English Mastery
Module 6 · Mini Grammar Essentials

Active vs. Passive Voice

Intermediate–Advanced55 min25 questions7 sections
Step 1

Quick Look

Active voice follows the doer: ‘The builder delayed the possession.’ Passive voice follows the receiver: ‘The possession was delayed (by the builder).’ The passive machine is one formula — BE + V3 — dressed in every tense. The skill is knowing WHEN to switch: when the doer is unknown, obvious, unimportant... or better left unnamed.
Sentence TypeStructure + Example
The formula
form of BE+V3
The tower was completed in 2024. / The files are being verified.
The by-phrase is optional
The cheque was dishonoured. (by the bank — say it only if it matters)
When passive wins
doer unknown (My bike was stolen), obvious (He was arrested), unimportant (Rice is grown here), or diplomatically hidden (Mistakes were made)

The golden rule: only verbs with an OBJECT can go passive. Intransitive verbs — happen, occur, arrive, die, exist, appear — have no receiver, so they have no passive: ‘The accident happened’ (never ‘was happened’), ‘He died in 2019’ (never ‘was died’). If nothing receives the action, nothing can become the subject.

The swap: active ⇄ passive
ACTIVE VOICEPASSIVE VOICEDOERVERBRECEIVERThe builderdelayedthe possessionThe possessionwasdelayed+by the builderRECEIVER = NEW SUBJECTBE + V3DOER (OPTIONAL)
Receiver to the front, BE + V3 for the verb, doer to a by-phrase — or dropped.
Step 2

When to Use It

BE carries the tenseiswasis beinghave beenwill bemust be+V3neverchanges
Use 1

The tense conversion table

BE carries the tense; V3 never changes.
  • Simple Present: The rent is collected on the 5th.
  • Simple Past: The deed was registered yesterday.
  • Present Continuous: The lobby is being renovated.
  • Present Perfect: The dues have been cleared.
  • Future: The keys will be handed over on Friday.
  • Modals: The clause must be amended. / The map should be approved by June.
doer unknown doer obvious process focus formal reports
Use 2

When the passive is the RIGHT choice

Not weak English — professional English, used deliberately.
  • Doer unknown: The lock was broken during the night.
  • Doer obvious: The encroachment was removed. (by the authority — who else?)
  • Process focus: The stamp duty is calculated on the circle rate.
  • Formal reports: It was decided that bookings be paused. (with Chapter 7’s subjunctive!)
They gave the buyer a locker key.The buyerwas givena locker keyorA locker keywas givento the buyerprefer the person as the subject
Use 3

Two objects, two passives

Give/send/offer/show verbs let either object lead.
  • Active: They gave the buyer a locker key.
  • Passive 1: The buyer was given a locker key.
  • Passive 2: A locker key was given to the buyer.
  • English usually prefers the PERSON as subject: He was offered a partnership.
GET + V3 got promotedgot damagedevents, not statesBORN was bornbornedborn is already V3
Use 4

The GET-passive and the born-rule

Get + V3 = casual passive for events; and ‘born’ is passive by birth.
  • He got promoted to Sales Head. / The parcel got damaged in transit.
  • She was born in Meerut in 1985. (NEVER ‘borned’ — born is already the V3)
  • Careful: get-passive suits events, not states — ‘is known’, not ‘gets known’.
No receiver, no passive
THE ACTION LANDS ON A RECEIVERTHE ACTION LANDS ON NOTHINGThe builderdelayedthe possession.acts onThe possession was delayed.THESE VERBS TAKE AN OBJECTbuildstealregisterverifycompleteThe accidenthappened.?acts on nothingThe accident was happened.THESE VERBS HAVE NO PASSIVEhappenoccurarrivedieexistappear
Only a verb that acts on an object can be turned around.
Step 3

Hindi Concept Note

अHindi Concept Noteहिंदी में समझिए
Active में करने वाला आगे: builder ने देरी की The builder delayed the possession। Passive में काम सहने वाला आगे: possession में देरी हुई The possession was delayed।
Formula एक ही है: BE + V3 — tense सारा ‘be’ उठाता है, V3 कभी नहीं बदलता: is collected, was registered, has been cleared, will be handed over, must be amended।
Passive कब? जब करने वाला पता नहीं (ताला टूटा मिला The lock was broken), ज़ाहिर है (उसे गिरफ़्तार किया गया He was arrested), या बताना ज़रूरी नहीं (यहाँ चावल उगाया जाता है Rice is grown here)।
हिंदी की ‘से’ वाली आदत सँभालो: ‘उससे काम पूरा किया गया’ सोचकर ‘by’ हर जगह मत ठूँसो — by-phrase सिर्फ़ तब जब करने वाले का नाम ज़रूरी हो।
और लोहे का नियम: जिस verb का कोई object नहीं, उसका passive नहीं — accident हुआ The accident HAPPENED (‘was happened’ कभी नहीं!); वह पैदा हुई She WAS BORN (‘borned’ शब्द ही नहीं है)।
Step 4

Common Mistakes Hindi Speakers Make

Wrong
Right
Why
The accident was happened near the toll.
The accident happened near the toll.
Happen has no object no passive exists.
He was borned in 1990.
He was born in 1990.
Born IS the V3 — ‘borned’ doesn’t exist.
The work is complete by the contractor now. (you mean: finished by him)
The work has been completed by the contractor.
Passive needs BE + V3 (completed), and finished-by-now Present Perfect.
English is speaking all over the world.
English is spoken all over the world.
The language receives the action is spoken. ‘Is speaking’ would mean English has a mouth.
The letters were send yesterday.
The letters were sent yesterday.
V3 (sent), never V1/V2, after be.
Someone has stolen my scooter. My scooter has been stolen by someone.
My scooter has been stolen.
Not an error of grammar but of style — drop the empty by-phrase; ‘by someone’ adds nothing.
Step 5

Signal Words

Conversion checklist:
Object exists? No object no passive (happen, die, arrive, occur)
Move the object to the front; be takes the tense; verb becomes V3
by + doer only if the doer matters
Person + thing verbs (give, offer, send): prefer the person as subject
born = always was/were born; casual events get + V3 (got promoted)
Step 6

Practice

Set A

Fill in the blanks

0 / 10
  1. 1
    The token amount (refund) within seven days if the deal fails. (Simple Present passive)
  2. 2
    The boundary wall (build) in 2019. (Simple Past)
  3. 3
    The sample flat (renovate) right now — visit next week. (Present Continuous)
  4. 4
    All dues (clear) — here’s the NOC. (Present Perfect)
  5. 5
    The possession letters (issue) next Monday. (Future)
  6. 6
    The annexure must (sign) by both witnesses.
  7. 7
    He (give) a corner seat and a company SIM on day one. (person as subject, Simple Past)
  8. 8
    She (bear?) in Hapur but raised in Ghaziabad. (fix the verb)
  9. 9
    The consignment (get/damage) in transit — file the claim. (get-passive, Simple Past)
  10. 10
    It (decide) in the AGM that the maintenance (raise) from April. (two passives — the second is Chapter 7’s subjunctive: that it BE...)
Set B

Correct the mistake

0 / 8
  1. 11
    The meeting was happened at the site office.
  2. 12
    My purse has stolen in the metro.
  3. 13
    The invitation cards are printing at Naveen Press. (they’re being printed)
  4. 14
    Hindi is speaking in most of North India.
  5. 15
    The agreement was sign by both parties on Friday.
  6. 16
    He was died before the case was decided. (one error)
  7. 17
    A gift was given him at the farewell. (fix the structure)
  8. 18
    The road will completed before the elections.
Set C

Translate into English

0 / 7
  1. 19
    यह मंदिर 1902 में बनाया गया था।
  2. 20
    चोरी रात में हुई। (careful!)
  3. 21
    चाबियाँ शुक्रवार को सौंप दी जाएँगी।
  4. 22
    hall की सफ़ाई हो रही है।
  5. 23
    उसे promote कर दिया गया। (casual)
  6. 24
    मेरा जन्म Meerut में हुआ था।
  7. 25
    सारे documents verify किए जा चुके हैं।
Step 7

Answer Key

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Answers · Set A
1
is refunded
2
was built
3
is being renovated
4
have been cleared
5
will be issued
6
be signed
7
was given
8
was born
9
got damaged
10
was decided ... be raised
Answers · Set B
11
The meeting happened / was held at the site office. (Happen has no passive; or switch the verb to hold.)
12
My purse has been stolen in the metro. (Been is compulsory.)
13
The invitation cards are being printed at Naveen Press.
14
Hindi is spoken in most of North India.
15
The agreement was signed by both parties on Friday.
16
He died before the case was decided. (Die — no passive.)
17
He was given a gift at the farewell. / A gift was given to him at the farewell.
18
The road will be completed before the elections.
Answers · Set C
19
This temple was built in 1902.
20
The theft happened at night. / The theft took place at night.
21
The keys will be handed over on Friday.
22
The hall is being cleaned.
23
He got promoted. / She got promoted.
24
I was born in Meerut.
25
All the documents have been verified.

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Next up · Chapter 10Tag Questions

The grammar of ‘na?’ — and why ‘isn’t it?’ cannot follow every sentence.