SF Prep
06 General English — Common Notes 🕒 Updated 2026-10-16
Common Notes SSC CGL · CHSL · Police · Bank · Railway Chapter 06

🔄 Active & Passive Voice

In the active voice the subject does the action; in the passive the focus is on the action. Learn the tense-wise formula and every conversion takes 20 seconds.

📌 1. Steps of Conversion

  • Make the object the subject → helping verb (according to tense) + V3 → "by + agent" (if needed).
  • Pronoun change: I→me, we→us, he→him, she→her, they→them (and vice versa).
  • Only transitive verbs have a passive (they need an object). "He sleeps" has no passive.
  • By people/someone/somebody/everyone — usually dropped in the passive.

📌 2. Tense-wise Formula

TenseActivePassive
Simple PresentHe writes a letter.A letter is written by him.
Present ContinuousHe is writing a letter.A letter is being written by him.
Present PerfectHe has written a letter.A letter has been written by him.
Simple PastHe wrote a letter.A letter was written by him.
Past ContinuousHe was writing a letter.A letter was being written by him.
Past PerfectHe had written a letter.A letter had been written by him.
Simple FutureHe will write a letter.A letter will be written by him.
Future PerfectHe will have written a letter.A letter will have been written by him.
ModalsHe can/must write a letter.A letter can/must be written by him.
💡 Memory Tip: Perfect continuous tenses and future continuous are generally not put in the passive.

📌 3. Special Cases

TypeActivePassive
ImperativeOpen the door.Let the door be opened. / You are requested to open the door.
Request (please)Please help me.You are requested to help me.
Yes/No questionDid he write a letter?Was a letter written by him?
Wh- questionWho wrote this?By whom was this written?
Wh- questionWhy did he beat you?Why were you beaten by him?
Two objectsHe gave me a book.I was given a book by him. / A book was given to me.
LetLet me do it.Let it be done by me.
InfinitiveIt is time to close the shop.It is time for the shop to be closed.
⚠️ Exam Traps:
  • Some verbs take a preposition other than "by": known to, pleased with, surprised at, filled with, interested in, married to.
  • "Who" (subject) becomes "By whom"; "Whom" (object) becomes "Who".

📌 4. Practice MCQs

📝 Practice MCQs (prepared by SF Prep — not PYQs)
Q1. Change into passive voice: She sings a song. Practice
(A) A song was sung by her.
(B) A song is being sung by her.
(C) A song is sung by her.
(D) A song has been sung by her.
Correct answer: (C) A song is sung by her.
Explanation: Simple present: is/am/are + V3.
Q2. Change into passive voice: They are building a bridge. Practice
(A) A bridge is being built by them.
(B) A bridge is built by them.
(C) A bridge was being built by them.
(D) A bridge has been built by them.
Correct answer: (A) A bridge is being built by them.
Explanation: Present continuous: is/am/are + being + V3.
Q3. Change into passive voice: He has completed the work. Practice
(A) The work had been completed by him.
(B) The work has been completed by him.
(C) The work is completed by him.
(D) The work was completed by him.
Correct answer: (B) The work has been completed by him.
Explanation: Present perfect: has/have + been + V3.
Q4. Change into passive voice: The police caught the thief. Practice
(A) The thief is caught by the police.
(B) The thief had been caught by the police.
(C) The thief has been caught by the police.
(D) The thief was caught by the police.
Correct answer: (D) The thief was caught by the police.
Explanation: Simple past: was/were + V3.
Q5. Change into passive voice: The cat was chasing the mouse. Practice
(A) The mouse was being chased by the cat.
(B) The mouse was chased by the cat.
(C) The mouse had been chased by the cat.
(D) The mouse is being chased by the cat.
Correct answer: (A) The mouse was being chased by the cat.
Explanation: Past continuous: was/were + being + V3.
Q6. Change into passive voice: You must obey the rules. Practice
(A) The rules must obeyed by you.
(B) The rules must have been obeyed by you.
(C) The rules must be obeyed by you.
(D) The rules must being obeyed by you.
Correct answer: (C) The rules must be obeyed by you.
Explanation: Modal + be + V3.
Q7. Change into passive voice: Open the window. Practice
(A) The window is opened.
(B) Let the window be opened.
(C) The window should opened.
(D) Let the window open.
Correct answer: (B) Let the window be opened.
Explanation: Imperative passive: Let + object + be + V3.
Q8. Change into passive voice: Please lend me your pen. Practice
(A) Your pen is lent to me.
(B) Let your pen be lent please.
(C) You are requested to lend me your pen.
(D) Your pen is requested to be lent.
Correct answer: (C) You are requested to lend me your pen.
Explanation: A request with 'please' becomes: You are requested to …
Q9. Change into passive voice: Who broke this glass? Practice
(A) Who was this glass broken by whom?
(B) By whom this glass was broken?
(C) Whom was this glass broken?
(D) By whom was this glass broken?
Correct answer: (D) By whom was this glass broken?
Explanation: Who → By whom; question order: By whom + was + subject + V3?
Q10. Change into passive voice: Did she cook the food? Practice
(A) Was the food cooked by her?
(B) Is the food cooked by her?
(C) Did the food cooked by her?
(D) Had the food been cooked by her?
Correct answer: (A) Was the food cooked by her?
Explanation: Did (past) → was/were + V3 in question form.
Q11. Change into passive voice: He will have finished the novel. Practice
(A) The novel will be finished by him.
(B) The novel would have finished by him.
(C) The novel will have been finished by him.
(D) The novel will have finished by him.
Correct answer: (C) The novel will have been finished by him.
Explanation: Future perfect: will have been + V3.
Q12. Change into active voice: The letter was posted by Ravi. Practice
(A) Ravi posted the letter.
(B) Ravi posts the letter.
(C) Ravi has posted the letter.
(D) Ravi had posted the letter.
Correct answer: (A) Ravi posted the letter.
Explanation: was + V3 = simple past → Ravi posted.
Q13. Choose the correct passive: His behaviour surprised me. Practice
(A) I was surprised by his behaviours.
(B) I am surprised at his behaviour.
(C) I was surprise by his behaviour.
(D) I was surprised at his behaviour.
Correct answer: (D) I was surprised at his behaviour.
Explanation: The passive of 'surprise' takes 'at', and the tense is past.
Q14. Choose the correct passive: Everyone knows him. Practice
(A) He is known by everyone.
(B) He is known to everyone.
(C) He was known to everyone.
(D) He is knowing to everyone.
Correct answer: (B) He is known to everyone.
Explanation: The passive of 'know' takes 'to'.
Q15. Change into passive voice: Why did he scold you? Practice
(A) Why was you scolded by him?
(B) Why did you scolded by him?
(C) Why you were scolded by him?
(D) Why were you scolded by him?
Correct answer: (D) Why were you scolded by him?
Explanation: Why + was/were + subject + V3; 'you' takes 'were'.
Q16. Change into passive voice: The teacher gave me a prize. Practice
(A) I am given a prize by the teacher.
(B) I was given a prize by the teacher.
(C) A prize had been given to me by the teacher.
(D) I was gave a prize by the teacher.
Correct answer: (B) I was given a prize by the teacher.
Explanation: With two objects, make the personal object the subject: I was given…
Q17. Change into passive voice: Let me do this work. Practice
(A) Let this work done by me.
(B) This work is done by me.
(C) Let this work be done by me.
(D) Let me be done this work.
Correct answer: (C) Let this work be done by me.
Explanation: Let + object + be + V3 + by + agent.
Q18. Change into passive voice: Somebody has stolen my bag. Practice
(A) My bag has been stolen.
(B) My bag has stolen by somebody.
(C) My bag was stolen by somebody.
(D) My bag is being stolen.
Correct answer: (A) My bag has been stolen.
Explanation: Present perfect passive; 'by somebody' is dropped.
Q19. Change into passive voice: Whom did you call? Practice
(A) Whom was called by you?
(B) Who was called by you?
(C) By whom were you called?
(D) Who called you?
Correct answer: (B) Who was called by you?
Explanation: Whom (object) becomes 'Who' in the passive.
Q20. Which sentence cannot be changed into passive voice? Practice
(A) The baby drinks milk.
(B) The baby broke the toy.
(C) The baby likes the song.
(D) The baby sleeps peacefully.
Correct answer: (D) The baby sleeps peacefully.
Explanation: 'Sleeps' is intransitive — no object, so no passive.

📝 Practice questions

General English — Practice MCQs Ch 6: Active & Passive Voice
📝 Test this chapter Practice questions

Practice MCQs prepared by SF Prep (not PYQs). Rules checked against standard grammar references.