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Voice Change

Chapter Significance: Voice is an important topic for competitive examinations. This topic is common in almost all examinations conducted by  SSC. In WBCS also students can often see questions coming from this topic. However, if you are preparing for any government examination, you need to learn this chapter. This chapter will also improve the speaking ability.

For better understanding, students are requested to go through the following chapters-

Verbs, Clauses, Tenses

Introduction:

Voice helps us understand the doer. Voice is of two types-

#  Active – Here the subject is the doer.

#  Passive – Here the subject is not the doer, the object introduces the sentence.

Example- 

I did it. (active- Subject is ‘I’)

It was done by me. (passive- ‘It’ is the object which introduces the sentence)

Note- Voice change is not possible for intransitive verbs since they do not have any objects.

Change of Voice- from Active to Passive

1. The subject becomes the object while the object becomes the subject in a passive voice.

2. The main verb takes the third or participle form (V3) in the passive voice.

3. ‘be’ is used before the V3 verb.

4. Usually ‘by’ is put before the subject (i.e. the subject of the active voice) when the voice is changed into the passive voice.

5. The pronouns are changed as under in passive voice-

6. Change of tenses –

Note-  Perfect Continuous Tense has no passive voice.

1. Unspecified doer- In this case, in active voice, ‘somebody’ is used. But in passive voice, “by somebody” is not required to be used.

Example- 

Somebody took my book. (active)

The book was taken. (passive)

Somebody has dropped the box. (active)

The box has been dropped. (passive)

But if the sentence begins with negative pronouns like ‘no one’/ nobody, the passive voice must be negative.

Example- 

Nobody saw him. (active)

He was not seen.

2. Two objects in the active voice- In this case, the passive voice can focus on any either of the objects.

Example- 

She gave me a bottle. (active)

A bottle was given to me by her

or,

I was given a bottle by her

3. Wh-questions- 

Examples –

What is used as a subject here.

What are you doing? (active)                                                         

What is being done by you? (passive)   

Whom did you call? (active)

Who was called by you? (passive)   

What disturbs you? (active)

By what are you disturbed? (passive)

4. Non-use of ‘by’ – Sometimes ‘by’ is not used in passive voice. ‘to’, ‘with’, ‘at’, etc. are used in that case.

Example-

 I know the song. (active)

The song was known to me. (passive)

Kindness filled her life. (active)

Her life was filled with kindness. (passive)

5. Order or command- In case of conversion of order or command, the following structures are followed-

Without any object- You are ordered/commanded/asked to + (remaining sentence)

Open the door. (active)

You are ordered/commanded/asked to open the door. (passive)

With an object-

Let+ object+ be+ V3

Sign the papers. (active)

Let the papers be signed. (passive)

6. Request, Permission, Advice- 

Without any object- You are requested/allowed/permitted/advised to + (remaining sentence)

Please call Meera. (active)

You are requested to call Meera. (passive)

With an object-

Object+ should+ be+ V3

Respect your teachers. (active)

Your teachers should be respected. (passive)

7. Direct infinitives and certain verbs- When the following verbs are used with direct infinitives i.e. without ‘to’ in the active sentences, 

Example- 

He made me cook paneer. (active)

I was made to cook paneer by him. (passive)

 She helped me pass the examination. (active)

I was helped to pass the examination by her. (passive)

8. Sentence starting with ‘Let’-

Without any object- The sentence in passive voice begins as under:

It is suggested that+ subject+ should + remaining sentence

Let’s go today. (active)

It is suggested that we should go. (passive)

With an object- Note the change.

Let me help you. (active- it is a suggestion)

You should be helped. (passive)

Let me go there. (active- it is a permission)

I may be allowed to go there. (passive)

9. Quasi passive cases- Here verbs are in active form but in passive sense. Note the change.

Chili tastes spicy. (active)

Chili tastes spicy when tasted. (passive)

10. Wishes - Note the change.

May God keep you happy. (active)

May you be kept happy by God. (passive)

Exercise: Change the voice

1. My daughter read the entire novel in one day.               SSC CGL Tier I -2017

(a) The entire novel is read by my daughter in one day.

(b) In one day my daughter read the entire novel.

(c) The entire novel was read by my daughter in one day.    (Rule 6)

(d) In one day my daughter has read the entire novel.

2. Honey tastes sweet.

(a) Honey is tasted sweet.

(b) Sweet is tasted honey.

(c) Honey tastes sweet when tasted. (Rule 15)

(d) Honey tasted sweet by me.

3. Please guide me.                       SSC CGL Tier I -2017

(a) You are requested to guide me.   (Rule 12)

(b) You have been requested to guide me.

(c) You were requested to guide me.

(d) You are being requested to guide me.

4. Let’s watch a movie.

(a) Let a movie be watched.

(b) Let us be watched a movie.

(c) It is advised that we should watch a movie.

(d) It is suggested that we should watch a movie.    (Rule 14)

5. My father is going to build a six bedroom bungalow.           SSC CHSL 2017

(a) A six bedroom bungalow was going to be built by my father.

(b) My father will have built a bungalow which will have six bedrooms.

(c) A bungalow of six bedroom will have been built by my father.

(d) A six bedroom bungalow is going to be built by my father.   (Rule 1 - 6)

6. The painting had not been painted by the famous painter.      SSC CHSL 2017

(a) The painting had never been painted by the painter who was famous.

(b) The painter who was famous not had painted the painting.

(c) The famous painter had not painted the painting.    (Rule 1 - 6)

(d) The famous painter could not have painted the painting.

7. Do not speak loudly.

(a) You are ordered not to speak loudly.  (Rule 11)

(b) You are requested not to speak loudly.

(c) You should not speak loudly.

(d) You are commanded that you should not speak loudly.

8. Have you seen the movie?

(a) Have the movie been seen by you?

(b) Has the movie been seen by you?  (Rule 1 - 6)

(c) Have been the movie seen by you?

(d) Has been the movie seen by you?

9. What are you watching now?

(a) What is watched by you now?

(b) What are being watched now?

(c) What is being watched by you now?    (Rule 9)

(d) What was being watched by you now?

10. The tutor always answers the students’ questions.       SSC CGL Tier I- 2017

(a) The students’ questions is always answered by the tutor.

(b) Questions answered by the tutor are by the students.

(c) The students’ questions are always answered by the tutor.   (Rule 1 - 6)

(d) Questions answered by the tutor is by the students.