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๐ Content updated on 21 April 2026
๐ Active & Passive Voice with Tenses – Quick Summary:
In active voice, the subject does the action (e.g., "The cat chased the mouse"). In passive voice, the subject receives the action (e.g., "The mouse was chased by the cat"). Passive is formed with 'be' + past participle.
๐ง๐ซ Instructions for Teachers & Students: Read each active sentence and choose the correct passive form, or identify the voice used. Click “Show Answer” for the correct transformation and a clear explanation.
๐ง๐ซ Instructions for Teachers & Students: Read each active sentence and choose the correct passive form, or identify the voice used. Click “Show Answer” for the correct transformation and a clear explanation.
In this worksheet:
(Click any topic to jump straight to that section)
Voice shows whether the subject performs or receives the action. For deeper verb study, see the
Verbs and Tenses hub.
Next, explore modals with the
Modals & Auxiliaries worksheet.
✅ Solved Examples (20 Questions with Answers)
Study how active sentences transform into passive across different tenses.
Solved Q.1
"The boy kicks the ball." (Active) → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The ball is kicked by the boy.
Explanation: Present simple passive: am/is/are + past participle. Object 'ball' becomes subject; 'by' introduces the original subject.
Example: She writes a letter. → A letter is written by her.
Explanation: Present simple passive: am/is/are + past participle. Object 'ball' becomes subject; 'by' introduces the original subject.
Example: She writes a letter. → A letter is written by her.
Solved Q.2
"They are painting the fence." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The fence is being painted by them.
Explanation: Present continuous passive: am/is/are + being + past participle. 'Being' shows ongoing action.
Example: She is reading a book. → A book is being read by her.
Explanation: Present continuous passive: am/is/are + being + past participle. 'Being' shows ongoing action.
Example: She is reading a book. → A book is being read by her.
Solved Q.3
"He has completed the project." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The project has been completed by him.
Explanation: Present perfect passive: has/have + been + past participle.
Example: They have eaten the cake. → The cake has been eaten.
Explanation: Present perfect passive: has/have + been + past participle.
Example: They have eaten the cake. → The cake has been eaten.
Solved Q.4
"The chef cooked a delicious meal." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
Explanation: Simple past passive: was/were + past participle.
Example: She wrote a poem. → A poem was written by her.
Explanation: Simple past passive: was/were + past participle.
Example: She wrote a poem. → A poem was written by her.
Solved Q.5
"They were watching a movie." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: A movie was being watched by them.
Explanation: Past continuous passive: was/were + being + past participle.
Example: She was cleaning the room. → The room was being cleaned.
Explanation: Past continuous passive: was/were + being + past participle.
Example: She was cleaning the room. → The room was being cleaned.
Solved Q.6
"She had finished the homework." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The homework had been finished by her.
Explanation: Past perfect passive: had + been + past participle.
Example: They had eaten dinner. → Dinner had been eaten.
Explanation: Past perfect passive: had + been + past participle.
Example: They had eaten dinner. → Dinner had been eaten.
Solved Q.7
"They will announce the results tomorrow." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The results will be announced tomorrow (by them).
Explanation: Simple future passive: will + be + past participle. 'By them' often omitted.
Example: She will send the email. → The email will be sent.
Explanation: Simple future passive: will + be + past participle. 'By them' often omitted.
Example: She will send the email. → The email will be sent.
Solved Q.8
"Someone has stolen my purse." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: My purse has been stolen.
Explanation: When the doer is unknown/unimportant, omit 'by someone'.
Example: Someone has broken the window. → The window has been broken.
Explanation: When the doer is unknown/unimportant, omit 'by someone'.
Example: Someone has broken the window. → The window has been broken.
Solved Q.9
"The police caught the thief." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The thief was caught by the police.
Explanation: Simple past passive structure.
Example: The dog chased the cat. → The cat was chased by the dog.
Explanation: Simple past passive structure.
Example: The dog chased the cat. → The cat was chased by the dog.
Solved Q.10
"They are going to build a new hospital." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: A new hospital is going to be built.
Explanation: 'Going to' future passive: am/is/are going to be + past participle.
Example: She is going to write a book. → A book is going to be written.
Explanation: 'Going to' future passive: am/is/are going to be + past participle.
Example: She is going to write a book. → A book is going to be written.
Solved Q.11
"The company will have launched the product by June." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The product will have been launched by June.
Explanation: Future perfect passive: will have been + past participle.
Example: They will have finished the work. → The work will have been finished.
Explanation: Future perfect passive: will have been + past participle.
Example: They will have finished the work. → The work will have been finished.
Solved Q.12
"She teaches English." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: English is taught by her.
Explanation: Simple present passive.
Example: He drives the car. → The car is driven by him.
Explanation: Simple present passive.
Example: He drives the car. → The car is driven by him.
Solved Q.13
"They were discussing the matter." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The matter was being discussed (by them).
Explanation: Past continuous passive.
Example: She was making tea. → Tea was being made.
Explanation: Past continuous passive.
Example: She was making tea. → Tea was being made.
Solved Q.14
"We have elected a new leader." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: A new leader has been elected (by us).
Explanation: Present perfect passive.
Example: They have built a bridge. → A bridge has been built.
Explanation: Present perfect passive.
Example: They have built a bridge. → A bridge has been built.
Solved Q.15
"The storm destroyed the crops." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The crops were destroyed by the storm.
Explanation: Simple past passive.
Example: The fire burned the forest. → The forest was burned by the fire.
Explanation: Simple past passive.
Example: The fire burned the forest. → The forest was burned by the fire.
Solved Q.16
"She will be cooking dinner at 8." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: Dinner will be being cooked at 8.
Explanation: Future continuous passive (rare): will be being + past participle. Often avoided by using active or rephrasing.
Example: They will be holding a meeting. → A meeting will be being held (awkward; better: A meeting will be in progress).
Explanation: Future continuous passive (rare): will be being + past participle. Often avoided by using active or rephrasing.
Example: They will be holding a meeting. → A meeting will be being held (awkward; better: A meeting will be in progress).
Solved Q.17
"Someone should clean this room." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: This room should be cleaned.
Explanation: Modal passive: modal + be + past participle.
Example: You must finish the work. → The work must be finished.
Explanation: Modal passive: modal + be + past participle.
Example: You must finish the work. → The work must be finished.
Solved Q.18
"The committee will have been reviewing the application." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The application will have been being reviewed.
Explanation: Future perfect continuous passive (extremely rare and awkward). Typically avoided.
Example: Active preferred: They will have been reviewing it.
Explanation: Future perfect continuous passive (extremely rare and awkward). Typically avoided.
Example: Active preferred: They will have been reviewing it.
Solved Q.19
"They say that he is a genius." → Passive with 'It is said...'
Show Answer
Answer: It is said that he is a genius. / He is said to be a genius.
Explanation: Impersonal passive constructions for reporting verbs.
Example: People believe she is rich. → She is believed to be rich.
Explanation: Impersonal passive constructions for reporting verbs.
Example: People believe she is rich. → She is believed to be rich.
Solved Q.20
"The teacher gave the students a test." → Passive (two objects).
Show Answer
Answer: The students were given a test by the teacher. / A test was given to the students by the teacher.
Explanation: Verbs with two objects can form passive in two ways. Indirect object (students) is more common as subject.
Example: She offered me a job. → I was offered a job.
Explanation: Verbs with two objects can form passive in two ways. Indirect object (students) is more common as subject.
Example: She offered me a job. → I was offered a job.
Hindi voice (เคตाเค्เคฏ) has similar transformations. Explore at the
Hindi Grammar Hub.
Next, dive into modals with the
Modals & Auxiliaries worksheet.
✏️ Practice Questions (20 Questions with Answers)
Convert these active sentences to passive, or choose the correct passive form.
Practice Q.1
"She waters the plants every day." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The plants are watered by her every day.
Example: He feeds the cat. → The cat is fed by him.
Example: He feeds the cat. → The cat is fed by him.
Practice Q.2
"The company is developing a new app." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: A new app is being developed by the company.
Example: She is writing a novel. → A novel is being written.
Example: She is writing a novel. → A novel is being written.
Practice Q.3
"They have cancelled the meeting." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The meeting has been cancelled.
Example: She has finished the task. → The task has been finished.
Example: She has finished the task. → The task has been finished.
Practice Q.4
"The boy broke the window." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The window was broken by the boy.
Example: She cooked dinner. → Dinner was cooked by her.
Example: She cooked dinner. → Dinner was cooked by her.
Practice Q.5
"They were repairing the road." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The road was being repaired (by them).
Example: She was cleaning the house. → The house was being cleaned.
Example: She was cleaning the house. → The house was being cleaned.
Practice Q.6
"She had sent the email before noon." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The email had been sent before noon (by her).
Example: They had eaten all the food. → All the food had been eaten.
Example: They had eaten all the food. → All the food had been eaten.
Practice Q.7
"The manager will sign the contract." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The contract will be signed by the manager.
Example: She will bring the cake. → The cake will be brought by her.
Example: She will bring the cake. → The cake will be brought by her.
Practice Q.8
"Someone has stolen my bicycle." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: My bicycle has been stolen.
Example: Someone has taken my pen. → My pen has been taken.
Example: Someone has taken my pen. → My pen has been taken.
Practice Q.9
"The artist painted a beautiful portrait." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: A beautiful portrait was painted by the artist.
Example: She wrote a story. → A story was written by her.
Example: She wrote a story. → A story was written by her.
Practice Q.10
"They will have completed the construction by next year." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The construction will have been completed by next year.
Example: She will have written the report. → The report will have been written.
Example: She will have written the report. → The report will have been written.
Practice Q.11
"You must wear a helmet." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: A helmet must be worn.
Example: You should read this book. → This book should be read.
Example: You should read this book. → This book should be read.
Practice Q.12
"They say that she speaks seven languages." → Passive (two ways).
Show Answer
Answer: It is said that she speaks seven languages. / She is said to speak seven languages.
Example: People think he is honest. → He is thought to be honest.
Example: People think he is honest. → He is thought to be honest.
Practice Q.13
"The noise frightened the baby." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The baby was frightened by the noise.
Example: The news surprised us. → We were surprised by the news.
Example: The news surprised us. → We were surprised by the news.
Practice Q.14
"She is going to organise the event." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The event is going to be organised by her.
Example: They are going to launch a new product. → A new product is going to be launched.
Example: They are going to launch a new product. → A new product is going to be launched.
Practice Q.15
"Someone should inform the police." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The police should be informed.
Example: They must pay the bill. → The bill must be paid.
Example: They must pay the bill. → The bill must be paid.
Practice Q.16
"The gardener is cutting the grass." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The grass is being cut by the gardener.
Example: She is ironing the clothes. → The clothes are being ironed.
Example: She is ironing the clothes. → The clothes are being ironed.
Practice Q.17
"They had closed the shop early." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: The shop had been closed early (by them).
Example: She had packed the bags. → The bags had been packed.
Example: She had packed the bags. → The bags had been packed.
Practice Q.18
"The teacher gave me a prize." → Passive (start with 'I').
Show Answer
Answer: I was given a prize by the teacher.
Example: They offered her the job. → She was offered the job.
Example: They offered her the job. → She was offered the job.
Practice Q.19
"We will be discussing the proposal." → Passive? (If possible, why awkward?)
Show Answer
Answer: The proposal will be being discussed. (Awkward; usually avoided.)
Example: Better to say: "The proposal will be under discussion."
Example: Better to say: "The proposal will be under discussion."
Practice Q.20
"People speak Portuguese in Brazil." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: Portuguese is spoken in Brazil.
Example: They grow rice in India. → Rice is grown in India.
Example: They grow rice in India. → Rice is grown in India.
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๐ Challenge Questions (10 Questions with Answers)
These require careful thought about voice and tense.
Challenge Q.1
"They believe that the thieves escaped through the window." → Passive (two ways).
Show Answer
Answer: It is believed that the thieves escaped through the window. / The thieves are believed to have escaped through the window.
Example: People say she is a millionaire. → She is said to be a millionaire.
Example: People say she is a millionaire. → She is said to be a millionaire.
Challenge Q.2
"The children were making a lot of noise." Change to passive and keep continuous sense.
Show Answer
Answer: A lot of noise was being made by the children.
Example: They were building a wall. → A wall was being built.
Example: They were building a wall. → A wall was being built.
Challenge Q.3
"She is said to be writing a novel." What is the active form?
Show Answer
Answer: People say (that) she is writing a novel.
Example: He is believed to be innocent. → People believe he is innocent.
Example: He is believed to be innocent. → People believe he is innocent.
Challenge Q.4
"They will have been discussing the matter for hours." Why is passive rarely used here?
Show Answer
Answer: Passive: "The matter will have been being discussed." Too many 'be' forms make it clumsy; active preferred.
Example: Avoid long passive continuous perfect forms.
Example: Avoid long passive continuous perfect forms.
Challenge Q.5
"Someone is following us." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: We are being followed.
Example: Someone is watching me. → I am being watched.
Example: Someone is watching me. → I am being watched.
Challenge Q.6
"The committee has decided to postpone the event." → Passive with 'It'.
Show Answer
Answer: It has been decided (by the committee) to postpone the event.
Example: They have agreed to help. → It has been agreed to help.
Example: They have agreed to help. → It has been agreed to help.
Challenge Q.7
"We do not allow smoking in this building." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: Smoking is not allowed in this building.
Example: They don't permit parking here. → Parking is not permitted here.
Example: They don't permit parking here. → Parking is not permitted here.
Challenge Q.8
"They made her sing a song." → Passive (start with 'She').
Show Answer
Answer: She was made to sing a song.
Explanation: After 'make' in passive, we use 'to' + infinitive.
Example: They made him wait. → He was made to wait.
Explanation: After 'make' in passive, we use 'to' + infinitive.
Example: They made him wait. → He was made to wait.
Challenge Q.9
"Nobody has ever climbed this mountain." → Passive?
Show Answer
Answer: This mountain has never been climbed.
Example: No one has solved the puzzle. → The puzzle has never been solved.
Example: No one has solved the puzzle. → The puzzle has never been solved.
Challenge Q.10
"They expect that the strike will end soon." → Passive (two ways).
Show Answer
Answer: It is expected that the strike will end soon. / The strike is expected to end soon.
Example: They expect prices to rise. → Prices are expected to rise.
Example: They expect prices to rise. → Prices are expected to rise.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Quick answers about active and passive voice.
FAQ 1
What is the difference between active and passive voice?
Show Answer
Answer: Active: subject performs action (The cat chased the mouse). Passive: subject receives action (The mouse was chased by the cat).
FAQ 2
When should we use passive voice?
Show Answer
Answer: When the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious; or to emphasise the action/receiver. E.g., "The window was broken." (we don't know who).
FAQ 3
How do we form passive voice in different tenses?
Show Answer
Answer: Use appropriate form of 'be' + past participle. Present: am/is/are + done. Past: was/were + done. Future: will be + done. Perfect: have/has/had been + done.
FAQ 4
Can intransitive verbs be made passive?
Show Answer
Answer: No. Only transitive verbs (verbs with an object) can be passive. E.g., "She sleeps" (intransitive) has no passive.
FAQ 5
What happens to 'by + agent' in passive?
Show Answer
Answer: 'By + doer' is included only if the doer is important or adds information. Often omitted: "The thief was arrested." (by police implied).
