Active and Passive Voice:
The voice is the
quality of a verb which shows whether the subject is the doer or the receiver
or the action.
If the subject of a
sentence does something, the verb is in the active voice. If the subject of a sentence receives the action, the
verb is in the passive voice. The passive voice is used to show that the
action is more important than the doer.
Example Active: The maid does
the housework.
Passive: The
housework is done by the maid.
The passive voice is used when the doer of
the action is not known or uncertain. The doer or agent is left out of the
sentence.
Example: Active: Someone
stole Melvin’s wallet.
Passive: Melvin’s
wallet was stolen.
1.
The
simple present tense of the verb is
in the active voice is formed using
the base form of the verb that agrees with the subject.
Ex: They sweep the park every morning.
The present tense of the verb in the passive voice is formed using the be verbs (am, is, and
are) + the past participle form of
the verb
Ex: The park is swept every morning.
2.
The
present continuous tense of the verb
in the active voice is formed using
the be verbs (am, is and are) + the verb ending in –ing.
Ex: May is
looking after my younger brother.
The present continuous tense of the verb in the passive voice is formed using the be verbs (am, is, and are) + being
+ the past participle form of the
verb.
Ex: My younger brother is being looked after by May.
3.
The
simple past tense of the verb in the
active voice is formed using the
regular or the irregular form of the past tense of the verb.
Ex: The principal praised the pupil.
The simple past tense of the verb in the passive voice is formed using the be verbs (was and were) + the past
participle form of the verb.
Ex: The pupil was praised by the principal.
4.
The
past continuous tense of the verb in
the active voice is formed using the
be verbs (was and were) + the verb ending in –ing.
Ex: Jack was
bullying tom.
The past continuous tense of the verb in the passive voice is formed using the be verbs (was and were) + being
+ the past participle form of the
verb.
Ex: Tom was
being bullied by Jack.
5.
The
simple future tense of the verb in
the active voice is formed using will or shall + the base form of
the verb.
Ex: Mr.
Juan will serve the guests himself.
The future tense of the verb in the passive voice is formed using will
or shall + be + the past participle form of the verb.
Ex: The
guests will be served by Mr. Juan
himself.
6.
The
present perfect tense of the verb in
the active voice is formed using has or have + the past participle form
of the verb.
Ex: Someone has opened the safe.
The
present perfect tense of the verb in
the passive voice is formed using has or have + been + the past participle form of the verb.
Ex: The
safe has been opened.
7.
The
past perfect tense of the verb in
the active voice is formed using had + the past participle form of the verb.
Ex: They had
burglarized the house twice.
The past perfect tense of the verb in the passive voice is formed using had
+ been + the past participle form of the verb.
Ex: The house had been burglarized twice.
Verbals:
Verbals are based on
verbs. However, the y do not function as a verb but as a noun, adjective, or
adverb. There are three types of verbals – gerund,
participle, and infinitive.
Gerunds differ from verbs in the present
continuous form because gerunds are present participles used as nouns. They
always end in ing.
Read – reading jog
– jogging
A gerund can be the
subject or the object of a sentence.
Reading increases
our knowledge. (Reading is the subject of the sentence.)
I enjoy jogging
around the park. (Jogging is the object of the sentence.)
Participle is a type of verbal used as an
adjective. It ends in ing, ed, or en.
The surrounding
area is covered with tall grass.
The overloaded bus
couldn’t run fast.
I cannot walk with my swollen legs.
Infinitive
is a type of verbal
used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. It consists of to + verb in its base form.
To swim in the
Olympics is my dream. (infinitive as a noun)
She trains hard to
win. (infinitive as adverb)
The teacher has many test papers to check. (infinitive as adjective)
She checks the test papers regularly to know if her students learn. (infinitive as adverb)
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