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How Do I Change a Sentence to Passive?

Published in Grammar Transformation 4 mins read

To change a sentence to passive voice, you essentially rearrange the sentence so the action's recipient becomes the focus, rather than the performer of the action. This involves swapping the roles of the subject and object, and adjusting the verb form.

Understanding the Core Transformation

The fundamental principle behind converting an active voice sentence to passive voice is that the original subject becomes the object (or is omitted), and the original object becomes the new subject.

Consider this example from the active voice:

  • Active voice: She bought a new car. (Here, "She" is the subject performing the action, and "a new car" is the object receiving the action.)

When transformed into passive voice, the sentence shifts its focus:

  • Passive voice: A new car was bought by her. (Now, "A new car" is the subject, receiving the action, and "her" is the object, indicating who performed the action.)

Step-by-Step Guide to Passive Voice Transformation

Follow these steps to effectively convert an active sentence into its passive form:

  1. Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object: In an active sentence, pinpoint who or what is performing the action (subject), the action itself (verb), and who or what is receiving the action (object).
    • Example: The chef cooked (verb) dinner (object). The chef (subject)
  2. Move the Object to the Subject Position: The object of your active sentence will become the new subject of your passive sentence.
    • Example: Dinner...
  3. Use a Form of "To Be" + Past Participle: Select the appropriate form of the verb "to be" (is, am, are, was, were, been, being) that matches the tense of the original verb and the new subject. Then, use the past participle of the main verb.
    • Example: Dinner was cooked... (Original verb "cooked" is past tense, so "was" is used, and "cooked" is already the past participle).
  4. (Optional) Add "by" + Original Subject: If it's important to mention who performed the action, add "by" followed by the original subject (now in object pronoun form if it was a pronoun). This part is often omitted if the doer is unknown, irrelevant, or obvious.
    • Example: Dinner was cooked by the chef.

Examples of Active to Passive Conversion

Here’s a table illustrating the transformation:

Active Voice Passive Voice Explanation
She bought a new car. A new car was bought by her. "A new car" (object) becomes the new subject. "Bought" (past tense) becomes "was bought." "She" becomes "by her."
The students write essays. Essays are written by the students. "Essays" (object) becomes the new subject. "Write" (present tense) becomes "are written." "The students" becomes "by the students."
My mother will bake a cake. A cake will be baked by my mother. "A cake" (object) becomes the new subject. "Will bake" (future tense) becomes "will be baked." "My mother" becomes "by my mother."
They are building a new bridge. A new bridge is being built by them. "A new bridge" (object) becomes the new subject. "Are building" (present continuous) becomes "is being built." "They" becomes "by them."
Someone has stolen my wallet. My wallet has been stolen. (By someone omitted) "My wallet" (object) becomes the new subject. "Has stolen" (present perfect) becomes "has been stolen." "Someone" is omitted as the doer is unknown.

When to Use Passive Voice

While active voice is generally preferred for clarity and directness, the passive voice is useful in specific situations:

  • When the performer of the action is unknown or unimportant:
    • Example: The window was broken last night. (We don't know who broke it.)
  • When you want to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action:
    • Example: The historic treaty was signed in 1776. (Focus is on the treaty and the signing, not who signed it.)
  • To maintain objectivity or formality (common in scientific or technical writing):
    • Example: Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis.
  • To avoid assigning blame:
    • Example: Mistakes were made.

For more detailed information on sentence structure transformation, you can refer to comprehensive English grammar guides online, such as those found on reputable educational platforms like Purdue OWL.