In English grammar, the past indefinite tense (also known as the simple past tense) can be changed from active voice to passive voice. Certainly! Here’s a guide on how to change sentences from active to passive voice in the Past Indefinite Tense:
Structure 1:
Positive Form
Active Voice Structure:
Subject + Past form of verb + Object + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have).
To change the voice from active to passive voice, structure of passive voice should be,
Passive Voice Structure:
Subject form of the Object (Active Voice) + was/were + past participle form of the verb + by + object form of the subject (Active Voice) + Remaining part of the sentence (if have)
Example:
- Active Voice: You read a book.
Passive Voice: A book was read by you.
- Active Voice: We wanted money for buying some foods.
Passive Voice: Money was wanted by us for buying some foods.
Structure 2:
Negative Form
Active Voice Structure:
Subject + did not + Present form of verb + Object + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have).
To change the voice from active to passive voice, structure of passive voice should be,
Passive Voice Structure:
Subject form of the Object (Active Voice) + was not/were not + past participle form of the verb + by + object form of the subject (Active Voice) + Remaining part of the sentence (if have)
Example:
- Active Voice: I didn’t do this yesterday.
Passive Voice: This was not done by me yesterday.
- Active Voice: He did not receive the money last night.
Passive Voice: The money was not received by him last night.
Structure 3:
Active Voice Structure:
Did/Didn’t + subject + Present form of verb + Object + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have)?
To change the voice from active to passive voice, structure of passive voice should be,
Passive Voice Structure:
Was/Were/Was not/Were not + Subject form of the Object (Active Voice) + past participle form of the verb + by + object form of the subject (Active Voice) + Remaining part of the sentence (if have)?
Example:
- Active Voice: Did you finish the work yesterday?
Passive Voice: Was the work finished by you yesterday?
- Active Voice: Did not he complete the project last night?
Passive Voice: Was not the project completed by him last night?
- Active Voice: Did they invite us last ceremony?
Passive Voice: Were we invited by them last ceremony?
- Active Voice: Did not he complete it yesterday?
Passive Voice: Was not it completed by him yesterday?
- Active Voice: Did not they finish it last night?
Passive Voice: Was not it finished by them last night?
Structure 4:
Active Voice Structure:
Wh Word (What/Who/Which etc.) + did/didn’t + subject + Present form of verb + Object + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have)?
To change the voice from active to passive voice, structure of passive voice should be,
Passive Voice Structure:
Wh Word (What/Who/Which etc.) + was/were/was not/were not + Subject form of the Object (Active Voice) + past participle form of the verb + by + object form of the subject (Active Voice) + Remaining part of the sentence (if have)?
Example:
- Active Voice: How did they accept it?
Passive Voice: How was it accepted by them?
- Active Voice: What did he give me?
Passive Voice: What was I given by him?
- Active Voice: Why didn’t they accept the offer letter yesterday?
Passive Voice: Why was not the offer letter accepted by them?
- Active Voice: What did not he perform it last night?
Passive Voice: What was not it performed by him last night?
Structure 5:
Active Voice Structure:
Wh Word (What/Who/Which etc.) + Noun + Preposition + Noun + did/did not + subject + Present form of verb + Object + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have)?
To change the voice from active to passive voice, structure of passive voice should be,
Passive Voice Structure:
Wh Word (What/Who/Which etc.) + Noun + Preposition + Noun + was/were/was not/were not + Subject form of the Object (Active Voice) + past participle form of the verb + by + object form of the subject (Active Voice) + Remaining part of the sentence (if have)?
Example:
- Active Voice: What kind of birds did they like yesterday’s show?
Passive Voice: What kind of birds were liked by you yesterday’s show?
- Active Voice: What types of foods did you eat last ceremony?
Passive Voice: What types of foods were eaten by you last ceremony?
- Active Voice: Which types of foods did not he eat last night?
Passive Voice: Which types of foods was not eaten by him last night?
Structure 6:
Active Voice Structure:
Wh Word (What/Who/Which etc.) + past form of verb/did not present form of verb + Object + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have)?
To change the voice from active to passive voice, structure of passive voice should be,
Passive Voice Structure:
By whom + was/were/was not/were not + Subject form of the Object (Active Voice) + past participle form of the verb + Remaining part of the sentence (if have)?
Example:
- Active Voice: Who made noise last meeting?
Passive Voice: By whom was noise made last meeting?
- Active Voice: Who did this?
Passive Voice: By whom was this done?
- Active Voice: Who did not join?
Passive Voice: By whom was not joined?
Structure 7:
Active Voice Structure:
Wh Word (What/Who/Which etc.) + did/did not + object + present form of verb + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have)?
To change the voice from active to passive voice, structure of passive voice should be,
Passive Voice Structure:
Who + was/was not + past participle form of the verb + by + Subject form of the Object (Active Voice) + Remaining part of the sentence (if have)?
Example:
- Active Voice: Whom did John invite?
Passive Voice: Who was invited by John?
- Active Voice: Whom did they teach?
Passive Voice: Who was taught by them?
- Active Voice: Whom did not she request for a job?
Passive Voice: Who was not requested by her for a job?
We hope this structure will be helpful to change the voice from active to passive voice in past indefinite tense. To improve your skill, you must practice it to change this type of voice.