)
Simple Presentis/am/are + V3A song is sung by him.
Present Continuousis/am/are being + V3A letter is being written by me.
Present Perfecthas/have been + V3Her work has been finished by her.
Simple Pastwas/were + V3A snake was killed by me.
Past Continuouswas/were being + V3A car was being driven by him.
Past Perfecthad been + V3The assignment had been completed by them.
📝 Self-testस्वयं-परीक्षण 4 MCQs

"He sings a song." → passive:"He sings a song." → passive:

  1. A song has sung by him.
  2. A song is sung by him.
  3. A song was sung by him.
  4. A song is being sung by him.
✔ B. Simple present → "is sung".✔ B. simple present → "is sung"।

"I am writing a letter." → passive:"I am writing a letter." → passive:

  1. A letter is written by me.
  2. A letter has been written by me.
  3. A letter is being written by me.
  4. A letter was written by me.
✔ C. Present continuous → "is being written".✔ C. present continuous → "is being written"।

"She has finished her work." → passive:"She has finished her work." → passive:

  1. Her work was finished by her.
  2. Her work had been finished by her.
  3. Her work has been finished by her.
  4. Her work is finished by her.
✔ C. Present perfect → "has been finished".✔ C. present perfect → "has been finished"।

"The tiger caught a fox." → passive:"The tiger caught a fox." → passive:

  1. A fox was caught by the tiger.
  2. A fox has been caught by the tiger.
  3. A fox is caught by the tiger.
  4. A fox had been caught by the tiger.
✔ A. Simple past → "was caught".✔ A. simple past → "was caught"।
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Topic 03

Future & Modal Passives

  • Simple future → will be + V3: "She will buy a car" → "A car will be bought by her."Simple future → will be + V3: "A car will be bought by her."
  • Future perfect → will have been + V3: "The job will have been started by you."Future perfect → will have been + V3: "The job will have been started by you."
  • Modals → modal + be + V3: "We must respect the elders" → "The elders must be respected by us."Modal → modal + be + V3: "The elders must be respected by us."
📝 Self-testस्वयं-परीक्षण 4 MCQs

"She will buy a car." → passive:"She will buy a car." → passive:

  1. A car will be bought by her.
  2. A car is bought by her.
  3. A car will bought by her.
  4. A car has been bought by her.
✔ A. Simple future → "will be bought".✔ A. simple future → "will be bought"।

"We must respect the elders." → passive:"We must respect the elders." → passive:

  1. The elders are respected by us.
  2. The elders must being respected by us.
  3. The elders must respected by us.
  4. The elders must be respected by us.
✔ D. Modal → "must be respected".✔ D. modal → "must be respected"।

"One must keep one's promises." → passive:"One must keep one's promises." → passive:

  1. Promises must kept.
  2. Promises must be kept.
  3. Promises must being kept.
  4. Promises are kept.
✔ B. Modal passive → "must be kept".✔ B. modal passive → "must be kept"।

"The boy has rung the bell." → passive:"The boy has rung the bell." → passive:

  1. The bell had been rung by the boy.
  2. The bell was rung by the boy.
  3. The bell is rung by the boy.
  4. The bell has been rung by the boy.
✔ D. Present perfect → "has been rung".✔ D. present perfect → "has been rung"।
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Topic 04

Special Cases

  • Imperatives — requests become "You are requested/advised to…"; "Let" commands become "Let + object + be + V3": "Let him see it" → "Let it be seen by him."आदेशवाचक — निवेदन "You are requested/advised to…"; "Let" आदेश "Let + object + be + V3": "Let it be seen by him."
  • Questions — "Who taught you?" → "By whom were you taught?"प्रश्न — "Who taught you?" → "By whom were you taught?"
  • Two objects — usually the person becomes the subject: "The king gave him a reward" → "He was given a reward by the king."दो कर्म — आमतौर पर व्यक्ति कर्ता बनता है: "He was given a reward by the king."
  • Prepositional verbs keep the preposition: "The boy laughed at the beggar" → "The beggar was laughed at by the boy."Prepositional verb preposition रखते हैं: "The beggar was laughed at by the boy."
📝 Self-testस्वयं-परीक्षण 4 MCQs

"Let him see the picture." → passive:"Let him see the picture." → passive:

  1. The picture was seen by him.
  2. Let him the picture be seen.
  3. The picture is seen by him.
  4. Let the picture be seen by him.
✔ D. "Let + object + be + V3".✔ D. "Let + object + be + V3"।

"Who taught you grammar?" → passive:"Who taught you grammar?" → passive:

  1. Whom were you taught grammar by?
  2. By whom you were taught grammar?
  3. By whom were you taught grammar?
  4. By whom was grammar you taught?
✔ C. "Who" (subject) → "By whom were you taught…".✔ C. "Who" (कर्ता) → "By whom were you taught…"।

"The king gave him a reward." → passive:"The king gave him a reward." → passive:

  1. A reward was given by him to the king.
  2. He was given a reward by the king.
  3. He was gave a reward by the king.
  4. He was given by the king a reward.
✔ B. The person becomes the subject → "He was given a reward…".✔ B. व्यक्ति कर्ता बनता है → "He was given a reward…"।

"The boy laughed at the beggar." → passive:"The boy laughed at the beggar." → passive:

  1. The beggar was laughed at by the boy.
  2. The beggar laughed at by the boy.
  3. The beggar was laughed by the boy.
  4. The beggar is laughed at by the boy.
✔ A. The preposition "at" is kept → "laughed at by".✔ A. preposition "at" रहता है → "laughed at by"।

Test Yourself · Active & Passive Voice

12 questions on voice change across tenses, modals and special cases. Tap an option to check, then read Why.

काल, modal और विशेष स्थितियों में वाच्य-परिवर्तन पर 12 प्रश्न। जाँचने के लिए विकल्प पर टैप करें, फिर Why पढ़ें।