Active and Passive Voice | MaargX UPSC | Rules, Examples & Practice Questions

Corrected: 'The report was written by the manager last Friday.' | Error: 'wrote' is Simple Past active. In passive, the verb must be the past participle (V3). 'Write' → 'written'. The auxiliary 'was' correctly indicates Simple Past passive, but must pair with 'written', not 'wrote'.

Corrected: 'By whom was the thief arrested?' | Error: The auxiliary 'was' must precede the subject ('the thief'), not follow it. In passive questions, the structure is: Wh-word + auxiliary + subject + V3. The original has 'was arrested the thief' which misplaces the subject after the V3.

Corrected: 'The children were being taught moral values by their elders.' | Error: 'teached' is non-standard. 'Teach' is an irregular verb; its past participle is 'taught'. Past Continuous Passive = was/were + being + V3.

Corrected: 'This letter must be submitted to the principal by tomorrow.' | Error: After a modal auxiliary (must, can, should, etc.), the passive is formed with 'be' + V3, not V3 alone. 'Must submitted' omits the obligatory 'be'.

Corrected: 'She was given the first prize by the judges.' | Error: 'gave' (Simple Past active) was used as if it were a past participle. The past participle of 'give' is 'given'. The passive structure is 'was given', not 'was gave'.

Corrected: 'The match was being played by them when the rain started.' | Error: 'they' is a subjective pronoun. When a pronoun follows a preposition ('by'), it must be in the objective case: 'them', not 'they'. Rule: By + objective pronoun always.

Corrected: 'Let the poor be helped by us.' | Error: 'peoples' is non-standard (use 'people'). More critically, 'are helped' is incorrect in an imperative passive; the correct structure is 'Let + object + be + V3'.

Corrected: 'The bridge had been built over a decade ago.' | Error: 'build' is the base form (V1). 'Build' is irregular: build → built → built. Past Perfect Passive = had + been + V3. 'Had been build' should be 'had been built'.

Corrected: 'A new policy has been announced by the government.' OR 'A new policy was announced by the government yesterday.' | Error: 'has announced' is Present Perfect Active. The passive must be 'has been announced'. Note: 'yesterday' is a definite past marker that typically calls for Simple Past, so 'was announced' is preferred.

Corrected: 'It is known that exercise improves health.' | Error: 'know' is base form. The correct past participle of 'know' is 'known'. The structure 'It is + V3 + that clause' requires 'known'.

Corrected: 'The walls have been painted by him and his brother.' | Error: 'he' is a subjective pronoun. After 'by', it must be 'him' (objective case). 'By he' is always wrong; 'by him' is correct.

Corrected: 'The cake was eaten before anyone else arrived.' | Error: 'ate' is Simple Past Active. 'Eat' is irregular: eat → ate → eaten. The past participle is 'eaten', not 'ate'. Passive requires V3: 'was eaten'.

Corrected: 'The criminal was arrested and then taken to the station.' | Error: 'took' is Simple Past Active. The passive of 'take' requires the past participle 'taken'. In the passive chain ('was arrested and then was taken'), 'was taken' or simply 'taken' (with the auxiliary shared from the first clause) is correct.

Corrected: 'The song is being sung by the choir right now.' | Error: 'sang' is Simple Past Active of 'sing'. The past participle is 'sung'. Present Continuous Passive = is/are + being + V3. 'Is being sang' → 'is being sung'.

Corrected: 'The window is broken, and it needs to be repaired immediately.' | Error: 'broke' is Simple Past Active. For the stative passive (describing a present state), use 'is broken' (be + V3). 'Is broke' is non-standard and ungrammatical in Standard English.

(b) will be brought | The sentence requires Simple Future Passive: will + be + V3. (a) 'will brought' omits 'be'. (c) 'will bring' is active — the accused is not bringing themselves. (d) 'is brought' is Simple Present Passive — incorrect tense (future context).

(b) had been eaten | The context 'by the time we arrived' signals Past Perfect. Past Perfect Passive = had + been + V3. (a) 'was eaten' is Simple Past Passive — misses the 'already completed before another past action' nuance. (c) 'has been eaten' is Present Perfect — wrong tense. (d) 'had uprooted' is active and wrong.

(a) were uprooted | 'Last night' marks Simple Past. Simple Past Passive = was/were + V3. (b) 'are uprooted' is Present — wrong. (c) 'have been uprooted' is Present Perfect — conflict with 'last night'. (d) 'had uprooted' is active and wrong.

(b) was feared | The reporting verb 'fear' requires Past Simple Passive here to match the context of a past concern. (a) 'is feared' would be present — not consistent with a past event. (c) 'has feared' is active. (d) 'fears' is active simple present.

(c) will be constructed | Future intention by the government calls for Simple Future Passive. (a) 'is constructed' is present. (b) 'was constructed' is past. (d) 'has been constructed' is Present Perfect — wrong for a future plan.

(a) was rushed | 'When we called' establishes a simple past context. Simple Past Passive = was/were + V3. (b) 'rushed' is active — 'the patient' cannot rush itself. (c) 'has been rushed' is Present Perfect — wrong tense. (d) 'is being rushed' is Present Continuous — wrong tense.

(b) should be signed | Modal passive = Modal + be + V3. (a) 'should sign' is active. (c) 'should have sign' omits the past participle properly — 'should have been signed' would be correct for past, but the prompt needs present. (d) 'should signed' omits 'be'.

(a) was awarded | Definite past (2001) = Simple Past Passive. (b) 'had awarded' is active Past Perfect. (c) 'is awarded' is present — wrong tense. (d) 'awarded himself' is reflexive active — changes meaning.

(b) got caught | The 'get-passive' construction 'got caught' is idiomatic and best fits the sense of an event the thief is implicated in. (a) 'caught' alone as past active suggests the thief caught something/someone else. (c) 'is caught' is present. (d) 'catches' is active present.

(a) will be delivered | Simple Future Passive matches the conditional 'if you post it now'. (b) 'will have been delivered' implies completion within the future — slightly overprecise unless a deadline is given. (c) 'will deliver' is active. (d) 'delivers' is simple present.

(a) are explained | General truth / habitual action = Simple Present. Subject 'the rules' is plural → 'are'. Passive = are + V3. (b) 'explain' is active. (c) 'have explained' is active Present Perfect — wrong. (d) 'is explained' uses singular auxiliary 'is' with plural subject 'rules' — subject-verb disagreement.

(b) was reported | The context implies a past reporting action. Simple Past Passive = was + V3. (a) 'is reported' is present. (c) 'has reported' is active Present Perfect. (d) 'reported' is active — changes who is doing the reporting.

(b) are being questioned | 'At this moment' = Present Continuous. Present Continuous Passive = are + being + V3. (a) 'are questioned' is Simple Present Passive — doesn't convey 'right now'. (c) 'were questioned' is past. (d) 'have been questioned' is Present Perfect — implies completed action.

(b) will be presented | Future event = Simple Future Passive. (a) 'will present' is active. (c) 'is presented' is Simple Present Passive — wrong tense for a future event. (d) 'presents' is active Simple Present.

(a) was spoken | 'Throughout the hearing' (completed past event). Simple Past Passive = was + V3. (b) 'is spoken' is present. (c) 'spoke' is active — 'not a single word' cannot speak. (d) 'has spoken' is active Present Perfect.

Correct: (b) | (a) is a run-on that confuses two passive structures. (c) makes 'he' the subject of 'was announced' incorrectly — a person is not announced, a promotion is. (d) 'announced him' uses 'him' as a direct object of 'announced', which is ungrammatical in this context.

Correct: (b) | 'This morning' is a definite past marker; Simple Past Passive ('was written') is required. (a) 'has written' is active. (c) uses 'she' (subjective) instead of 'her' (objective) as the agent. (d) 'had written' is active Past Perfect — incorrect voice and tense.

Correct: (a) | Imperative passive = 'Let + object + be + V3'. (b) 'Let the work is completed' uses incorrect verb form after 'let'. (c) places 'Let' in the wrong position. (d) produces ungrammatical word order.

Correct: (c) | 'Whom' is the correct objective case of 'who' for use as object of 'by' in formal questions. (a) 'send' is base form — passive requires the V3 'sent'. (b) 'who' is subjective case — incorrect after the preposition 'by'. (d) 'Whom was the message sent by?' places the preposition at the end — while acceptable informally, option (c) is more precise and formal.

Correct: (b) | Present Continuous Passive = is/are + being + V3. 'Construct' → 'constructed' (V3). (a) uses base form 'construct'. (c) 'has being' is grammatically impossible — 'have/has' must pair with past participle 'been', not 'being'. (d) 'is being constructing' uses -ing form of the main verb, which is wrong in passive.

Correct: (a) | Simple Past Passive with indirect object as subject: 'She was given a gold medal by the committee.' (b) is redundant and confusing — 'the committee she' is nonsensical. (c) 'Her' is objective case — cannot be a grammatical subject. (d) 'give' is base form (V1), not V3; passive requires 'given'.

Correct: (c) | Modal passive = Modal + be + V3. 'Must be delivered' is correct. (a) omits 'be'. (b) 'must to be' — modals are never followed by 'to' in standard English (except 'ought to'). (d) 'must have delivered' is active modal perfect — incorrect voice.

Correct: (a) | 'It is believed that + clause' is the standard reporting verb passive. (b) 'is being a genius' — 'be' is stative and does not normally take continuous aspect. (c) 'to being' is ungrammatical — infinitives use the base form: 'to be'. (d) 'It was believed that he is a genius' creates an illogical tense shift — the reporting is present ('is believed'), so the embedded clause should also align appropriately.

Correct: (b) | 'Under construction' is a fixed noun phrase used with 'be'. (a) 'under constructing' is non-standard — 'construction' is a noun, not a gerund here. (c) 'under constructing' repeats the same error in Past Perfect. (d) 'under been constructed' is grammatically incoherent.

Correct: (c) | Present Perfect Passive = has/have + been + V3. 'Has been worked on' is correct. (a) 'has been being worked on' uses Present Perfect Continuous Passive — while technically possible, it is extremely rare and unnatural. (b) 'was being worked on' is Past Continuous Passive — changes the timeframe to past. (d) 'has been being worked on' is the same awkward construction as (a).

Correct: (b) | 'Not a single question was asked by anybody' is correct. The subject is singular ('not a single question') and the negative is expressed by 'not a single', so 'anybody' (not 'nobody') is required to avoid a double negative. (a) 'by nobody' creates an illogical double negative. (c) omits 'was'. (d) 'has asked' is active Present Perfect.

Correct: (d) | 'The files need to be organized by the clerk' uses the correct structure: 'need to be + V3'. (a) 'were needed to organize' is grammatically confused — 'organize' should be passive infinitive 'to be organized'. (b) 'are needed to be organized' is an accepted construction but less natural than (d). (c) 'needs' uses a singular verb with a plural subject 'the files'.

Correct: (d) Both (b) and (c) are correct | (b) 'has been replaced' is Present Perfect Passive — correct for an ongoing/recently completed change. (c) 'is being replaced' is Present Continuous Passive — correct if the process is ongoing right now. Both are grammatically valid; the answer recognises this. (a) 'has been replacing' is Active Present Perfect Continuous — wrong voice.

Correct: (b) | 'The suspect was interrogated and was later released' uses two Simple Past Passive constructions correctly joined. (a) 'released was he' produces inverted word order only valid in questions. (c) 'had interrogated' is active Past Perfect — wrong voice and tense. (d) both verbs are active — no passive construction present.

Correct: (b) | 'Has been selected' is Present Perfect Passive — correct for a recent achievement. (a) 'has got selected' — while the get-passive exists, 'has got selected' is non-standard in formal written English; 'has been selected' is preferred. (c) 'was been selected' is ungrammatical — two auxiliaries in sequence without proper structure. (d) 'has selected' is active — meaning she herself selected someone.

Passive paragraph: 'The results were announced by the principal. The students were congratulated by the teachers. The achievements of the toppers were celebrated by the school.' | Notes: Each active sentence is converted independently. 'Announced' ← Simple Past Active. 'Were congratulated' ← Simple Past Passive. 'Were celebrated' ← Simple Past Passive. The passive preserves all tense information and makes the receiver (results, students, achievements) the subject in each case.

Sentence (a) 'The window was broken yesterday' is a DYNAMIC PASSIVE — it describes an event (breaking) that occurred at a specific time in the past. There is an implied agent. Sentence (b) 'The window is broken' is a STATIVE PASSIVE — it describes the current state of the window (it is in a broken condition); no event is being described. | The distinction matters for comprehension and for grammar: in (b), 'broken' functions like an adjective. For example, 'The window is broken, so please be careful' focuses on the current state, while 'The window was broken by a vandal last night' focuses on the event and implies someone is responsible.

Passive: 'This application ought to be submitted before Friday.' | Explanation: 'Ought to' is treated like other modals in passive formation: Modal + be + V3. The structure 'ought to be submitted' is correct. 'Submitted' is the past participle of 'submit'. The agent 'you' is omitted because it is obvious from context. Important: do not write 'ought to submitted' — the infinitive marker 'to' requires the base form 'be', giving 'ought to be submitted'.

Errors in the sentence 'It is said that the earth was being round': Error 1 — 'was being round': 'be + adjective' is stative and cannot take the continuous aspect ('being round' is wrong). Error 2 — Tense shift: The earth IS round (eternal truth) → Simple Present. Error 3 — 'was being' also implies the roundness existed in the past but not now, which is factually absurd. Corrected sentence: 'It is said that the earth is round.' | The verb 'is' correctly expresses a universal/scientific truth in Simple Present.

Active: 'Why did the manager reject her application?' Passive: 'Why was her application rejected by the manager?' | Explanation: Wh-word ('Why') is retained at the front. The auxiliary shifts: 'did reject' → 'was rejected'. 'Her application' (object in active) becomes the subject in passive. 'The manager' becomes 'by the manager'. Note: 'her' remains objective case as it is already possessive-modifying 'application' — it does not change in the passive.

Active: 'The board expects to finalise the contract by next week.' | Explanation of the double-passive structure: 'is expected to be finalised' contains two passive layers: (1) 'is expected' — the board's expectation is the main passive action; (2) 'to be finalised' — the contract's finalisation is a passive infinitive. In active voice: the subject ('the board') performs the expectation, and 'finalise' is the embedded action. Double-passive sentences are grammatically correct when the main verb is followed by a passive infinitive — common with verbs like expect, want, need, require, suppose.

Passive: 'The road has been being repaired by them since morning.' | However, Present Perfect Continuous Passive is extremely rare and awkward in practice. In natural usage, this is better expressed as: 'The road has been under repair since morning.' Active Tense: Present Perfect Continuous (have/has + been + V-ing). Passive Tense: Present Perfect Continuous Passive (have/has + been + being + V3) — noted as grammatically possible but rarely used in formal or informal English.

'The old man smiled warmly at the children' cannot be passivised because 'smile' is an intransitive verb — it takes no direct object. There is nothing that 'was smiled'. To preserve the meaning with a passive-like impersonal construction, one could write: 'Warm smiles were directed at the children by the old man' (restructured with a noun). Alternatively, in active voice: 'Warm smiles came from the old man as he looked at the children.' The core lesson: passivisation requires a transitive verb with a direct object.

Issues in 'nobody could be blamed by anyone': (1) 'nobody' and 'anyone' create a double negative — 'nobody could be blamed by anyone' paradoxically means no one was available to do the blaming, which is circular. (2) More accurately: if the speaker means 'no one was responsible', the sentence should be active and direct. Corrected full sentence: 'Mistakes were made, and no one could be held responsible.' This removes the double negative, maintains the passive for 'mistakes', and uses a clear, single-negative construction for the second clause.

Active: 'People generally consider Sachin Tendulkar to be the greatest batsman of his era.' Passive Form 1 (It-construction): 'It is generally considered that Sachin Tendulkar is/was the greatest batsman of his era.' Passive Form 2 (Raised subject): 'Sachin Tendulkar is generally considered to be the greatest batsman of his era.' Comment: Form 2 is more natural and widely used because it maintains the famous person as the subject, which is rhetorically more engaging. Form 1 foregrounds the general opinion itself, which can sound more formal or academic. Both are grammatically correct.

(a) 'The match has been rescheduled' — Dynamic Passive in Present Perfect tense. An action (rescheduling) has been completed. There is an implied agent (the organising body). (b) 'English is spoken here' — Habitual/Generic Passive in Simple Present. It describes a general or characteristic state. (c) 'He was thought to be dangerous' — Reporting-verb passive using the raised-subject construction (Past Tense). Equivalent to 'It was thought that he was dangerous.' (d) 'The door got slammed during the fight' — Get-passive, suggesting the event was sudden, unplanned, or unpleasant. Often used in informal speech.

Original paragraph: 'The annual budget was presenting to the board. All members carefully reviewed it. The chairman told that the proposal would approve next month.' | Error 1: 'was presenting' — should be 'was presented' (Simple Past Passive requires V3, not V-ing). Error 2: 'reviewed it' — active voice, correct and fine as is. Error 3: 'told that' — 'tell' is not used with a 'that' clause in this structure; 'said that' or 'announced that' is correct. Error 4: 'would approve' is active — should be 'would be approved' (Passive). Corrected paragraph: 'The annual budget was presented to the board. All members carefully reviewed it. The chairman said that the proposal would be approved next month.'

Passive: 'My keys must have been taken by someone while I was in the meeting.' | What is preserved: The temporal context ('while I was in the meeting'). The modal perfect structure ('must have been taken') — indicating deduction about a past event. The indefiniteness of the agent ('by someone' matches 'someone' in the active). What is lost: The active sentence emphasises a personal experience ('my keys') and speculates about an unidentified 'someone'. In the passive, the sentence becomes slightly more formal, and the agent phrase 'by someone' is often omitted in practice since it adds no information ('My keys must have been taken while I was in the meeting'), which actually makes the passive more concise here.

Passive is preferred: (a) Scientific writing — The focus is on the experiment or finding, not the researcher. Example: 'The solution was heated to 80°C and then filtered.' The agent ('by researchers') is omitted as obvious and unimportant. (b) News reporting — The event is foregrounded; who did it may be unknown or legally sensitive. Example: 'Three people were injured in the blast.' (c) Formal announcements — The institution or decision is emphasised, not the individuals. Example: 'All applications must be submitted by 31st December.' Passive creates authority and universality, removing personal accountability or the need to name individuals.

Passive Form 1: 'Whether to implement the new tax policy has not yet been decided by the government.' Passive Form 2 (It-construction): 'It has not yet been decided by the government whether to implement the new tax policy.' | Comparison: Form 1 makes the embedded question ('whether to implement...') the subject of the passive — grammatically valid but slightly heavy. Form 2 uses the anticipatory 'It' as a dummy subject, which is more natural and commonly preferred in formal writing. In Form 2, 'by the government' can also be omitted if the agent is obvious, giving: 'It has not yet been decided whether to implement the new tax policy.' This is the most natural and idiomatic form.