25 Active and Passive Voice Examples with Answers! In English, there are two voices: the active voice and the passive voice. The active voice is more common and more concise. The passive voice is less common, but it can be useful for emphasizing the receiver of an action or for hiding the actor. This article will give examples of both voices with answers.
The active voice is usually used when the actor is clear, and the passive voice is used when it is more convenient to hide the actor. The passive voice introduces a new verb in place of the original direct object.
Definition of Active Voice and Passive Voice
Active Voice: Active voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence performs the action denoted by the verb. In active voice sentences, the subject is the doer of the action, and the verb is in the active form. For example, in the sentence “John kicked the ball,” “John” is the subject, “kicked” is the verb, and “the ball” is the object.
Passive Voice: Passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence receives the action denoted by the verb. In passive voice sentences, the subject is the receiver of the action, and the verb is in the passive form. The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject in the passive voice sentence. For example, in the sentence “The ball was kicked by John,” “The ball” is the subject, “was kicked” is the passive verb phrase, and “by John” indicates the doer of the action.
Structure of Active and Passive Voice
The structure of active voice and passive voice can be described as follows:
Active Voice: Subject + Verb + Object
Example:
- John (subject) + kicked (verb) + the ball (object).
Passive Voice: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (be) + Past Participle (verb) + (by) + Agent (optional)
Example:
- The ball (subject) + was (auxiliary verb) + kicked (past participle) + by John (agent).
In passive voice, the subject of the active voice sentence becomes the object in the passive voice sentence. The auxiliary verb “be” is used in different tenses (e.g., is, am, are, was, were, has been, etc.), depending on the tense of the active sentence. The past participle form of the main verb is used in passive voice sentences. The agent (doer of the action) is optional and can be included with the preposition “by” to indicate who performed the action.
It’s important to note that not all active voice sentences can be converted to passive voice, as the passive voice emphasizes the receiver of the action rather than the doer.
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples With Answers
Here are some examples of active and passive voice sentences along with their answers:
| Active | Sarah kicked the ball. |
| Passive | The ball was kicked by Sarah. |
| Active | John painted the house. |
| Passive | The house was painted by John. |
| Active | The dog chased the cat. |
| Passive | The cat was chased by the dog. |
| Active | She wrote a book. |
| Passive | A book was written by her. |
| Active | They built a bridge. |
| Passive | A bridge was built by them. |
| Active | The teacher graded the papers. |
| Passive | The papers were graded by the teacher. |
| Active | He fixed the car. |
| Passive | The car was fixed by him. |
| Active | The storm destroyed the house. |
| Passive | The house was destroyed by the storm. |
| Active | The chef cooked the meal. |
| Passive | The meal was cooked by the chef. |
| Active | The singer sang a song. |
| Passive | A song was sung by the singer. |
| Active | The police officer arrested the suspect. |
| Passive | The suspect was arrested by the police officer. |
| Active | The company hired a new employee. |
| Passive | A new employee was hired by the company. |
| Active | The kids made a mess. |
| Passive | A mess was made by the kids. |
| Active | The doctor prescribed medication. |
| Passive | Medication was prescribed by the doctor. |
| Active | The fireman rescued the cat. |
| Passive | The cat was rescued by the fireman. |
| Active | They canceled the meeting. |
| Passive | The meeting was canceled by them. |
| Active | The committee approved the proposal. |
| Passive | The proposal was approved by the committee. |
| Active | The company released a new product. |
| Passive | A new product was released by the company. |
| Active | The students performed a play. |
| Passive | A play was performed by the students. |
| Active | She baked a cake. |
| Passive | A cake was baked by her. |
| Active | The computer fixed the problem. |
| Passive | The problem was fixed by the computer. |
| Active | The thief stole the money. |
| Passive | The money was stolen by the thief. |
| Active | The company awarded the contract. |
| Passive | The contract was awarded by the company. |
| Active | The designer created a new logo. |
| Passive | A new logo was created by the designer. |
| Active | The teacher gave the students a test. |
| Passive | The students were given a test by the teacher. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples For All Tenses With Answers
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Present Simple Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + Verb (base form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + Auxiliary verb (is/are) + Past participle (verb’s third form) + by + Agent (optional)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| The cat catches the mouse. | The mouse is caught by the cat. |
| He waters the plants every morning. | The plants are watered every morning. |
| She writes an email to her friend. | An email is written to her friend by her. |
| They clean the house every weekend. | The house is cleaned every weekend. |
| The teacher explains the lesson to the students. | The lesson is explained to the students by the teacher. |
| We play football in the park. | Football is played in the park by us. |
| He eats an apple for breakfast. | An apple is eaten for breakfast by him. |
| She feeds the dog twice a day. | The dog is fed twice a day by her. |
| They send invitations to the guests. | Invitations are sent to the guests by them. |
| The company produces high-quality goods. | High-quality goods are produced by the company. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Present Continuous Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + am/is/are + Verb (-ing form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + am/is/are + being + Past participle (verb’s third form) + by + Agent (optional)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| She is cooking dinner right now. | Dinner is being cooked by her right now. |
| They are watching a movie at the cinema. | A movie is being watched at the cinema by them. |
| He is writing a letter to his parents. | A letter is being written to his parents by him. |
| We are studying for the exam. | The exam is being studied for by us. |
| The children are playing in the garden. | The garden is being played in by the children. |
| I am reading a book in my room. | A book is being read in my room by me. |
| They are painting the walls of the house. | The walls of the house are being painted by them. |
| The chef is preparing a delicious meal. | A delicious meal is being prepared by the chef. |
| The workers are building a new bridge. | A new bridge is being built by the workers. |
| He is driving to work this morning. | Work is being driven to by him this morning. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Present Perfect Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + have/has + Past participle (verb’s third form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + have/has + been + Past participle (verb’s third form)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| She has completed her homework. | Her homework has been completed by her. |
| They have visited the Eiffel Tower. | The Eiffel Tower has been visited by them. |
| He has written a letter to his boss. | A letter has been written to his boss by him. |
| We have watched that movie before. | That movie has been watched before by us. |
| The team has won the championship. | The championship has been won by the team. |
| I have read three books this month. | Three books have been read this month by me. |
| They have finished their project. | Their project has been finished by them. |
| She has cooked a delicious meal. | A delicious meal has been cooked by her. |
| We have received the package. | The package has been received by us. |
| He has repaired the car. | The car has been repaired by him. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + have/has + been + Verb (-ing form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + have/has + been + being + Past participle (verb’s third form) + by + Agent (optional)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| She has been studying for three hours. | Studying has been done by her for three hours. |
| They have been playing tennis all day. | Tennis has been played all day by them. |
| He has been working on the project since morning. | The project has been worked on by him since morning. |
| We have been waiting for the bus for an hour. | The bus has been waited for by us for an hour. |
| The children have been watching TV for a long time. | TV has been watched for a long time by the children. |
| I have been learning Spanish for six months. | Spanish has been learned for six months by me. |
| They have been talking on the phone for ages. | Phone conversations have been talked on for ages by them. |
| She has been practicing the piano for hours. | The piano has been practiced for hours by her. |
| We have been exercising regularly. | Regular exercise has been done by us. |
| He has been reading that book for weeks. | That book has been read for weeks by him. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Past Simple Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + Verb (past form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + was/were + Past participle (verb’s third form)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| I wrote a letter. | A letter was written by me. |
| She baked a cake. | A cake was baked by her. |
| They repaired the car. | The car was repaired by them. |
| He painted the wall. | The wall was painted by him. |
| We watched a movie. | A movie was watched by us. |
| The teacher graded the exams. | The exams were graded by the teacher. |
| He fixed the computer. | The computer was fixed by him. |
| They planted trees in the park. | Trees were planted in the park by them. |
| She sang a song. | A song was sung by her. |
| We cleaned the house. | The house was cleaned by us. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Past Continuous Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + was/were + Verb (-ing form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + was/were + being + Past participle (verb’s third form)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| She was cooking dinner. | Dinner was being cooked by her. |
| They were playing soccer. | Soccer was being played by them. |
| He was reading a book. | A book was being read by him. |
| We were watching a movie. | A movie was being watched by us. |
| I was writing an email. | An email was being written by me. |
| The children were singing a song. | A song was being sung by the children. |
| He was driving to work. | Work was being driven to by him. |
| They were discussing the plan. | The plan was being discussed by them. |
| She was painting a picture. | A picture was being painted by her. |
| We were studying for the exam. | The exam was being studied for by us. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Past Perfect Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + had + Past participle (verb’s third form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + had + been + Past participle (verb’s third form)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| I had finished my homework. | My homework had been finished by me. |
| She had cooked dinner. | Dinner had been cooked by her. |
| They had repaired the car. | The car had been repaired by them. |
| He had written a letter. | A letter had been written by him. |
| We had watched the movie. | The movie had been watched by us. |
| The teacher had graded the exams. | The exams had been graded by the teacher. |
| He had fixed the computer. | The computer had been fixed by him. |
| They had planted trees in the park. | Trees had been planted in the park by them. |
| She had sung a song. | A song had been sung by her. |
| We had cleaned the house. | The house had been cleaned by us. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + had + been + Verb (-ing form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + had + been + being + Past participle (verb’s third form) + by + Agent (optional)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| I had been studying all night. | Studying had been done by me all night. |
| She had been working on the project for hours. | The project had been worked on by her for hours. |
| They had been playing tennis since morning. | Tennis had been played by them since morning. |
| He had been waiting for the bus for a long time. | The bus had been waited for by him for a long time. |
| We had been talking on the phone for ages. | Talking on the phone had been done by us for ages. |
| The team had been practicing diligently. | Diligent practice had been carried out by the team. |
| He had been repairing the car all day. | The car had been repaired by him all day. |
| They had been gardening in the backyard. | Gardening had been done in the backyard by them. |
| She had been singing in the choir for years. | Singing in the choir had been done by her for years. |
| We had been cooking dinner together. | Dinner had been cooked by us together. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Future Simple Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + will/shall + Verb (base form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + will/shall + be + Past participle (verb’s third form)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| He will write the report. | The report will be written by him. |
| They will plant the trees. | The trees will be planted by them. |
| She will teach the class. | The class will be taught by her. |
| We will book the tickets. | The tickets will be booked by us. |
| The company will launch a new product. | A new product will be launched by the company. |
| They will deliver the package. | The package will be delivered by them. |
| He will clean the house. | The house will be cleaned by him. |
| We will finish the project. | The project will be finished by us. |
| She will bake a cake. | A cake will be baked by her. |
| The team will win the match. | The match will be won by the team. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Future Continuous Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + will/shall + be + Verb (-ing form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + will/shall + be + being + Past participle (verb’s third form)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| They will be painting the house. | The house will be being painted by them. |
| She will be singing a song. | A song will be being sung by her. |
| He will be delivering the package. | The package will be being delivered by him. |
| We will be cooking dinner. | Dinner will be being cooked by us. |
| They will be building a new bridge. | A new bridge will be being built by them. |
| She will be writing a novel. | A novel will be being written by her. |
| He will be designing a website. | A website will be being designed by him. |
| We will be planting trees. | Trees will be being planted by us. |
| They will be preparing for the exam. | The exam will be being prepared for by them. |
| She will be knitting a sweater. | A sweater will be being knitted by her. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Future Perfect Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + will/shall + have + Past participle (verb’s third form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + will/shall + have + been + Past participle (verb’s third form)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| They will have completed the project. | The project will have been completed by them. |
| She will have finished her homework. | Her homework will have been finished. |
| He will have written the report. | The report will have been written by him. |
| We will have achieved our goals. | Our goals will have been achieved. |
| The team will have won the championship. | The championship will have been won by the team. |
| They will have sold their house. | Their house will have been sold. |
| She will have earned her degree. | Her degree will have been earned. |
| He will have published his book. | His book will have been published. |
| We will have visited all the continents. | All the continents will have been visited by us. |
| The company will have launched its new product. | The new product will have been launched by the company. |
Active And Passive Voice Examples in Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Active Voice Structure: Subject + will/shall + have + been + Verb (-ing form) + Object
Passive Voice Structure: Subject + will/shall + have + been + being + Past participle (verb’s third form) + by + Agent (optional)
Active Voice and Passive Voice Examples with Answers:
| Active Voice: | Passive Voice |
| She will have been studying for six hours. | Studying will have been done for six hours by her. |
| They will have been working on the project all day. | The project will have been worked on all day by them. |
| He will have been waiting for you since morning. | You will have been waited for since morning by him. |
| We will have been traveling for two weeks. | Traveling will have been done for two weeks by us. |
| The children will have been playing in the park for hours. | The park will have been played in for hours by the children. |
| I will have been practicing the piano for months. | The piano will have been practiced for months by me. |
| They will have been discussing the issue for a long time. | The issue will have been discussed for a long time by them. |
| She will have been cooking dinner since afternoon. | Dinner will have been cooked since afternoon by her. |
| We will have been waiting for the bus for an hour. | The bus will have been waited for an hour by us. |
| He will have been fixing the car engine all day. | The car engine will have been fixed all day by him. |
Download Active and Passive Voice Examples With Answers PDF
Related:
- Passive Voice Rules
- 100 Examples of Active and Passive Voice
- 20 Examples of Active and Passive Voice
- Exercises of Active and Passive Voice
Note: The active voice is more common and more concise than the passive voice. The passive voice can be useful for emphasizing the receiver of an action or for hiding the actor. This article has given examples of both voices with answers.
