Active and Passive Voice - Definition and Characteristics

Active and Passive Voice  - The Forms of Sentences

Active Voice and Passive Voice are forms of sentences. We can write these for the same meaning. 

Voice is a form of verb showing whether the subject acts or has acted to it. That is, sentences are in either active or passive voice. 

Here, we shall see the forms of sentences in the manner of-

• characteristics
• pattern
• example with explanation

 Active Voice

In an active form, the subject acts.

Definition 

We can define this as;

An active voice is a sentence in which a verb shows that subject does an action. 

Characteristics of active voice

We shall see the characteristics of this form.

In an active voice-

• The subject of a sentence in an active form is at the starting of the sentence.
• The subject is followed by the form of ‘to be’, verb, and object.
• We can say that verb is in the Active Voice.
• An active voice tells clearly about the actor who has done it.

Pattern of sentence

The pattern of a sentence in this voice is-

• Subject+ Verb+ Object

Example with explanation

Here is an example with explanation -

• My son has built a website.

In the above sentence, we have a subject (my son), a verb (has built), and the object of the verb (website).

Passive voice

In passive voice, the action is done by someone.

Definition 

We define this form as;

Passive voice is the sentence in which the form of a verb shows that an action is done to the subject.

Characteristics of passive voice

The Characteristics of this form are-

• When we change the sentence from active to passive voice, the object becomes the subject.
• We can use sentences with only transitive verbs in the passive voice. That is, we can change the sentences having objects into this voice.
• This form may or may not tell clearly about the actor who has done it.
• We should add 'by' in a sentence to make clear the action, who has done it.

Pattern of sentence 

The pattern of a sentence in this voice is as -

• Subject+ form of ‘to be + past participle of verb+ by + object

Example with explanation

• The website has been built.

Or

• The website has been built by my son.

In the above sentence, we have-

• the direct object of the verb (a website)
• the verb is in passive form (has been built)
• The subject is missing, but we can add ‘by’ and make the subject clear.

We can have a passive and active form of following tenses with examples of three persons to understand easily.

Go over-

• Active and Passive Voice
• Present Simple Tense 
• Past Simple Tense 
• Future Simple Tense 
• Present Continuous Tense
• Past Continuous Tense 
• Present Perfect Tense 
• Past Perfect Tense  
• Future Perfect Tense  

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