Passive to Active Voice — Full Conversion Rules, Tricks & Practice for Exams

Tense / Structure

Passive Form

Active Form

Present Simple

am/is/are + V3

V1 / V1s

Past Simple

was/were + V3

V2

Present Perfect

has/have been + V3

has/have + V3

Past Perfect

had been + V3

had + V3

Future Simple

will be + V3

will + V1

Present Continuous

is/are being + V3

is/are + V1-ing

Past Continuous

was/were being + V3

was/were + V1-ing

Modal

modal + be + V3

modal + V1

Imperative Passive

Let + object + be + V3

V1 + object

Passive (Object form)

Active (Subject form)

me

I

him

he

her

she

them

they

us

we

Q1. [Modal Passive]

Change to Active Voice: The work must be completed by tomorrow.

A) Someone must complete the work by tomorrow.

B) The work must have been completed.

C) Tomorrow must complete the work.

D) Must complete the work by tomorrow.

Answer: A  |  Modal passive: "must be + V3" → "must + V1". No agent → use "someone". Active: Someone must complete the work by tomorrow.

Q2. [Modal Passive]

Change to Active Voice: The decision could be taken by the committee.

A) The committee could take the decision.

B) The committee could have taken the decision.

C) The decision could have been taken.

D) Could the committee take the decision?

Answer: A  |  "could be taken" → "could take". Agent "the committee" becomes the active subject. Option B wrongly uses "could have taken" (perfect modal — different tense).

Q3. [Modal Passive — need/dare]

Change to Active Voice: This form need not be filled by you.

A) You need not fill this form.

B) You do not need to fill this form.

C) You need not to fill this form.

D) You must not fill this form.

Answer: A  |  "Need not" is a modal auxiliary. "Need not be + V3" → "need not + V1". Option C wrongly adds "to" after "need not". Option D changes the meaning completely.

Q4. [Interrogative Passive]

Change to Active Voice: Was the letter written by her?

A) Did she write the letter?

B) Has she written the letter?

C) Did she wrote the letter?

D) She wrote the letter?

Answer: A  |  Passive interrogative: "Was + S + V3" → "Did + subject + V1?" Option C is wrong (wrote ≠ V1 after did). Option B changes tense to present perfect.

Q5. [Interrogative Passive]

Change to Active Voice: By whom was the window broken?

A) Who broke the window?

B) Whom did the window break?

C) Who has broken the window?

D) Who did break the window?

Answer: A  |  "By whom" signals the agent question. Active: "Who broke the window?" — simple past. When "who" is subject, no auxiliary "did" needed. Option B wrongly makes "window" the subject.

Q6. [Interrogative Passive]

Change to Active Voice: Who was the painting made by?

A) Who made the painting?

B) By whom was the painting made?

C) Who did make the painting?

D) Whom made the painting?

Answer: A  |  The active form is "Who made the painting?" — simple past, subject-first. "Who" acts as subject so no auxiliary "did" is needed. Option C (did + make) is emphatic and not standard.

Q7. [Imperative Passive]

Change to Active Voice: Let the applications be submitted before Friday.

A) Submit the applications before Friday.

B) Let the applications submit before Friday.

C) Applications should be submitted before Friday.

D) Submitted the applications before Friday.

Answer: A  |  "Let + object + be + V3" → direct command. Active: "Submit the applications before Friday." Option C shifts to modal. Option D uses past tense wrongly.

Q8. [Imperative Passive]

Change to Active Voice: Let the matter be discussed.

A) Discuss the matter.

B) Let us discuss the matter.

C) The matter should be discussed.

D) Discussed the matter.

Answer: A  |  Classic trap — "Let the matter be discussed" ≠ "Let us discuss" (which means suggestion/request). "Let + object + be + V3" is passive imperative. Active = "Discuss the matter."

Q9. [No Agent]

Change to Active Voice: Spanish is spoken in many countries.

A) People speak Spanish in many countries.

B) Many countries are speaking Spanish.

C) Spanish speaks in many countries.

D) One is speaking Spanish in many countries.

Answer: A  |  No "by ___" agent given → use "people". Present simple passive → active. "Many countries" cannot be the subject because countries don't speak — people do.

Q10. [No Agent]

Change to Active Voice: A new hospital was being built in the city.

A) They were building a new hospital in the city.

B) They built a new hospital in the city.

C) A new hospital has been built in the city.

D) People built a new hospital in the city.

Answer: A  |  "was being built" = past continuous passive → "were building" (past continuous active). "They" for unnamed agent. Option B drops the continuous aspect wrongly.

Q11. [Tense — Present Perfect]

Change to Active Voice: The report has been submitted by the team.

A) The team has submitted the report.

B) The team submitted the report.

C) The team had submitted the report.

D) The team has been submitting the report.

Answer: A  |  "has been submitted" → "has submitted". Agent "by the team" becomes subject. Option B (simple past) and D (present perfect continuous) are wrong tense/aspect.

Q12. [Tense — Future Simple]

Change to Active Voice: The new rules will be announced next week.

A) Someone will announce the new rules next week.

B) Someone announces the new rules next week.

C) Someone will be announcing the new rules next week.

D) The new rules will have been announced next week.

Answer: A  |  "will be announced" → "will announce". No agent → use "someone". Option C changes to future continuous, Option D to future perfect — both wrong.

Q13. [Tense — Past Perfect]

Change to Active Voice: The cake had been eaten before she arrived.

A) Someone had eaten the cake before she arrived.

B) Someone ate the cake before she arrived.

C) Someone has eaten the cake before she arrived.

D) Someone was eating the cake before she arrived.

Answer: A  |  "had been eaten" → "had eaten" (past perfect active). The timeline (eaten → arrived) is preserved. Option B (simple past) loses the past perfect nuance — a favourite SSC trap.

Q14. [Double Object]

Change to Active Voice: He was given a prize by the principal.

A) The principal gave him a prize.

B) The principal gave a prize to him.

C) The principal gave him a prize by him.

D) The principal is giving him a prize.

Answer: A  |  When indirect object (him) is the passive subject, restore it to IO position. Both A and B are correct, but A ("gave him a prize") is the more direct/natural form. Option C is redundant.

Q15. [Double Object]

Change to Active Voice: A book was sent to her by the publisher.

A) The publisher sent her a book.

B) The publisher sent a book to her.

C) The publisher sends her a book.

D) The publisher had sent her a book.

Answer: A  |  Both A and B are technically correct active forms. A uses IO-DO order (more common); B retains the "to" phrase. Exams typically mark A as the preferred answer. Options C and D change tense.