Mastering Passive Voice for Competitive Exams: A Comprehensive Practice Module
Introduction:
The passive voice is an essential concept in English grammar, particularly for competitive exams, where sentence transformation, error spotting, and grammar-based questions frequently appear. The passive voice shifts the focus of a sentence from the doer (subject) to the receiver (object) of the action. Understanding how and when to use the passive voice is crucial for acing grammar-based questions.
This module is designed to provide you with an in-depth understanding of the passive voice through examples, rules, and various exercises that will help sharpen your skills in sentence transformation and error correction. Whether you are preparing for school exams, competitive tests, or entrance exams, this module offers valuable practice to enhance your grasp of passive voice constructions.
Table of Contents:
- Introduction to Passive Voice
- Definition and Importance
- Rules of Passive Voice Transformation
- Active vs Passive Voice
- Examples and Applications
- Passive Voice Sentence Transformation
- Rules for Changing Active to Passive
- Identifying the Subject, Verb, and Object
- Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Practice Questions on Passive Voice
- 10 MCQs with Answers and Explanations
- 10 Long Descriptive Questions with Answers
- 10 Fill in the Blanks with Answers
- Conclusion and Key Takeaways
- Recap of Rules
- Tips for Practicing Passive Voice
- Final Thoughts on Exam Preparation
1. Introduction to Passive Voice
Definition and Importance:
- The passive voice emphasizes the action or the object of the action rather than the subject (doer).
- In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action, and the focus shifts from “who did it” to “what was done.”
- Example (Active Voice): The teacher explains the lesson.
- Example (Passive Voice): The lesson is explained by the teacher.
Rules of Passive Voice Transformation:
- The object of the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
- The verb changes form, usually using a form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, etc.) combined with the past participle of the main verb.
- If the agent (doer) is important, it can be included in the passive sentence using the word “by”. If not, it can be omitted.
Active vs Passive Voice:
- Active Voice: The subject performs the action.
- Example: She wrote a letter.
- Passive Voice: The subject receives the action.
- Example: A letter was written by her.
Examples and Applications:
- Active: The cat chased the mouse.
Passive: The mouse was chased by the cat. - Active: They built a new school.
Passive: A new school was built by them.
2. Passive Voice Sentence Transformation
Rules for Changing Active to Passive:
- Identify the subject, verb, and object in the active sentence.
- Move the object to the position of the subject.
- Change the verb to its passive form, i.e., use the correct form of “to be” (am, is, are, was, were) + past participle of the verb.
- The original subject becomes the object of the preposition “by” (optional).
Identifying Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them:
- Mistake: Forgetting to change the verb form.
Correction: Ensure the correct form of the verb “to be” is used. - Mistake: Using the wrong tense.
Correction: Match the tense of the verb in passive form with that of the active form. - Mistake: Misplacing the object.
Correction: The object in the active voice must come at the beginning of the passive sentence.
3. Practice Questions on Passive Voice
10 MCQs with Answers and Explanations
- Which of the following is the correct passive form of “The chef prepares the meal”?
a) The meal is prepared by the chef.
b) The meal was prepared by the chef.
c) The meal is preparing by the chef.
d) The meal prepares by the chef.
Answer: a) The meal is prepared by the chef.
Explanation: The active verb “prepares” becomes “is prepared” in passive voice. - What is the passive voice of “They built a new bridge”?
a) A new bridge has been built by them.
b) A new bridge was built by them.
c) A new bridge is built by them.
d) A new bridge built by them.
Answer: b) A new bridge was built by them.
Explanation: The past tense “built” changes to “was built” in passive voice. - Choose the correct passive form: “The committee will announce the results.”
a) The results are announced by the committee.
b) The results will be announced by the committee.
c) The results will announce by the committee.
d) The results will be announcing by the committee.
Answer: b) The results will be announced by the committee.
Explanation: The future tense “will announce” becomes “will be announced.” - What is the passive voice of “She sings a song”?
a) A song is sung by she.
b) A song is sung by her.
c) A song was sung by she.
d) A song is sung by she.
Answer: b) A song is sung by her.
Explanation: The verb “sings” changes to “is sung,” and “she” becomes “her.” - Which of the following sentences is in the passive voice?
a) The teacher teaches the lesson.
b) The lesson is taught by the teacher.
c) The teacher is teaching the lesson.
d) The lesson teaches the teacher.
Answer: b) The lesson is taught by the teacher.
Explanation: This is the correct passive construction. - Which sentence is in passive voice?
a) He was reading a book.
b) A book was being read by him.
c) He reads a book.
d) He read a book.
Answer: b) A book was being read by him.
Explanation: The object “book” is moved to the subject position in the passive sentence. - Choose the passive voice of “They make delicious cookies.”
a) Delicious cookies made by them.
b) Delicious cookies were made by them.
c) Delicious cookies are made by them.
d) Delicious cookies will be made by them.
Answer: c) Delicious cookies are made by them.
Explanation: The present tense “make” becomes “are made” in the passive voice. - Choose the correct passive sentence for: “I will finish the report by tomorrow.”
a) The report is finished by tomorrow.
b) The report will be finished by tomorrow.
c) The report was finished by tomorrow.
d) The report will finish by tomorrow.
Answer: b) The report will be finished by tomorrow.
Explanation: The future tense “will finish” becomes “will be finished.” - What is the passive form of “They gave me a gift”?
a) A gift is given by them to me.
b) A gift was given by them to me.
c) A gift is given by me to them.
d) A gift has been given by them.
Answer: b) A gift was given by them to me.
Explanation: The past tense “gave” becomes “was given” in the passive voice. - Which of the following is correct?
a) The house was built by the workers last year.
b) The house built by the workers last year.
c) The house is built by the workers last year.
d) The house built by the workers is last year.
Answer: a) The house was built by the workers last year.
Explanation: The correct passive construction for past tense is “was built.”
10 Descriptive Questions with Answers
- Explain the transformation from active voice to passive voice with examples.
Answer: To transform an active voice sentence into passive, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the verb is modified by adding the correct form of “to be” and the past participle of the verb.
Example (Active): “She writes a letter.”
Passive: “A letter is written by her.” - What are the key rules for converting active sentences into passive voice?
Answer: The object becomes the subject, the verb changes to a form of “to be” + past participle, and the subject becomes the agent (introduced by “by” if necessary). Tense consistency is crucial during conversion.
