Active and Passive Voice

This time let's discuss about Active and Passive Voice...

Active voice
In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb.
    These examples show that the subject is  doing the verb's action.
           
Because the subject does or "acts upon" the verb in such sentences, the sentences are said to be in the active voice.
Passive voice
One can change the normal word order of many active sentences (those with a direct object) so that the subject is no longer active, but is, instead, being acted upon by the verb - or passive.
    Note in these examples how the subject-verb relationship has changed.
           
Because the subject is being "acted upon" (or is passive), such sentences are said to be in the passive voice.
NOTE:   Colorful parrots live in the rainforests cannot be changed to passive voice because the sentence does not have a direct object.
To change a sentence from active to passive voice, do the following:
    1.  Move  the active sentence's direct object into the sentence's subject  slot
             
    2. Place the active sentence's subject into a  phrase beginning with the preposition by
             
    3.  Add a form of the auxiliary verb be to the main verb and change the  main verb's form
             
Because passive voice sentences necessarily add words and change the normal doer-action-receiver of action direction, they may make the reader work harder to understand the intended meaning.
As the examples below illustrate, a sentence in  active voice  flows more smoothly and is easier to understand than the same sentence in  passive voice.
            
           
It is generally preferable to use the ACTIVE voice.
To change a passive voice sentence into an active voice sentence, simply reverse the steps shown above.
    1.  Move  the passive sentence's subject into the active  sentence's  direct object slot
            
    2.  Remove  the auxiliary verb be from the main verb and change main verb's form if needed
            
    3. Place the passive sentence's object of the preposition by into the subject slot.
          
Because it is more direct, most writers prefer to use the active voice whenever possible.
The passive voice may be a better choice, however, when

• the doer of the action is unknown, unwanted, or unneeded in the sentence

             Examples
            

• the writer wishes to emphasize the action of the sentence rather than the doer of the action

            Examples
              

• the writer wishes to use passive voice for sentence variety.                                            
  
  
  Below are the formula that use for active and passive voice in many tenses:
  SIMPLE PRESENT and SIMPLE PAST
  The active object becomes the passive subject.
  am/is/are + past participle
  was/were + past participle
  
  
  Active: Simple Present
  The movie fascinates me.
  The movie bores Jack.
  The movie surprises them.
  
  
  Passive: Simple Present
  I am fascinated by the movie.
  Jack is bored by the movie.
  They are surprised by the movie
  
  
  Active: Simple Past
  The movie bored me.
  The movie fascinated Jack.
  The movie surprised them.
  
  
  Passive: Simple Past
  I was bored by the movie.
  Jack was fascinated by the movie.
  They were surprisedby the movie.
  
  
  PRESENT and PAST CONTINUOUS (PROGRESSIVE)
  Passive form:
  am/is/are + being + past participle
  was/were + being + past participle
   
  Active: Present Continuous
  I am helping Shannon.
  June is helping Su and Ling. Passive: Present Continuous
  Shannon is being helped by me.
  Su and Ling are being helped by June.
   
  Active: Past Continuous
  I was cleaning the bathroom.
  They were cleaning the bedroom.
  Susan was cleaning the kitchen and patio.
   
  Passive: Past Continuous
  The bathroom was being cleaned by me.
  The bedroom was being cleaned by them.
  The kitchen and patio were being cleaned by Susan.
  
  
  PRESENT PERFECT, PAST PERFECT and FUTURE PERFECT
  Passive form:
  have/has been + past participle
  had been + past participle
  
  
  Active: Present Perfect
  I have mailed the gift.
  Jack has mailed the gifts.
  
  
  Passive: Present Perfect
  The gift has been mailed by me.
  The gifts have been mailed by Jack.
  
  
  Active: Past Perfect
  Steven Spielberg had directed the movie.
  Penny Marshall had directed those movies.
                                                                                                                                                               Passive: Past Perfect
  The movie had been directed by Steven Spielberg.
  The movies had been directed by Penny Marshall.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

  Passive Voice with modals

  Affirmative Form	Object + may, must, can, could, ought to, should + be + verb3
  Question Form	Must, may, can, should, might + object + be + verb3 (past participle)

  
  
  Something must / can / should... be done by someone at sometime.                                               Example:                                
  
  Active : Our English teacher may give an exam today.
  Passive: An exam may be given by our English teacher today.                             

         EXERCISE    

         Question

         A. Change from Active into Passive

        1. He sings a song
        2. The boy killed the spider
         3. Are you writing a letter?
        4  Have you finished your job?
        5. The workers were digging a canal

         B. Change from Passive into Active

        1. We are taught grammar by Ms Mila
        2. He was praised by the teacher.
        3. The letter was posted by Alice.
        4. The snake was killed with a stick.
        5.  He was found guilty of murder.








         Answer

        Part A 
      
       1. A song is sung by him. 
       2. The spider was killed by the boy.
       3. Is a letter being written by you?
       4. Has your job been finished by you?
       5. A canal was being dug by the workers. 

        Part B 

      1. Ms Mila teaches us grammar.
      2. The teacher praised him.
      3. Alice posted the letter.
      4. They/somebody killed the snake with a stick.
      5. They found him guilty of murder.



      Thank You and Good Luck..!!!


   

      Sources:

      http://www.towson.edu/ows/activepass.htm   
      http://olidt-englishclubeducation.blogspot.co.id/2010/04/active-and-passive-voice.html
      http://www.grammarbank.com/passives-with-modals.html
      http://www.englishgrammar.org/active-passive-voice-worksheet-2/
      http://www.englishpractice.com/grammar/active-passive-voice-exercise-3/