Page 100 - English Grammar - 7

1 11515 Active and Passive Voiceassive Voice
Active and P

Pr
Practise What You Know!actise What You Know!

Read the given sentences. Write A if they are in the active voice, or P if they are in
passive voice.
1. My friend Deepak lives in Agra. ___________________________
2. My father teaches English to Class XII students. ___________________________

3. The student was punished by the teacher. ___________________________
4. I have finished the test. ___________________________

5. Mother cooks meal every day. ___________________________
6. My school bus driver is on leave today. ___________________________
7. The letter has been delivered by the postman. ___________________________
8. Many highways have been interlinked nowadays. ______________________

9. He came to meet me on Sunday. ___________________________
10. The door was hit. ___________________________

Let’s Learn Active Voice and Passive Voice

A sentence where the subject performs the action is said to be in the active voice. For example:

The teacher teaches the students.
O
Here, the sentence shows the active voice in which the subject, the teacher is doing the
action indicated by the verb teaches.

A sentence where the subject does not act directly but is acted upon by the verb is called a
sentence of passive voice. For example:

The students are taught by the teacher.
O
It should be noticed in this example that the subject of the previous sentence has taken the
place of the object, and, similarly, the object of the previous sentence has occupied the place
of the subject. This is a reversal or interchange of roles between the subject and object of
the two sentences. It can be seen that the core sense and meaning of the sentences remain
the same in both the examples. Remarkably, the role and form of the verb has changed. In
the second sentence, the verb phrase, is taught does not indicate direct action of the subject,
the student, rather shows that the subject has been acted upon. In the second example,
the subject of the sentence approaches or connects with the verb somewhat indirectly or
passively. Hence, it is called a case of passive voice.
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