Active Voice and Passive Voice Listening worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve this worksheet step by step. The task is to write two sentences for each picture:
1. One in active voice (subject performs the action).
2. One in passive voice (the subject receives the action).

We’ll go through each one with explanations.

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1. The scientist / mix / two liquids

Active Voice:
👉 *The scientist mixes two liquids.*
(Subject: the scientist; Action: mixes; Object: two liquids)

Passive Voice:
👉 *Two liquids are mixed by the scientist.*
(The focus is on the liquids being mixed, not who does it.)

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2. The weight / lift / the weightlifter

Active Voice:
👉 *The weightlifter lifts the weight.*
(Subject: the weightlifter; Action: lifts; Object: the weight)

Passive Voice:
👉 *The weight is lifted by the weightlifter.*
(The weight is the receiver of the action.)

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3. The paper / tear / Adam

Active Voice:
👉 *Adam tears the paper.*
(Subject: Adam; Action: tears; Object: the paper)

Passive Voice:
👉 *The paper is torn by Adam.*
(The paper is the focus — it gets torn.)

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4. Bill / wake up / the alarm clock

Active Voice:
👉 *The alarm clock wakes Bill up.*
(Subject: the alarm clock; Action: wakes up; Object: Bill)

Passive Voice:
👉 *Bill is woken up by the alarm clock.*
(Note: "wake up" becomes "woken up" in passive form.)

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5. Andy / faint

Active Voice:
👉 *Andy faints.*
(This is an intransitive verb — no object. So only active voice makes sense here.)

Passive Voice:
👉 *No passive voice possible* (since "faint" doesn’t take a direct object).
But if we want to use passive structure anyway, we can say:
👉 *Andy is fainted.* → ✘ This is incorrect because "faint" isn't used in passive voice naturally.

✔ So, only active voice: *Andy faints.*

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6. The boxer in red / knock / out

Active Voice:
👉 *The boxer in red knocks out the other boxer.*
(We assume there’s another boxer being knocked out.)

Passive Voice:
👉 *The boxer in red is knocked out.*
(Here, the boxer in red is the one receiving the action.)

Wait — let's clarify:
The phrase says “the boxer in red / knock / out” — likely meaning the boxer in red is knocked out.

So:

Active Voice:
👉 *The other boxer knocks out the boxer in red.*
(Who does the action? Another boxer — implied from context.)

Passive Voice:
👉 *The boxer in red is knocked out.*
(Perfect passive — the boxer is the recipient.)

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7. David / throw / up in the bathroom

Active Voice:
👉 *David throws up in the bathroom.*
(Subject: David; Action: throws up; Location: bathroom)

Passive Voice:
👉 *Vomit is thrown up by David in the bathroom.*
(Though awkward, this is grammatically correct. But usually, we don’t use passive for bodily functions unless emphasizing the result.)

Alternatively, more natural:
👉 *David is sick and throws up in the bathroom.* (but that's not passive)

So best passive:
👉 *Vomit is thrown up in the bathroom by David.*

But note: "throw up" is often used as an intransitive verb (*David throws up*), so passive isn’t common.

Still, for the exercise:
✔ Passive: *Vomit is thrown up in the bathroom by David.*

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8. The ball / throw / the player

Active Voice:
👉 *The player throws the ball.*
(Subject: the player; Action: throws; Object: the ball)

Passive Voice:
👉 *The ball is thrown by the player.*
(Focus on the ball being thrown.)

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✔ Final Answers:

| Picture | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|--------|--------------|---------------|
| Scientist mixing liquids | The scientist mixes two liquids. | Two liquids are mixed by the scientist. |
| Weightlifter lifting weight | The weightlifter lifts the weight. | The weight is lifted by the weightlifter. |
| Adam tearing paper | Adam tears the paper. | The paper is torn by Adam. |
| Alarm clock waking Bill | The alarm clock wakes Bill up. | Bill is woken up by the alarm clock. |
| Andy fainting | Andy faints. | *(No passive – intransitive verb)* |
| Boxer knocked out | The other boxer knocks out the boxer in red. | The boxer in red is knocked out. |
| David throwing up | David throws up in the bathroom. | Vomit is thrown up in the bathroom by David. |
| Player throwing ball | The player throws the ball. | The ball is thrown by the player. |

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💡 Key Tips:

- Active voice: Subject does the action.
- Passive voice: Subject receives the action. Use be + past participle.
- Some verbs (like *faint*, *sleep*, *die*) are intransitive, so they don’t have passive forms.
- For "wake up", "knock out", "throw up", remember that phrasal verbs need care in passive constructions.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or explanation in simpler terms!