Learn the difference between Active and Passive voice. Understand sentences like The chef cooked the meal → The meal was cooked.
Active voice describes a sentence where the subject performs the action. Passive voice describes a sentence where the subject receives the action. The object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
Understanding the difference between active and passive sentences allows you to express ideas more clearly and appropriately based on the emphasis you want to place on the action or the doer.
To change from active to passive voice, move the object of the active sentence to the subject position, and use a form of the verb 'to be' + past participle of the main verb.
'The chef cooked the meal.' → The meal was cooked by the chef. (Active to passive)
'She writes the letter.' → The letter is written by her. (Active to passive)
'They built the house.' → The house was built by them. (Active to passive)
Rules for Active vs. Passive Sentences
In active voice, the subject performs the action
In passive voice, the subject receives the action
Change the object of the active sentence into the subject of the passive sentence, and use 'to be' + past participle
Special Cases & Exceptions:
In passive voice, we sometimes omit the doer (the person or thing performing the action) when it's not necessary or not known.
Omit the doer when it's unknown or irrelevant to the sentence.
| Example | Tense | Use |
|---|---|---|
| The chef cooked the meal. | Past Simple | Active voice - subject performs the action |
| The meal was cooked by the chef. | Past Simple | Passive voice - subject receives the action |
| She writes the letter. | Present Simple | Active voice - subject performs the action |
| The letter is written by her. | Present Simple | Passive voice - subject receives the action |
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