100+ Active and Passive Voice Examples

Voice in grammar refers to the relationship between the action expressed by the verb and the participants identified by the subject, object, and other noun phrases. Understanding the difference between active and passive voice can greatly enhance your writing skills. Let's dive into numerous examples of both.

List of Active and Passive Voice Examples:

What is Active Voice?

In an active voice sentence, the subject performs the action of the verb. Active voice is generally more direct and vigorous than passive voice.

Examples of Active Voice:

1. The chef cooked the meal.
2. The dog chased the cat.
3. The teacher explained the lesson.
4. The company launched a new product.
5. The artist painted a beautiful mural.

What is Passive Voice?

In a passive voice sentence, the subject receives the action of the verb. Passive voice can sometimes be useful if the performer of the action is unknown or unimportant.

Examples of Passive Voice:

1. The meal was cooked by the chef.
2. The cat was chased by the dog.
3. The lesson was explained by the teacher.
4. A new product was launched by the company.
5. A beautiful mural was painted by the artist.

Converting Active Voice to Passive Voice

To convert a sentence from active to passive voice, follow these steps:

1. Move the object of the active sentence to the subject position.
2. Change the verb to a form of "to be" + past participle of the main verb.
3. Optionally, include the original subject after "by."

Example:

• Active: The manager approved the project.
• Passive: The project was approved by the manager.

Examples Across Different Tenses

Simple Present Tense

• Active: The gardener waters the plants.
• Passive: The plants are watered by the gardener.
  
  

Present Continuous Tense

• Active: The mechanic is fixing the car.
• Passive: The car is being fixed by the mechanic.
  
  

Simple Past Tense

• Active: The children played the game.
• Passive: The game was played by the children.
  
  

Past Continuous Tense

• Active: The students were writing essays.
• Passive: Essays were being written by the students.
  
  

Present Perfect Tense

• Active: The author has written the book.
• Passive: The book has been written by the author.
  
  

Simple Future Tense

• Active: The team will complete the project.
• Passive: The project will be completed by the team.

Why Use Passive Voice?

While active voice is often preferred for its clarity and directness, passive voice is useful in certain situations:

1. To emphasize the action or result: The passive voice can place focus on the action itself or the object of the action.
   • Passive: The novel was published to critical acclaim.
2. When the subject is unknown or irrelevant: Sometimes, the doer of the action is not known or is less important than the action.
   • Passive: The documents were stolen.
3. To be intentionally vague: In some cases, the passive voice is used to avoid assigning blame or responsibility.
   • Passive: Mistakes were made.

Practice with More Examples

Simple Present Tense:

• Active: The scientist conducts experiments.
• Passive: Experiments are conducted by the scientist.
  
  

Present Continuous Tense:

• Active: The chef is preparing the ingredients.
• Passive: The ingredients are being prepared by the chef.
  
  

Simple Past Tense:

• Active: The team won the championship.
• Passive: The championship was won by the team.
  
  

Past Continuous Tense:

• Active: The children were drawing pictures.
• Passive: Pictures were being drawn by the children.
  
  

Present Perfect Tense:

• Active: The engineer has designed the bridge.
• Passive: The bridge has been designed by the engineer.
  
  

Simple Future Tense:

• Active: The committee will review the proposal.
• Passive: The proposal will be reviewed by the committee.

Also read - Active and Passive Voice Exercises

Conclusion

Understanding when to use active and passive voice can significantly enhance your writing style. Active voice makes your sentences clear and direct, while passive voice can be useful for emphasizing the action or when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant. Practice converting sentences between active and passive voice to become more proficient in both styles.