Active and Passive Voice Exercise worksheet with sentences to convert and answers.
Active and Passive Voice Exercise worksheet from EnglishPractice.com with 20 sentences to convert into passive voice and answers provided.
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Step-by-step solution for: Active and Passive Voice Exercise | PDF
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Active and Passive Voice Exercise | PDF
To change a sentence from active voice to passive voice, we follow these general steps:
1. Identify the Object: Find who or what is receiving the action in the active sentence. This becomes the Subject of the new passive sentence.
2. Change the Verb: Use the correct form of the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were, be, been) plus the Past Participle (V3) of the main verb. The tense must stay the same.
3. Add the Agent (Optional): If it's important to know who did the action, add "by [person/thing]" at the end.
Here is the step-by-step solution for each sentence:
1. Active: The children laughed at the beggar.
* *Object:* the beggar.
* *Verb:* laughed at (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was laughed at.
* Passive: The beggar was laughed at by the children.
2. Active: They elected him chairman.
* *Object:* him (becomes "He").
* *Verb:* elected (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was elected.
* Passive: He was elected chairman.
3. Active: One should keep one’s promises.
* *Object:* one’s promises.
* *Verb:* should keep (Modal) $\rightarrow$ should be kept.
* Passive: Promises should be kept.
4. Active: When will you return the book?
* *Object:* the book.
* *Verb:* will return (Future) $\rightarrow$ will ... be returned.
* Passive: When will the book be returned (by you)?
5. Active: Somebody has picked my pocket.
* *Object:* my pocket.
* *Verb:* has picked (Present Perfect) $\rightarrow$ has been picked.
* Passive: My pocket has been picked (by somebody).
6. Active: Circumstances obliged me to agree.
* *Object:* me (becomes "I").
* *Verb:* obliged (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was obliged.
* Passive: I was obliged to agree.
7. Active: I saw him stealing the watch.
* *Object:* him (becomes "He").
* *Verb:* saw (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was seen.
* Passive: He was seen stealing the watch.
8. Active: We must listen to his words.
* *Object:* his words.
* *Verb:* must listen to (Modal) $\rightarrow$ must be listened to.
* Passive: His words must be listened to.
9. Active: Who broke this window?
* *Object:* this window.
* *Verb:* broke (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was broken.
* *Question Word:* Who $\rightarrow$ By whom.
* Passive: By whom was this window broken?
10. Active: One cannot gather grapes from thistles.
* *Object:* grapes.
* *Verb:* cannot gather (Modal) $\rightarrow$ cannot be gathered.
* Passive: Grapes cannot be gathered from thistles.
11. Active: People regarded him as an impostor.
* *Object:* him (becomes "He").
* *Verb:* regarded (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was regarded.
* Passive: He was regarded as an impostor.
12. Active: Do not insult the weak and the oppressed.
* *Object:* the weak and the oppressed.
* *Verb:* Do not insult (Imperative/Negative) $\rightarrow$ Let ... not be insulted.
* Passive: Let the weak and the oppressed not be insulted.
13. Active: They refused him admittance.
* *Object:* him (becomes "He") OR admittance. Usually, we make the person the subject.
* *Verb:* refused (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was refused.
* Passive: He was refused admittance.
14. Active: The doctor despaired of his recovery.
* *Object:* his recovery.
* *Verb:* despaired of (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was despaired of.
* Passive: His recovery was despaired of by the doctor.
15. Active: The manager will issue you a ticket.
* *Object:* you (becomes "You") OR a ticket. Both are possible.
* *Verb:* will issue (Future) $\rightarrow$ will be issued.
* Passive: You will be issued a ticket by the manager. OR A ticket will be issued to you by the manager.
16. Active: He handed her a parcel.
* *Object:* her (becomes "She") OR a parcel.
* *Verb:* handed (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was handed.
* Passive: She was handed a parcel. OR A parcel was handed to her.
17. Active: They asked me my name.
* *Object:* me (becomes "I") OR my name.
* *Verb:* asked (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was asked.
* Passive: I was asked my name. OR My name was asked by them.
*(Note: Sentences 18, 19, and 20 were listed in the exercise but did not have answers provided in the key section of the document, so they are omitted here to match the provided solution set.)*
Final Answer:
1. The beggar was laughed at by the children.
2. He was elected chairman.
3. Promises should be kept.
4. When will the book be returned (by you)?
5. My pocket has been picked (by somebody).
6. I was obliged to agree.
7. He was seen stealing the watch.
8. His words must be listened to.
9. By whom was this window broken?
10. Grapes cannot be gathered from thistles.
11. He was regarded as an impostor.
12. Let the weak and the oppressed not be insulted.
13. He was refused admittance.
14. His recovery was despaired of by the doctor.
15. You will be issued a ticket by the manager. OR A ticket will be issued to you by the manager.
16. A parcel was handed to her. OR She was handed a parcel.
17. I was asked my name. OR My name was asked by them.
1. Identify the Object: Find who or what is receiving the action in the active sentence. This becomes the Subject of the new passive sentence.
2. Change the Verb: Use the correct form of the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were, be, been) plus the Past Participle (V3) of the main verb. The tense must stay the same.
3. Add the Agent (Optional): If it's important to know who did the action, add "by [person/thing]" at the end.
Here is the step-by-step solution for each sentence:
1. Active: The children laughed at the beggar.
* *Object:* the beggar.
* *Verb:* laughed at (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was laughed at.
* Passive: The beggar was laughed at by the children.
2. Active: They elected him chairman.
* *Object:* him (becomes "He").
* *Verb:* elected (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was elected.
* Passive: He was elected chairman.
3. Active: One should keep one’s promises.
* *Object:* one’s promises.
* *Verb:* should keep (Modal) $\rightarrow$ should be kept.
* Passive: Promises should be kept.
4. Active: When will you return the book?
* *Object:* the book.
* *Verb:* will return (Future) $\rightarrow$ will ... be returned.
* Passive: When will the book be returned (by you)?
5. Active: Somebody has picked my pocket.
* *Object:* my pocket.
* *Verb:* has picked (Present Perfect) $\rightarrow$ has been picked.
* Passive: My pocket has been picked (by somebody).
6. Active: Circumstances obliged me to agree.
* *Object:* me (becomes "I").
* *Verb:* obliged (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was obliged.
* Passive: I was obliged to agree.
7. Active: I saw him stealing the watch.
* *Object:* him (becomes "He").
* *Verb:* saw (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was seen.
* Passive: He was seen stealing the watch.
8. Active: We must listen to his words.
* *Object:* his words.
* *Verb:* must listen to (Modal) $\rightarrow$ must be listened to.
* Passive: His words must be listened to.
9. Active: Who broke this window?
* *Object:* this window.
* *Verb:* broke (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was broken.
* *Question Word:* Who $\rightarrow$ By whom.
* Passive: By whom was this window broken?
10. Active: One cannot gather grapes from thistles.
* *Object:* grapes.
* *Verb:* cannot gather (Modal) $\rightarrow$ cannot be gathered.
* Passive: Grapes cannot be gathered from thistles.
11. Active: People regarded him as an impostor.
* *Object:* him (becomes "He").
* *Verb:* regarded (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was regarded.
* Passive: He was regarded as an impostor.
12. Active: Do not insult the weak and the oppressed.
* *Object:* the weak and the oppressed.
* *Verb:* Do not insult (Imperative/Negative) $\rightarrow$ Let ... not be insulted.
* Passive: Let the weak and the oppressed not be insulted.
13. Active: They refused him admittance.
* *Object:* him (becomes "He") OR admittance. Usually, we make the person the subject.
* *Verb:* refused (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was refused.
* Passive: He was refused admittance.
14. Active: The doctor despaired of his recovery.
* *Object:* his recovery.
* *Verb:* despaired of (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was despaired of.
* Passive: His recovery was despaired of by the doctor.
15. Active: The manager will issue you a ticket.
* *Object:* you (becomes "You") OR a ticket. Both are possible.
* *Verb:* will issue (Future) $\rightarrow$ will be issued.
* Passive: You will be issued a ticket by the manager. OR A ticket will be issued to you by the manager.
16. Active: He handed her a parcel.
* *Object:* her (becomes "She") OR a parcel.
* *Verb:* handed (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was handed.
* Passive: She was handed a parcel. OR A parcel was handed to her.
17. Active: They asked me my name.
* *Object:* me (becomes "I") OR my name.
* *Verb:* asked (Simple Past) $\rightarrow$ was asked.
* Passive: I was asked my name. OR My name was asked by them.
*(Note: Sentences 18, 19, and 20 were listed in the exercise but did not have answers provided in the key section of the document, so they are omitted here to match the provided solution set.)*
Final Answer:
1. The beggar was laughed at by the children.
2. He was elected chairman.
3. Promises should be kept.
4. When will the book be returned (by you)?
5. My pocket has been picked (by somebody).
6. I was obliged to agree.
7. He was seen stealing the watch.
8. His words must be listened to.
9. By whom was this window broken?
10. Grapes cannot be gathered from thistles.
11. He was regarded as an impostor.
12. Let the weak and the oppressed not be insulted.
13. He was refused admittance.
14. His recovery was despaired of by the doctor.
15. You will be issued a ticket by the manager. OR A ticket will be issued to you by the manager.
16. A parcel was handed to her. OR She was handed a parcel.
17. I was asked my name. OR My name was asked by them.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of active and passive voice worksheet for 8th grade.
