Basic Rule of Active and Passive Voice

1. Basic Rule of Active and Passive Voice

Active Voice Structure

Subject + Verb + Object

 

Passive Voice Structure

Object + Helping Verb (be) + Verb (V3) + by + Subject

 

Example structure:

S + V + O

↓

O + be + V3 + by + S

 

2. Present Tense Active Passive Structure

Simple Present

Active

S + V1/V5 + O

Passive

O + am/is/are + V3 + by + S

 

Present Continuous

Active

S + am/is/are + V-ing + O

Passive

O + am/is/are + being + V3 + by + S

 

Present Perfect

Active

S + has/have + V3 + O

Passive

O + has/have + been + V3 + by + S

 

3. Past Tense Active Passive Structure

 

Simple Past

Active

S + V2 + O

Passive

O + was/were + V3 + by + S

 

Past Continuous

Active

S + was/were + V-ing + O

Passive

O + was/were + being + V3 + by + S

 

Past Perfect

Active

S + had + V3 + O

Passive

O + had been + V3 + by + S

 

4. Future Tense Active Passive Structure

 

Simple Future

Active

S + will/shall + V1 + O

Passive

O + will/shall + be + V3 + by + S

 

Future Perfect

Active

S + will have + V3 + O

Passive

O + will have been + V3 + by + S

 

5. Modal Verb Sentences

Active

S + modal + V1 + O

Passive

O + modal + be + V3 + by + S

 

Modal verbs include

can

could

may

might

must

should

would

ought to

 

6. Imperative Sentence

Active

Verb + Object

Passive

Let + Object + be + V3

or

You are requested/ordered/advised to + V1

 

7. Interrogative Sentence

Active

Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Object?

Passive

Helping Verb + Object + V3 + by + Subject?

 

8. Negative Sentence

Active

S + do/does/did + not + V1 + O

Passive

O + am/is/are/was/were + not + V3 + by + S

 

9. Double Object Sentence

Active

S + V + IO + DO

Passive Option 1

IO + be + V3 + DO

Passive Option 2

DO + be + V3 + to/for + IO

 

10. General Formula Shortcut

Active = S + V + O

Passive = O + be + V3 + by + S