Active and Passive Voice

There are two special forms for verbs called voice:

Active voice

Passive voice

The active voice is the "normal" voice. This is the voice that we use most of the time.A feature of
sentences in which the subject performs the action of the verb and the direct object is the goal or the
recipient.

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the
action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that
the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive
form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the
action.

Active/Passive Voice Rules Chart

The object of the verb takes the position of Subject.The Subject of the verb in the active voice becomes
the object and is usually preceeded by the preposition ‘by’.The tense of the verb in the passive voice
remains the same as in the active voice.In the passive voice, third form of the verb is used.

Tense Rules

Present Indefinite Tense is/am/are + V3

Present Continuous Tense is/am/are + being+V3;

Present Perfect Tense has/have + been + V3

Past Indefinite Tense was/were + V3

Past Continuous Tense was/were + being +V3

Past Perfect Tense had + been + V3;

Future Indefinite Tense ; will/shall + be + V3

Future Perfect Tense will/shall + have+been + V3

Modal Verb: will, shall, would should, can, could, may, might,must,ought to + V1 Modal Verb + be + V3
Infinity: to + V1 to be + V3

I, We, He, She, They are changed into tome, us, him, her, them

Take care of singular and plural nature of nouns or pronouns. Verb/helping verb requires to be adjusted
accordingly.

Interrogative sentences beginning with ‘wh’ words like what, why, when etc. thequestion word is
retained in the beginning of the sentence. An interrogative sentence in theactive voice remains an
interrogative in the passive form. An imperative sentence is a sentence showing order, or request. So,
accordingly, in the passive voice, we say: You are requested/ordered/advised + infinive with ‘to’.

Sentences involving order/advice are preferably changed into passive by using the word‘let’ or ‘should’.
Please close the door. You are requested to close the door. Save your soul. Your soul should be saved.
Let your soul be saved. Do it. Let it be done. It should be done. In some sentence the subject is
understood type. Here the subject has to be suppliedaccording to the context while changing them into
active form. The thief was arrested. (by the police.)

Preoposition attached with the verbs in the active form continue to be attached with themeven in the
passive form. Please listen to him. You are requested to listen to him. He turneddown my proposal. My
proposal was tuned down by him.k In the case of a verb having two objects in Active Voice, either of
them can be retained inthe passive. Hari gave me an apple. I was given an apple by Hari. An apple was
given to me byHari.

Intransitive verbs do not have passive forms. I go to school. Go is intransitive verb. Sono passive form.
What is done, cannot be undone. What people do, they cannot undo.

Quasi Passive Verbs: The rose smells sweet. The rose is sweet when smelt. Quinine tastes bitter. Quinine
is bitter when tasted. Lemons taste sour. Lemons are sour when tasted.

With some verbs, preposition ‘by’ is not used. Like know (to), surprise (at), annoy (with),contain (in), vex
(with), please (with), displease (at), alarm (at), line (with), throng (with)

Examples of Passive

Tense Subject Verb Object

Simple Present Active: Rita writes a letter.

Passive:A letter is written by Rita.

Simple Past Active: Rita wrote a letter.

Passive:A letter was written by Rita.

Present Perfect Active: Rita has written a letter.

Passive:A letter has been written by Rita.

Future I Active: Rita will write a letter.

Passive:A letter will be written by Rita.

Hilfsverben Active: Rita can write a letter.

Passive:A letter can be written by Rita.

Examples of Passive

Tense Subject Verb Object

Present Progressive Active: Rita is writing a letter.

Passive:A letter is being written by Rita.

Past Progressive Active: Rita was writing a letter.

Passive:A letter was being written by Rita.

Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter.

Passive:A letter had been written by Rita.

Future II Active: Rita will have written a letter.

Passive:A letter will have been written by Rita.

Conditional I Active: Rita would write a letter.

Passive:A letter would be written by Rita.

Conditional II Active: Rita would have written a letter.

Passive:A letter would have been written by Rita.

Passive Sentences with Two Objects

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects
becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject
depends on what you want to put the focus on.

Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2

Active: Rita wrote a letter to me.

Passive:A letter was written to me by Rita.

Passive:I was written a letter by Rita.

I will sing

Future Tense
The simple future tense is often called will, because we make the simple future tense with the modal
auxiliary will.

How do we make the Simple Future Tense?

The structure of the simple future tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb WILL + main verb

invariable base

will V1

For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main
verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example
sentences with the simple future tense:

subject auxillary verb main verb

+ I will open the door

+ You will finish before me

She will not be at school tomorrow

We will not leave yet.

? Will you arrive on time?

? Will they want dinner?

When we use the simple future tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:
I will I'll

you will you'll

he will

she will

it will

he'll

she'll

it'll

we will we'll

they will they'll

For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not I won't

you will not you won't

he will not

she will not

it will not

he won't

she won't

it won't

we will not we won't

they will not they won't

How do we use the Simple Future Tense?

No Plan

We use the simple future tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We
make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:

Hold on. I'll get a pen.

We will seewhat we can do to help you.

Maybe we 'll stay inandwatchtelevision tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking.

We often use the simple future tense with the verb to think before it:

I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.

I think I will have a holiday next year.

I don't think I'll buy that car.

Prediction

We often use the simple future tense to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan.
We are saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples:

It will rain tomorrow.

Peoplewon't goto Jupiter before the 22nd century.

Who do you think will get the job

Be

When the main verb is be, we can use the simple future tense even if we have a firm plan or decision
before speaking. Examples:

I'll be in London tomorrow.

I'm going shopping. won't be very long.

Will yoube at work tomorrow?

I will be singing

How do we make the Future Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb WILL + auxiliary verb BE + main verb

invariable invariable present participle

will be base + ing

For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we insert not between will and be. For question
sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future
continuous tense:

subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I will be working at 10am.

+ You will be lying on a beach tommorow

- She will not be using the car.

- We will not be having dinner at home

? Will you be playing football?

? Will they be watching TV?

When we use the future continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and will:

I will I'll

you will you'll

he will

she will

it will

he'll

she'll

it'll

we will we'll

they will they'll

For spoken negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not I won't

you will not you won't

he will not

she will not

it will not

he won't

she won't

it won't

we will not we won't

they will not they won't

We sometimes use shallinstead of will, especially for I and we.

How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?

The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will start
before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment. For example, tomorrow I will start
work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:

At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.

past present future

4 pm

At 4pm, I will be in the middle of working.

When we use the future continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are
talking about. Look at these examples:

I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.

They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.

What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?

What will you be doing when I arrive?

She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.

We 'll be having dinner when the film starts.

Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.

I will have sung

The future perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and use. The future perfect tense talks
about the past in the future.

How do we make the Future Perfect Tense?

The structure of the future perfect tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb WILL + auxiliary verb HAVE + main verb

. invariable . invariable . past participle

will have V3

Look at these example sentences in the future perfect tense:

. subject auxiliary verb . auxiliary verb main verb .

+ I will . have finishedby 10am.

+ You will . have forgotten me by then

- She will not have gone to school.

- We will not have left .

? Will you . have arrived? .

? Will they . have received it?

In speaking with the future perfect tense, we often contract the subject and will. Sometimes, we
contract the subject, will and have all together:

I will have I'll have I'll've

you will have you'll have you'll've

he will have

she will have

it will have

he'll have

she'll have

it'll have

he'll've
she'll've

it'll've

we will have we'll have we'll've

they will have they'll have they'll've

We sometimes use shall instead of will,especially for I and we.

How do we use the Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense expresses action in the future before another action in the future. This is the
past in the future. For example:

The train will leave the station at 9am. You will arrive at the station at 9.15am. When you arrive, the
train will have left.

The train will have left when you arrive.

past present future

. . Train leaves in future at 9am.

9 . 9.15

. . You arrive in future at 9.15am.

Look at some more examples:

You can call me at work at 8am. I will have arrived at the office by 8.

They will be tired when they arrive. They will not have slept for a long time.

"Mary won't be at home when you arrive."

"Really? Where will shehave gone?"

You can sometimes think of the future perfect tense like the present perfect tense, but instead of your
viewpoint being in the present, it is in the future:

present perfect tense . future perfect tense

have

bone

. . . .
will

have

done

. . .

past now future . past now future

I will have been singing

How do we make the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

The Structure of the future perfect continous tense is:

subject + auxillary verb

WILL

+ auxillary verb

HAVE

+ auxillary verb

BE

+ main verb

invariable invariable past participle

will have been base+ing

For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we insert not between will and have. For
question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future
perfect continuous tense:

subject auxillary verb auxillary verb auxillary verb main verb

+ I will have been working for four hours.

+ You will have been travelling for two days.

- She will not have been using the car.

- We will not have been waiting long.

? Will you have been playing football?

? Will they have been watching TV?

When we use the future perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and
auxiliary verb:

I will I'll

you will you'll

he will

she will

it will

he'll

she'll

it'ill

we will we'll

they will they'll

For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not I won't

you will not you won't

he will not

she will not

it will not

he won't

she won't

it won't

we will not we won't

they will not they won't

How do we use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

We use the future perfect continuous tense to talk about a long action before some point in the future.
Look at these examples:

I will have been working here for ten years next week.

He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been travelling for 24 hours.

Modal Verbs

Basically, auxiliary verbs are function words, a type of closed class which is constituted of words that
have a grammatical function as opposed to content words, which are an open class of lexical words. An
auxiliary verb is used to add functional or grammatical content to the information expressed by another
verb, considered to be the main verb. Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs

Examples:

I am writing a book.

He has done the work.

We will be there in a minute.

Would you help me with this homework?

Can you open the door?

Did you visit New York last holiday?

Do you like chocolate?

They must get there on time.

The 23 auxiliary verbs

am is are

was were

has have had

do does did

will would

shall should

can could
may might must

Be Been Being

Be = am / is / are

Be can be used as an auxiliary verb or the main verb in a sentence.

Is tells us that an action is happening now or is going to happen in the future.

Be is also used to make passives.

Are is used for they and we.

Was is used for the past tense of am and is.

Were is used for the past tense of you, we and they.

In statements, In questions, In negative sentences

I do my homework. Do I know you? I do not. (I don't)

You do the laundry. Do you live here? You do not. (you don't)

We do the washing up. Do we have time? We do not. (we don't)

They do yoga. Do they come from Vietnam? They do not. (they don't)

He/she does the cleaning. Does he/she drive to work? He/she does not. (he/she doesn't)

Have = has / had

Have is used to make the present perfect tense (it is always followed by the past participle).

Has is used for the third person singular.

Had is used for past tenses especially the past perfect tense. It describes an action that began in the past
and continues into the present or that occurred in the recent past.

In statements In negative sentences

I have a dog. I have not. (I haven't/ I've not)

You have something on your shirt. You have not. (you haven't/you've not)

We have seen it before. We have not. (we haven't/we've not)

They have called me three times. They have not. (they haven't/they've not)
He/she has lived in America. He/she has not (he/she hasn't)

Others

Other common auxiliary verbs are:

can, could, may, might, must, ought, should, and would.

These are also known as modal verbs. We use them to show obligation, possibility and necessity.

Report &Direct speech

Reported Speech also called Indirect Speech or indirect discourse , is a means of expressing the content
of statements, questions or other utterances, without quoting them explicitly as is done in direct
speech.It is used to communicate what someone else said,think or believe but without using the exact
words. A few changes are necessary; often a pronoun has to be changed and the verb is usually moved
back a tense, where possible.

For example, He said "I'm coming" is direct speech, whereas He said he was coming is indirect speech.

Reported speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words
spoken. We use reporting verbs like “say“, “tell“, “ask“, and we may use the word “that” to introduce
the reported words. Reported speech doesn’t use quotation marks to enclose what the person said.

For example:

Direct speech:

- “I’m going to the English course”, he said.

Reported speech:

- He said that he was going to the English course.

When reporting questions, it is especially important to pay attention to sentence order. When reporting
yes/ no questions connect the reported question using “if”. When reporting questions using question
words (why, where, when, etc.) use the question word.

He asked, “Do you want to come with me to Ireland?”

* He asked me if I wanted to come with him to Ireland.

Peter asked, “Where did you go last summer?”

* Dave asked me where I had gone the previous summer.

The tenses generally move backwards in this way(Backshift of tenses)

from to

Simple Present Simple Past

Simple Past Past Perfect

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

will would

Progressive forms

am/are/is was/were

was/were had been

has been

had been

Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech

present simple “I like ice cream” She said (that) she liked ice cream.

present continuous “I am living in London” She said she was living in London.

past simple “I bought a car” She said she had bought a car OR She said she bought a car.

past continuous“I was walking along the street” She said she had been walking along the street.

present perfect “I haven’t seen Julie” She said she hadn’t seen Julie.

past perfect* “I had taken English lessons before” She said she had taken English lessons before.

will “I’ll see you later” She said she would see me later.

would* “I would help, but..” She said she would help but...

can “I can speak perfect English” She said she could speak perfect English.

could* “I could swim when I was four” She said she could swim when she was four.

shall “I shall come later” She said she would come later.

should*“I should call my mother” She said she should call her mother
might* "I might be late" She said she might be late

must "I must study at the weekend" She said she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to
study at the weekend

* doesn’t change

Occasionally, we don’t need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech
is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change
the tense):

Direct speech: “The sky is blue”

Reported speech: She said that the sky is/was blue

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But
how about questions?

Direct speech: "Where do you live?"

How can we make the reported speech here?

In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the
question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it
isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. Confusing?
Sorry, maybe this example will help:

Direct speech: "Where do you live?"

Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.

Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple
question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the past
simple.

Another example:

Direct speech: "where is Julie?"

Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be
by inverting (changing the position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before
putting the verb into the past simple.

Here are some more examples:

Direct Question Reported Question

“Where is the Post Office, please?” She asked me where the Post Office was.

“What are you doing?” She asked me what I was doing.

“Who was that fantastic man?” She asked me who that fantastic man had been.

So much for 'wh' questions. But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any
question words to help us. Instead, we use 'if':

Direct speech: "Do you like chocolate?"

Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

No problem? Here are a few more examples:

Direct Question Reported Question

“Do you love me?” He asked me if I loved him.

“Have you ever been to Mexico?” She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.

“Are you living here?”

She asked me if I was living here.

Finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when
someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:

Direct speech: "Sit down!"

In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of
'ask':

Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

Direct Order Reported Order

“Go to bed!” He told the child to go to bed.

“Don’t worry!” He told her not to worry.

“Be on time!” He told me to be on time.

“Don’t smoke!” He told us not to smoke.

Time Expressions with Reported Speech

Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions
too. We don't always have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and
when we say the reported speech.

For example:

It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".

If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".

If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".

If I tell someone on Wednesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving on Monday".

If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that day".

So, there's no easy conversion. You really have to think about when the direct speech was said.

Here's a table of some possible conversions:

now then / at that time

today yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June

yesterday the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December

last night the night before, Thursday night

last week the week before / the previous week

tomorrow today / the next day / the following day / Friday