🔁 Interchange of Active and Passive Voice

(Transformation of Sentences)

✨ Introduction

The Interchange of Active and Passive Voice is one of the most important topics under Transformation of Sentences for Class 12 Board Examinations (2026). It tests a learner’s understanding of grammar, sentence structure, verb forms, tenses, and subject–object relationships. This topic is not only essential for exams but also improves writing accuracy, comprehension, and stylistic flexibility in English. In this detailed guide, US learners will master every rule of voice change, with step-by-step explanations, rich examples, tables, MCQs, practice exercises, and FAQs, all in one place.

🔹 What is Voice?

Voice shows whether the subject of a sentence does an action or receives an action.

There are two voices:

Active Voice
Passive Voice

🔹 Active Voice – Definition

A sentence is in Active Voice when the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.

Example:

She writes a letter.
The teacher explains the lesson.

👉 Here, the subject she and teacher are active doers.

🔹 Passive Voice – Definition

A sentence is in Passive Voice when the subject receives the action.

Example:

A letter is written by her.
The lesson is explained by the teacher.

👉 Focus shifts from doer to receiver.

🔄 Why Interchange Active and Passive Voice?

Voice change is required:

In Board exams
In competitive exams
To shift emphasis
For formal writing
To avoid repetition
For clarity and variety

🔑 Basic Rule of Voice Change

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Subject → Object	Object → Subject
Verb changes	Verb = be + V³
Object present	“by + subject”

🔁 Rule 1: Change of Subject and Object

Rule:

Subject of Active → Object of Passive
Object of Active → Subject of Passive

Example:

Active: Ram writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by Ram.

🔁 Rule 2: Change of Verb Form

Formula:

Object + auxiliary verb (as per tense) + past participle (V³)

Verb Form	Example
write	written
eat	eaten
make	made
see	seen

🔁 Rule 3: Change According to Tense (MOST IMPORTANT)

🔹 Present Indefinite Tense

Active:
Subject + V¹ + Object

Passive:
Object + is/am/are + V³ + by + Subject

✔ Examples:

She writes a letter.
→ A letter is written by her.
They play cricket.
→ Cricket is played by them.

🔹 Present Continuous Tense

Active:
Subject + is/am/are + V¹+ing + Object

Passive:
Object + is/am/are + being + V³

✔ Examples:

She is cooking food.
→ Food is being cooked by her.
They are painting the house.
→ The house is being painted by them.

🔹 Present Perfect Tense

Active:
Subject + has/have + V³ + Object

Passive:
Object + has/have + been + V³

✔ Examples:

She has completed the work.
→ The work has been completed by her.
They have won the match.
→ The match has been won by them.

🔹 Past Indefinite Tense

Active:
Subject + V² + Object

Passive:
Object + was/were + V³

✔ Examples:

He wrote a letter.
→ A letter was written by him.
The police caught the thief.
→ The thief was caught by the police.

🔹 Past Continuous Tense

Active:
Subject + was/were + V¹+ing + Object

Passive:
Object + was/were + being + V³

✔ Examples:

She was cleaning the room.
→ The room was being cleaned by her.

🔹 Past Perfect Tense

Active:
Subject + had + V³ + Object

Passive:
Object + had + been + V³

✔ Examples:

He had finished the work.
→ The work had been finished by him.

🔹 Future Indefinite Tense

Active:
Subject + will/shall + V¹ + Object

Passive:
Object + will/shall + be + V³

✔ Examples:

She will write a letter.
→ A letter will be written by her.

🔹 Future Perfect Tense

Active:
Subject + will have + V³

Passive:
Object + will have + been + V³

✔ Example:

He will have completed the task.
→ The task will have been completed by him.

❌ Tenses Which Cannot Be Changed

Present Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Continuous
Future Perfect Continuous
Future Continuous

🔁 Rule 4: Change of Pronouns

Active	Passive
I	me
we	us
he	him
she	her
they	them

✔ Example:

I wrote a letter.
→ A letter was written by me.

🔁 Rule 5: Omission of “By Whom”

If the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, omit by + subject.

✔ Examples:

The thief was arrested.
The road is being repaired.

🔁 Rule 6: Imperative Sentences

Active:

Open the door.

Passive:

Let the door be opened.

✔ More examples:

Clean the room.
→ Let the room be cleaned.

🔁 Rule 7: Interrogative Sentences

✔ Example:

Did he write a letter?
→ Was a letter written by him?

📊 Summary Table of Rules

This table is fully complete, and exam-ready.

*Tense / Sentence Type*	*Active Voice Structure*	*Passive Voice Structure*	*Example (Active → Passive)*
*Present Indefinite*	S + V¹ + O	O + is/am/are + V³	She writes a letter → A letter is written* by her*
*Present Continuous*	S + is/am/are + V¹+ing + O	O + is/am/are + being* + V³*	She is cooking food → Food is being cooked* by her*
*Present Perfect*	S + has/have + V³ + O	O + has/have + been* + V³*	He has done the work → The work has been done
*Past Indefinite*	S + V² + O	O + was/were + V³	He wrote a letter → A letter was written
*Past Continuous*	S + was/were + V¹+ing + O	O + was/were + being* + V³*	She was cleaning room → Room was being cleaned
*Past Perfect*	S + had + V³ + O	O + had + been* + V³*	He had completed task → Task had been completed
*Future Indefinite*	S + will/shall + V¹ + O	O + will/shall + be + V³	She will sing song → Song will be sung
*Future Perfect*	S + will have + V³ + O	O + will have + been* + V³*	He will have finished work → Work will have been finished
*Imperative (Order)*	V¹ + O	Let + O + be + V³	Open the door → Let the door be opened
*Imperative (Request)*	Please + V¹ + O	You are requested to + V¹	Please help me → You are requested to help me
*Interrogative*	Aux + S + V + O?	Aux + O + V³ + by S?	Did he write letter? → Was letter written by him?
*Modal (can/may/must)*	S + modal + V¹ + O	O + modal + be + V³	He can solve problem → Problem can be solved
*Negative Sentence*	S + do/does/did not + V¹ + O	O + is/am/are/was/were not + V³	He did not write letter → Letter was not written
*Unknown Agent*	—	by + subject omitted	Thief was arrested
*Continuous Perfect Tense*	—	❌ Not changed	Has been writing ❌

📝 MCQs (Most Expected)

1. Choose the correct passive form:

She writes a letter.
A. A letter is written by her ✅
B. A letter was written
C. A letter has written
D. A letter is writing

2. Which tense cannot be changed into passive?

A. Present Indefinite
B. Past Indefinite
C. Future Continuous ✅
D. Present Perfect

3. “Food is being cooked” belongs to:

A. Present Indefinite
B. Present Perfect
C. Present Continuous ✅
D. Past Continuous

4. Passive of “They completed the work.”

A. Work has completed
B. Work was completed by them ✅
C. Work is completed
D. Work had completed

5. Passive of “Open the gate.”

A. Gate is opened
B. Let the gate be opened ✅
C. Gate was opened
D. Gate opens

6. Identify the passive sentence:

A. She writes fast
B. He runs quickly
C. The work was done ✅
D. They played well

7. Passive of “He will buy a car.”

A. Car will be bought by him ✅
B. Car is bought
C. Car was bought
D. Car has bought

8. “By whom” is omitted when:

A. Subject is unknown ✅
B. Subject is pronoun
C. Subject is noun
D. Subject is plural

9. Passive of “She has cleaned the room.”

A. Room was cleaned
B. Room is cleaned
C. Room has been cleaned ✅
D. Room had cleaned

10. Passive of “Did he write a letter?”

A. Was letter written by him? ✅
B. Is letter written?
C. Has letter written?
D. Letter was written?

11. Which auxiliary is used in past passive?

A. is
B. are
C. was/were ✅
D. has

12. Passive of “They are painting the house.”

A. House was painted
B. House is painted
C. House is being painted ✅
D. House has painted

13. Passive voice focuses on:

A. Subject
B. Object ✅
C. Verb
D. Adverb

14. Which is NOT passive?

A. The door was opened
B. The letter is written
C. The teacher teaches English ✅
D. The work has been done

15. Passive of “She can solve the problem.”

A. Problem can solved
B. Problem can be solved by her ✅
C. Problem is solved
D. Problem was solved

16. Which form of verb is used in passive?

A. V¹
B. V²
C. V³ ✅
D. V⁴

17. Passive of “Someone stole my bag.”

A. My bag was stolen ✅
B. My bag is stolen
C. My bag has stolen
D. My bag was stealing

18. Passive of “They will have completed the work.”

A. Work will complete
B. Work will have completed
C. Work will have been completed ✅
D. Work has been completed

19. Passive of “Do not waste time.”

A. Time not wasted
B. Let time not be wasted ✅
C. Time is wasted
D. Time was wasted

20. Passive voice is mostly used in:

A. Poetry
B. Informal speech
C. Academic writing ✅
D. Storytelling

21–25 (Very Expected)

Passive of “She was reading a book.” → Book was being read
Passive of “We respect elders.” → Elders are respected
Passive of “He did not complete work.” → Work was not completed
Passive of “Who broke the glass?” → By whom was glass broken?
Passive of “Let him do the work.” → Let the work be done by him

✍️ Practice Exercise : Change into Passive Voice

Type A: Change into Passive Voice

She teaches English.
They are watching a movie.
He has written a letter.
The police caught the thief.
She will complete the work.

Type B: Change into Active Voice

The work was done by him.
The letter has been written by her.
The room is being cleaned by the maid.
The match was won by our team.

Type C: Imperative Sentences

Close the door.
Do not waste time.
Clean the blackboard.

Type D: Interrogative Sentences

Did he solve the problem?
Has she completed the work?
Who painted the wall?

❓ FAQs

Q1. Why is passive voice important in exams?
Because it tests grammar accuracy and transformation skills.

Q2. Can every sentence be changed?
No. Continuous perfect tenses cannot be changed.

Q3. Is passive voice formal?
Yes. It is widely used in academic and official writing.

Conclusion

The Interchange of Active and Passive Voice is a core grammar concept for Class 12 Board Exams 2026 and competitive tests. Mastering this topic strengthens your command over tenses, verbs, and sentence structure. With regular practice of rules, examples, MCQs, and exercises given in this blog, US learners can confidently score high marks and improve real-world English usage. Consistent revision is the key to perfection.

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