PROMISE ACADEMIC AND ADMISSION CARE

Subject: English 2nd Paper

Instructor: Nirob Sir

Cell: 0197 810 2106

Topic: Voice Change

Active Voice: All respect an honest man. What respect? Ans.×

Passive Voice: An honest man is respected by all. Whom respect? Ans: An honest
man.

STRUCTURE:

[WHAT/WHOM→VERB?] ANS.+AUXILIARY VERB+V3+PREPOSITION+OBJ. FORM OF SUB.

AUXILIARY VERB

ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE

INDEFINITE CONTINUOUS

CONTINUOUS +BEING

PERFECT +BEEN

MODALS +BE

List of MODALS: Can, could, may, might, shall, should, would, must, ought to, etc.

Varied prepositions after the past participle in Passive Voice

known + to

worried + about

frightened + of

Contained/ embodied/ interested + in

Annoyed/ alarmed/ disappointed/ displeased/ surprised/astonished/amazed + at

Filled/crowded/lined/pleased/satisfied/thronged with

USING DO/DOES/DID

Do you know me?

=Am I known to you?

Does he speak English well?

=is English spoken well by him?

WHAT/HOW

How can you do this?

=How can this be done by you?

What do you want?

=What is wanted by you?

WHO

Who does not respect sincerity?

=By whom is not sincerity respected?

KINDLY/PLEASE You are requested to

Please leave me alone.

=You are requested to leave me alone.

Verb+Object Let+Object+Be+V3+…..

Pay the bill today.

=Let the bill be paid today.

Don’t Let not+Object+Be+V3+………

Don’t look down upon the poor.

=Let not the poor be looked down upon.

Let+Obj(person).+V +…Obj (thing) Let+Obj(thing)+Be+V3+By+Obj(person)

Let her sing a song.

=Let a song be sung by her.

DRILL#1

I gladly accepted the invitation.

Socrates knew that well.

His writing awakened the sleeping people of this sub-continent.

They pulled her up in to the boat.

She ordered her huntsman to kill Snow White.

It stores honey in the hives.

Everybody loves flowers.

Almost all like it.

He was digging holes in several places.

We ought to preserve this precious wildlife from the extinctions by any means.

DRILL#2
The govt. has taken necessary steps to eradicate illiteracy.

He cultivates rice.

We should control it for our own sake.

It upholds the society, art and culture of a country.

Everybody hates a dishonest man.

Various elements cause air pollution.

His works pleased the relation. Many believe that English helps people to act good jobs and
better salaries.

DRILL#3

My book was stolen.

He is not known here.

He is called a liar.

English is spoken all over the world.

The thief was arrested.

The tree has been uprooted.

Rome was not built in a day.

Promise should be kept.

This building was built in 1999.

DRILL#4

The lives of the people of Bangladesh have been shaped by tragedy.

They were attacked by a band of robbers.

A true friend is hardly found.

So, His early life was spent in luxury.

Nowadays books are published in huge quantity.

Some Peculiarities in Voice

Active: One should keep one's promise.

Passive: A promise should be kept.

Active: Someone has stolen my purse.

Passive: My purse has been stolen.

Active: Circumstances obliged me to go.

Passive: I was obliged to go.

Active: We can gain nothing without labour.

Passive: Nothing can be gained without labour. (by us-omitted)

Active: Why did they refuse him admittance?

Passive: Why was he refused admittance? (by them omitted)

Active: We should not encourage indiscipline.

Passive: Indiscipline should not be encouraged. (by us-omitted)

Active: Mother looked after the boy. (look after-group verb)

Passive: The boy was looked after by mother. (prep. 'after' retained)

Active: He has worked out the answer correctly (work out-group verb)

Passive: The answer has been correctly worked out by him.

Active: Someone built this building in 1990.

Passive: This building was built in 1990.

Active: Mr. Perfect presided over the meeting.

Passive: The meeting was presided over by [Link].

Active: He considers me honest.

Passive: I am considered honest by him.

Active: He likes people to obey him.

Passive: He likes to be obeyed by people.

Active: We ought to help the poor.

Passive: The poor ought to be helped by us.

Active: People believe that you know.

Passive: It is supposed that you know.

Active: We will not admit children under ten.

Passive: Children under ten will not be admitted by us.

Active: It is time to do your duty.

Passive: It is time for your duty to be done.

Active: I have lost my pen.

Passive: My pen has been lost.

1. Retained Object

When a verb takes two objects, either may be retained in the passive.

 Active: Mr. Das teaches us English.

o Passive (1): We are taught English by Mr. Das.
o Passive (2): English is taught us by Mr. Das.
 Active: Bipin gave me a book.
o Passive (1): I was given a book by Bipin.
o Passive (2): A book was given me by Bipin.
 Active: My friend sent me a gift.
o Passive (1): I was sent a gift by my friend.
o Passive (2): A gift was sent me by my friend.
 Active: They handed him a leaflet.
o Passive (1): He was handed a leaflet by them.
o Passive (2): A leaflet was handed him by them.
 Active: Gahar offered me a seat.
o Passive (1): I was offered a seat by Gahar.
o Passive (2): A seat was offered me by Gahar.

2. Factitive Object
When the object has a complement, both remain in passive.

 Active: They made him king.

o Passive: He was made king by them.
 Active: They elected him President.
o Passive: He was elected President by them.

3. Reflexive Object

 Active: He hurt himself.

o Passive: He was hurt by himself.

4. Passive of Infinitives (Only for HSC students)

 Active: There are lots of things to do.

o Passive: There are lots of things to be done.
 Active: There is no time to lose.
o Passive: There is no time to be lost.
 Active: You have to admit this.
o Passive: This has to be admitted by you.
 Active: I am to make a telephone call.
o Passive: A telephone call is to be made by me.
 Active: You are to make this arrangement.
o Passive: This arrangement is to be made by you.

5. Verbs + Object + Infinitive

 Active: I saw him go to the garden.

o Passive: He was seen to go to the garden.
 Active: Lipika made us laugh.
o Passive: We were made to laugh by Lipika.

6. Verbal Noun with Preposition

 Active: We went to see the launching of the ship.

o Passive: We went to see the ship being launched.

7. Object Understood (Doer Unknown)

 Active: I have lost my book.

o Passive: My book has been lost.
 Active: Someone has stolen my car.
o Passive: My car has been stolen.
 Active: Someone invited me to the party.
 o Passive: I was invited to the party.
 Example: The shed is burnt to ashes.
 Example: English is spoken all over the world.

8. Quasi-Passive Voice

(i) Verbs with Complement

 Active: Honey tastes sweet.

o Passive: Honey is sweet when it is tasted. Or Honey is tasted sweet.
 Active: The rose smells sweet.
o Passive: The rose is sweet when it is smelt.
 Active: The stone feels rough.
o Passive: The stone is rough when it is felt.
 Active: This composition reads well.
o Passive: This composition sounds well when it is read.
 Active: Your blame counts for nothing.
o Passive: Your blame is worth nothing when it is counted.

(ii) Verbs without Complement

 Active: The house is building.

o Passive: The house is being built.
 Active: The trumpets are sounding.
o Passive: The trumpets are being sounded.
 Active: The drums are beating.
o Passive: The drums are being beaten.
 Active: The book is printing.
o Passive: The book is being printed.
 Active: The cows are milking.
o Passive: The cows are being milked.

9. Passive of Complex Sentences (Only for HSC students)

 Active: We know that Columbus discovered America.

o Passive (1): That America was discovered by Columbus is known to us.
o Passive (2): It is known to us that America was discovered by Columbus.
 Active: We hope that we shall finish the work in time.
o Passive: It is hoped that the work will be finished in time.
 Active: I cannot depend on what he says.
o Passive: What is said by him cannot be depended on by me.
 Active: We must endure what we cannot cure.
o Passive: What cannot be cured must be endured.
 Active: We know that the earth is round.
 o Passive: It is known to us that the earth is round.

10. Double Passive (Avoid)

 Active: They proposed to hold a meeting.

o ❌ Incorrect Passive: A meeting was proposed to be held by them.
o ✅ Correct Passive: It was proposed by them to hold a meeting.
o ✅ Or: It was proposed by them that a meeting should be held.
 Active: The judge ordered the culprit to be hanged.
o ✅ Correct Passive: The culprit was ordered to be hanged by the judge.

11. Passive with Different Prepositions

 Active: I know the fact.

o Passive: The fact is known to me.
 Active: His conduct shocked me.
o Passive: I was shocked at his conduct.

Active: Light filled the room.

Passive: The room was filled with light. (not by light)
Active: Her manners pleased us very much.
Passive: We were very much pleased with her manners. (not by her manners)
Active: The novels of Tolstoy interest me.

Passive: I am interested in the novels of Tolstoy. (not by the novels of Tolstoy)