Change the Voice – 50 Practice Questions with Answers | English Grammar
Change the Voice – Active Voice and Passive Voice
Complete English Grammar Guide for Std. 9 & 10 | Maharashtra Board
1. What is Voice?
Voice is a form of a verb that shows whether the subject performs an action or receives an action.
There are two types of Voice:
- Active Voice
- Passive Voice
2. Active Voice
In Active Voice, the subject performs the action.
Riya writes a letter.
Here, Riya performs the action of writing. Therefore, the sentence is in Active Voice.
3. Passive Voice
In Passive Voice, the subject receives the action.
A letter is written by Riya.
Here, a letter receives the action.
4. Basic Structure of Voice
Active Voice:
Subject + Verb + Object
Passive Voice:
Object + Helping Verb + V³ + by + Subject
Example:
Active: She writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by her.
5. Important Rule – V³ in Passive Voice
The main verb in Passive Voice is always used in its third form (V³ / Past Participle).
| V¹ | V² | V³ |
|---|---|---|
| write | wrote | written |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| do | did | done |
| take | took | taken |
6. Change the Voice in All 12 Tenses
1. Simple Present Tense
Active: Subject + V¹/V⁵ + Object
Passive: Object + is/am/are + V³ + by + Subject
Example:
Active: She writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by her.
Active: They clean the room.
Passive: The room is cleaned by them.
2. Present Continuous Tense
Active: Subject + is/am/are + V⁴ + Object
Passive: Object + is/am/are + being + V³ + by + Subject
Active: She is writing a letter.
Passive: A letter is being written by her.
Active: They are painting the wall.
Passive: The wall is being painted by them.
3. Present Perfect Tense
Active: Subject + has/have + V³ + Object
Passive: Object + has/have + been + V³ + by + Subject
Active: She has written a letter.
Passive: A letter has been written by her.
Active: They have completed the work.
Passive: The work has been completed by them.
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The passive form is grammatically possible but very uncommon and awkward in ordinary English.
Active: She has been writing a letter for two hours.
Theoretical Passive: A letter has been being written by her for two hours.
5. Simple Past Tense
Active: Subject + V² + Object
Passive: Object + was/were + V³ + by + Subject
Active: She wrote a letter.
Passive: A letter was written by her.
Active: They cleaned the room.
Passive: The room was cleaned by them.
6. Past Continuous Tense
Active: Subject + was/were + V⁴ + Object
Passive: Object + was/were + being + V³ + by + Subject
Active: She was writing a letter.
Passive: A letter was being written by her.
Active: They were painting the wall.
Passive: The wall was being painted by them.
7. Past Perfect Tense
Active: Subject + had + V³ + Object
Passive: Object + had + been + V³ + by + Subject
Active: She had completed the work.
Passive: The work had been completed by her.
8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
This passive construction is very uncommon and is normally avoided in school-level exercises.
Active: She had been writing a letter.
Theoretical Passive: A letter had been being written by her.
9. Simple Future Tense
Active: Subject + will/shall + V¹ + Object
Passive: Object + will/shall + be + V³ + by + Subject
Active: She will write a letter.
Passive: A letter will be written by her.
Active: They will complete the work.
Passive: The work will be completed by them.
10. Future Continuous Tense
The passive form is possible but very uncommon and is generally avoided in school-level grammar.
Active: She will be writing a letter.
Theoretical Passive: A letter will be being written by her.
11. Future Perfect Tense
Active: Subject + will have + V³ + Object
Passive: Object + will have + been + V³ + by + Subject
Active: She will have completed the work.
Passive: The work will have been completed by her.
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
The passive construction is extremely uncommon and is normally avoided in standard English.
Active: She will have been writing a letter.
Theoretical Passive: A letter will have been being written by her.
7. Imperative Sentences
An Imperative Sentence expresses an order, command, request, advice, instruction or prohibition.
Basic Rule
Let + Object + be + V³
Examples:
Active: Open the door.
Passive: Let the door be opened.
Active: Clean the room.
Passive: Let the room be cleaned.
Active: Write a letter.
Passive: Let a letter be written.
Negative Imperative
Active: Do not open the door.
Passive: Let the door not be opened.
Request
Active: Please help me.
Passive: You are requested to help me.
Active: Kindly open the window.
Passive: You are requested to open the window.
Advice
Active: Obey the traffic rules.
Passive: You are advised to obey the traffic rules.
Prohibition
Active: Do not enter the room.
Passive: You are forbidden to enter the room.
8. Interrogative Sentences
An Interrogative Sentence asks a question. In Passive Voice, the sentence must remain a question.
Simple Present – Do / Does
Active: Does she write a letter?
Passive: Is a letter written by her?
Active: Do they clean the room?
Passive: Is the room cleaned by them?
Simple Past – Did
Active: Did she write a letter?
Passive: Was a letter written by her?
Active: Did they clean the room?
Passive: Was the room cleaned by them?
Present Continuous
Active: Is she writing a letter?
Passive: Is a letter being written by her?
Present Perfect
Active: Has she written a letter?
Passive: Has a letter been written by her?
Past Perfect
Active: Had she completed the work?
Passive: Had the work been completed by her?
Simple Future
Active: Will she write a letter?
Passive: Will a letter be written by her?
9. Wh-Questions
Wh-words include: What, Why, When, Where, How, Which, Who and Whom.
What
Active: What did she write?
Passive: What was written by her?
Why
Active: Why did she write the letter?
Passive: Why was the letter written by her?
When
Active: When did they build the house?
Passive: When was the house built by them?
How
Active: How did he solve the problem?
Passive: How was the problem solved by him?
Which
Active: Which book did she read?
Passive: Which book was read by her?
10. Questions Beginning with “Who”
When Who is the subject of an Active Voice sentence, it generally becomes By whom in Passive Voice.
Active: Who wrote this letter?
Passive: By whom was this letter written?
Active: Who broke the window?
Passive: By whom was the window broken?
Questions with “Whom”
Active: Whom did you invite?
Passive: Who was invited by you?
Active: Whom did she help?
Passive: Who was helped by her?
11. Modal Auxiliaries
Modal auxiliaries include: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must and ought to.
Basic Rule
Modal + V¹ → Modal + be + V³
Can
Active: She can solve the problem.
Passive: The problem can be solved by her.
Active: Can she solve the problem?
Passive: Can the problem be solved by her?
Could
Active: He could solve the problem.
Passive: The problem could be solved by him.
Active: Could he solve the problem?
Passive: Could the problem be solved by him?
May
Active: They may cancel the match.
Passive: The match may be cancelled by them.
Might
Active: They might postpone the meeting.
Passive: The meeting might be postponed by them.
Should
Active: We should obey the rules.
Passive: The rules should be obeyed by us.
Active: Should we obey the rules?
Passive: Should the rules be obeyed by us?
Must
Active: We must follow the rules.
Passive: The rules must be followed by us.
Active: Must we follow the rules?
Passive: Must the rules be followed by us?
Ought to
Active: We ought to respect our parents.
Passive: Our parents ought to be respected by us.
12. Negative Sentences with Modal Auxiliaries
Formula:
Object + Modal + not + be + V³ + by + Subject
Active: You cannot open the door.
Passive: The door cannot be opened by you.
Active: We should not waste water.
Passive: Water should not be wasted by us.
Active: You must not break the rules.
Passive: The rules must not be broken by you.
13. Modal + Perfect Infinitive
When a sentence contains Modal + have + V³, the Passive Voice is formed with:
Modal + have + been + V³
Active: She must have completed the work.
Passive: The work must have been completed by her.
Active: They may have finished the project.
Passive: The project may have been finished by them.
14. Pronoun Changes
| Subject | After “by” |
|---|---|
| I | me |
| We | us |
| You | you |
| He | him |
| She | her |
| It | it |
| They | them |
| Who | whom |
Example:
Active: She helps me.
Passive: I am helped by her.
15. Step-by-Step Method for Changing Voice
- Identify the Subject.
- Identify the Verb.
- Identify the Object.
- Identify the Tense.
- Bring the Object to the beginning.
- Choose the correct Helping Verb.
- Change the main verb into V³.
- Change the Subject into the correct form after by.
- Check the tense and meaning.
- For questions, keep the sentence in question form.
Example:
Active: Riya writes a letter.
Subject = Riya
Verb = writes
Object = a letter
Tense = Simple Present
Object comes first → A letter
Simple Present Passive → is + V³
Passive: A letter is written by Riya.
16. Quick Revision Chart
| Sentence Type | Passive Rule |
|---|---|
| Simple Present | is/am/are + V³ |
| Present Continuous | is/am/are + being + V³ |
| Present Perfect | has/have + been + V³ |
| Simple Past | was/were + V³ |
| Past Continuous | was/were + being + V³ |
| Past Perfect | had + been + V³ |
| Simple Future | will + be + V³ |
| Modal Auxiliary | modal + be + V³ |
| Imperative | Let + object + be + V³ |
| Question | Keep question structure + appropriate passive form |
17. Important Exam Tips
- Always identify the Object first.
- Find the Tense before changing the sentence.
- Use the correct Helping Verb.
- Always use V³ in Passive Voice.
- Do not change the original meaning.
- Change pronouns correctly.
- In interrogative sentences, keep the sentence as a question.
- With modal auxiliaries, use modal + be + V³.
- With imperative sentences, commonly use Let + object + be + V³.
- Sentences without a suitable object generally cannot be changed into a normal Passive Voice.
18. Golden Rules to Remember
OBJECT → SUBJECT
MAIN VERB → V³
SUBJECT → BY + OBJECTIVE FORM
<Change the Voice – 50 Practice Questions with Answers
English Grammar Practice for Std. 9 & 10 | Active Voice and Passive Voice
A. Change into Passive Voice
1. The teacher teaches English.
2. Riya writes a letter.
3. They clean the classroom every day.
4. My mother cooks delicious food.
5. The students are reading a book.
6. She is drawing a beautiful picture.
7. The boys are playing cricket.
8. He has completed his homework.
9. They have built a new house.
10. The teacher has checked the notebooks.
11. Rahul wrote a letter yesterday.
12. She cleaned the room.
13. The police caught the thief.
14. They planted many trees.
15. He was repairing the bicycle.
16. The workers were painting the building.
17. She had finished the work.
18. They had completed the project.
19. The teacher will explain the lesson.
20. They will organize a meeting tomorrow.
B. Modal Auxiliaries – Change into Passive Voice
21. You can solve this problem.
22. We should obey the rules.
23. Students must complete the assignment.
24. They may cancel the match.
25. She could answer the question.
26. You must follow the instructions.
27. We ought to respect our parents.
28. He might complete the work tomorrow.
C. Imperative Sentences – Change into Passive Voice
29. Open the door.
30. Clean the room.
31. Write a letter.
32. Help the poor.
33. Please give me some water.
34. Kindly close the window.
35. Do not waste water.
36. Do not make a noise.
D. Interrogative Sentences – Change into Passive Voice
37. Does she write a letter?
38. Did he complete the work?
39. Is she reading a book?
40. Has he finished the homework?
41. Will they organize the programme?
42. Can you solve this problem?
43. Should we follow the rules?
44. Why did she write the letter?
45. What did he buy?
46. Who wrote this poem?
E. Change into Active Voice
47. The room is cleaned by the students.
48. A letter was written by Riya.
49. The work has been completed by him.
50. The rules must be followed by everyone.
Answers – 1 to 50
A. Answers – 1 to 20
1. English is taught by the teacher.
2. A letter is written by Riya.
3. The classroom is cleaned by them every day.
4. Delicious food is cooked by my mother.
5. A book is being read by the students.
6. A beautiful picture is being drawn by her.
7. Cricket is being played by the boys.
8. His homework has been completed by him.
9. A new house has been built by them.
10. The notebooks have been checked by the teacher.
11. A letter was written by Rahul yesterday.
12. The room was cleaned by her.
13. The thief was caught by the police.
14. Many trees were planted by them.
15. The bicycle was being repaired by him.
16. The building was being painted by the workers.
17. The work had been finished by her.
18. The project had been completed by them.
19. The lesson will be explained by the teacher.
20. A meeting will be organized by them tomorrow.
B. Answers – 21 to 28
21. This problem can be solved by you.
22. The rules should be obeyed by us.
23. The assignment must be completed by the students.
24. The match may be cancelled by them.
25. The question could be answered by her.
26. The instructions must be followed by you.
27. Our parents ought to be respected by us.
28. The work might be completed by him tomorrow.
C. Answers – 29 to 36
29. Let the door be opened.
30. Let the room be cleaned.
31. Let a letter be written.
32. Let the poor be helped.
33. You are requested to give me some water.
34. You are requested to close the window.
35. Let water not be wasted.
36. Let a noise not be made.
D. Answers – 37 to 46
37. Is a letter written by her?
38. Was the work completed by him?
39. Is a book being read by her?
40. Has the homework been finished by him?
41. Will the programme be organized by them?
42. Can this problem be solved by you?
43. Should the rules be followed by us?
44. Why was the letter written by her?
45. What was bought by him?
46. By whom was this poem written?
E. Answers – 47 to 50
47. The students clean the room.
48. Riya wrote a letter.
49. He has completed the work.
50. Everyone must follow the rules.
Quick Revision Rules
1. Simple Present
is / am / are + V³
Example: A letter is written by her.
2. Present Continuous
is / am / are + being + V³
Example: A letter is being written by her.
3. Present Perfect
has / have + been + V³
Example: A letter has been written by her.
4. Simple Past
was / were + V³
Example: A letter was written by her.
5. Past Continuous
was / were + being + V³
Example: A letter was being written by her.
6. Past Perfect
had + been + V³
Example: A letter had been written by her.
7. Simple Future
will + be + V³
Example: A letter will be written by her.
8. Modal Auxiliary
Modal + be + V³
Example: The work must be completed by him.
9. Imperative Sentence
Let + Object + be + V³
Example: Open the door.
→ Let the door be opened.
10. Interrogative Sentence
Keep the sentence in question form and use the appropriate passive structure.
Example: Did she write a letter?
→ Was a letter written by her?
⭐ Golden Rule
Active: Subject + Verb + Object
⬇️
Passive: Object + Helping Verb + V³ + by + Subject
Remember:
- Object → Subject
- Main Verb → V³
- Subject → by + objective form
- Tense → remains the same
Change the Voice – 50 Practice Questions with Answers | English Grammar for Std. 9 & 10
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