Active & Passive Voice

In the active voice, the subject is the "doer" of the action. The sentence follows a direct path: Subject → Verb → Object. This structure is the default in English. It is clear, energetic, and leaves no confusion about who is doing what. Most style guides recommend using the active voice as the default choice for all types of writing because it reduces wordiness and increases readability.

20 Original Example Sentences (Active Voice)

1. The chef cooked a delicious meal.
2. Our team finished the project early.
3. She reads a new book every week.
4. The company launched a new product.
5. Magnets attract iron.
6. I will email you the details.
7. The teacher praised the student.
8. Dogs chase cats.
9. He fixed the broken sink.
10. The rain ruined our picnic.
11. They are building a new hospital.
12. The committee has decided the date.
13. My friend bought a new car.
14. The storm destroyed several houses.
15. We watch a movie every Friday.
16. The dog buried the bone.
17. She wrote a beautiful poem.
18. The police caught the thief.
19. I understand your concern.
20. The singer performed beautifully.

In the passive voice, the subject is no longer the doer; it is the receiver of the action. The focus shifts from "who did it" to "what was done." The formula requires a form of the verb "to be" plus the past participle (V3) of the main verb. The original doer is often moved to the end of the sentence in a prepositional phrase starting with "by," or omitted entirely if the doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.

20 Original Example Sentences (Passive Voice)

1. A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
2. The project was finished early.
3. A new book is read by her every week.
4. A new product was launched.
5. Iron is attracted by magnets.
6. You will be emailed the details.
7. The student was praised.
8. Cats are chased by dogs.
9. The broken sink was fixed.
10. Our picnic was ruined by the rain.
11. A new hospital is being built.
12. The date has been decided.
13. A new car was bought.
14. Several houses were destroyed.
15. A movie is watched every Friday.
16. The bone was buried by the dog.
17. A beautiful poem was written.
18. The thief was caught.
19. Your concern is understood.
20. The song was performed beautifully.

The 4-Step Formula

1. Move the Object to the Subject position: The receiver of the action becomes the new focus of the sentence.
2. Change the Verb to Passive Form: Use the appropriate form of the verb "to be" + the Past Participle (V3) of the main verb. The tense must remain the same!
3. Move the Original Subject to the end: Place it after the preposition "by". (Note: This step is optional. If the doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant, omit the "by" phrase entirely).
4. Check Pronouns: If you use the "by" phrase, change subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) to object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them).

40 Active to Passive Conversion Examples

1. A: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. -> P: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
2. A: The mechanic fixed my car. -> P: My car was fixed by the mechanic.
3. A: They clean the offices every night. -> P: The offices are cleaned every night.
4. A: We will deliver the package tomorrow. -> P: The package will be delivered tomorrow.
5. A: She is painting a portrait. -> P: A portrait is being painted by her.
6. A: The committee has approved the budget. -> P: The budget has been approved by the committee.
7. A: You must wear a helmet. -> P: A helmet must be worn.
8. A: The storm damaged the roof. -> P: The roof was damaged by the storm.
9. A: They are building a new school. -> P: A new school is being built.
10. A: The chef prepares the food fresh. -> P: The food is prepared fresh by the chef.
11. A: I sent the email yesterday. -> P: The email was sent yesterday.
12. A: She teaches English. -> P: English is taught by her.
13. A: They have completed the assignment. -> P: The assignment has been completed.
14. A: We will announce the winner soon. -> P: The winner will be announced soon.
15. A: He fixed the computer. -> P: The computer was fixed by him.
16. A: The company sponsors the event. -> P: The event is sponsored by the company.
17. A: Someone stole my wallet! -> P: My wallet was stolen!
18. A: The dog bit the mailman. -> P: The mailman was bitten by the dog.
19. A: They make these cars in Japan. -> P: These cars are made in Japan.
20. A: The teacher gave us a quiz. -> P: We were given a quiz by the teacher. (Or: A quiz was given to us by the teacher.)
21. A: The artist painted a mural. -> P: A mural was painted by the artist.
22. A: The programmer fixed the bug. -> P: The bug was fixed by the programmer.
23. A: The winds destroyed the crops. -> P: The crops were destroyed by the winds.
24. A: The city council passed the law. -> P: The law was passed by the city council.
25. A: A famous architect designed the building. -> P: The building was designed by a famous architect.
26. A: The company manufactures these chips. -> P: These chips are manufactured by the company.
27. A: The cleaner washes the floors daily. -> P: The floors are washed daily by the cleaner.
28. A: The technician repaired the server. -> P: The server was repaired by the technician.
29. A: The school canceled the meeting. -> P: The meeting was canceled by the school.
30. A: The vet examined the sick puppy. -> P: The sick puppy was examined by the vet.
31. A: The barista made a latte. -> P: A latte was made by the barista.
32. A: The librarian organized the books. -> P: The books were organized by the librarian.
33. A: The coach disciplined the team. -> P: The team was disciplined by the coach.
34. A: The government built the bridge. -> P: The bridge was built by the government.
35. A: The editor corrected the typos. -> P: The typos were corrected by the editor.
36. A: The auditor reviewed the accounts. -> P: The accounts were reviewed by the auditor.
37. A: The server holds the data. -> P: The data is held by the server.
38. A: The chef bakes the bread fresh. -> P: The bread is baked fresh by the chef.
39. A: The flight attendant served dinner. -> P: Dinner was served by the flight attendant.
40. A: The director filmed the scene. -> P: The scene was filmed by the director.

40 Passive to Active Conversion Examples

1. P: The Mona Lisa was painted by Da Vinci. -> A: Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa.
2. P: The report was written by Sarah. -> A: Sarah wrote the report.
3. P: The windows are washed every week. -> A: They wash the windows every week.
4. P: The game was won by the home team. -> A: The home team won the game.
5. P: The law was passed by the government. -> A: The government passed the law.
6. P: The patient was examined by the doctor. -> A: The doctor examined the patient.
7. P: The house was built in 1990. -> A: They built the house in 1990.
8. P: The email was sent by the manager. -> A: The manager sent the email.
9. P: The bridge was destroyed by the flood. -> A: The flood destroyed the bridge.
10. P: The tickets were booked online. -> A: We booked the tickets online.
11. P: The car is being repaired by the mechanic. -> A: The mechanic is repairing the car.
12. P: The movie was directed by Spielberg. -> A: Spielberg directed the movie.
13. P: The criminal was caught by the police. -> A: The police caught the criminal.
14. P: The award was received by the student. -> A: The student received the award.
15. P: The product was recalled by the manufacturer. -> A: The manufacturer recalled the product.
16. P: The song was sung beautifully. -> A: She sang the song beautifully.
17. P: The fire was extinguished by the firefighters. -> A: The firefighters extinguished the fire.
18. P: The document was signed by the CEO. -> A: The CEO signed the document.
19. P: The garden was watered yesterday. -> A: I watered the garden yesterday.
20. P: The invention was patented by the engineer. -> A: The engineer patented the invention.
21. P: The code was written by the developer. -> A: The developer wrote the code.
22. P: The cake was baked by my mother. -> A: My mother baked the cake.
23. P: The race was won by the underdog. -> A: The underdog won the race.
24. P: The proposal was rejected by the board. -> A: The board rejected the proposal.
25. P: The computer was fixed by the IT guy. -> A: The IT guy fixed the computer.
26. P: The room was cleaned by the maid. -> A: The maid cleaned the room.
27. P: The goal was scored by the rookie. -> A: The rookie scored the goal.
28. P: The book was translated by a professor. -> A: A professor translated the book.
29. P: The surgery was performed by a specialist. -> A: A specialist performed the surgery.
30. P: The money was stolen by an employee. -> A: An employee stole the money.
31. P: The field was plowed by the farmer. -> A: The farmer plowed the field.
32. P: The song was composed by Mozart. -> A: Mozart composed the song.
33. P: The portrait was drawn by the artist. -> A: The artist drew the portrait.
34. P: The disease was cured by the new drug. -> A: The new drug cured the disease.
35. P: The clues were analyzed by the detective. -> A: The detective analyzed the clues.
36. P: The treasure was discovered by sailors. -> A: Sailors discovered the treasure.
37. P: The stadium was filled by fans. -> A: Fans filled the stadium.
38. P: The lecture was delivered by the professor. -> A: The professor delivered the lecture.
39. P: The spaceship was launched by NASA. -> A: NASA launched the spaceship.
40. P: The contract was drafted by the lawyer. -> A: The lawyer drafted the contract.

• 1. Default to Active: In 90% of your writing (emails, essays, stories), use the active voice. It uses fewer words and keeps the reader engaged.
• 2. Use Passive for Variety: If you have written three active sentences in a row, using a passive sentence can change the rhythm and keep the writing from sounding robotic.
• 3. Check Your "To Be" Verbs: If you see many "is," "was," or "were" verbs in your essay, you might be overusing the passive voice. Circle them and see if you can rewrite the sentence actively.
• 4. Never use Passive in a Resume: "Responsibilities included..." is passive. Instead, use action verbs: "Managed a team of 10," "Increased sales by 20%."
• 5. In Scientific Reports, Be Consistent: If your professor asks for the passive voice in the Methods section, stick to it. Mixing active and passive in a lab report can be jarring.