Advanced Structures in Active and Passive Voice

A teacher writing examples of complex active and passive voice sentences on a whiteboard, while students take notes in a classroom setting.
A teacher guides students through advanced sentence structures in active and passive voice, showing how to shift focus, maintain clarity, and use variations for different writing purposes—essential skills for mastering academic and formal communication.
Complex Sentences in Active and Passive Voice

  1. Active: The teacher explained the concept, and the students understood it perfectly.
    Passive: The concept was explained by the teacher, and it was understood perfectly by the students.

  2. Active: The committee will discuss the new policies, but they have not approved them yet.
    Passive: The new policies will be discussed by the committee, but they have not been approved yet.

  3. Active: The chef prepared the meal, and the guests enjoyed it thoroughly.
    Passive: The meal was prepared by the chef, and it was enjoyed thoroughly by the guests.

  4. Active: She submitted her report before the deadline, but her boss did not review it.
    Passive: The report was submitted by her before the deadline, but it was not reviewed by her boss.

  5. Active: The storm destroyed several houses, and emergency services responded quickly.
    Passive: Several houses were destroyed by the storm, and quick responses were made by emergency services.

Conditional Sentences in Active and Passive Voice

  1. Active: If they complete the project on time, the company will reward them.
    Passive: If the project is completed on time, they will be rewarded by the company.

  2. Active: If she had submitted the application earlier, she would have gotten the job.
    Passive: If the application had been submitted earlier, she would have been offered the job.

  3. Active: If you leave the door open, someone will steal your things.
    Passive: If the door is left open, your things will be stolen.

  4. Active: If they had fixed the machine, we wouldn’t have canceled production.
    Passive: If the machine had been fixed, production wouldn’t have been canceled.

  5. Active: If the government approves the policy, it will affect millions of people.
    Passive: If the policy is approved by the government, millions of people will be affected.

Modal Verbs in Complex Passive Constructions

  1. Active: They could have completed the project if they had worked harder.
    Passive: The project could have been completed if they had worked harder.

  2. Active: She might have discovered the truth if she had investigated further.
    Passive: The truth might have been discovered by her if further investigation had been done.

  3. Active: The team should have delivered the final product by now.
    Passive: The final product should have been delivered by the team by now.

  4. Active: You must have finished your homework before going out.
    Passive: Your homework must have been finished before you went out.

  5. Active: They may have lost the document during the move.
    Passive: The document may have been lost during the move.

Questions in Active and Passive Voice

  1. Active: Did you complete the assignment?
    Passive: Was the assignment completed by you?

  2. Active: Will they announce the results tomorrow?
    Passive: Will the results be announced tomorrow by them?

  3. Active: Has the company offered you a promotion?
    Passive: Have you been offered a promotion by the company?

  4. Active: Were they repairing the road when the accident happened?
    Passive: Was the road being repaired by them when the accident happened?

  5. Active: Is anyone helping you with your work?
    Passive: Are you being helped with your work by anyone?

Indirect Speech in Active and Passive Voice

  1. Active: The teacher said, "I will check the assignments tomorrow."
    Passive: The teacher said that the assignments would be checked tomorrow.

  2. Active: The manager said, "We have completed the project."
    Passive: The manager said that the project had been completed.

  3. Active: He asked, "Did they fix the problem?"
    Passive: He asked if the problem had been fixed.

  4. Active: She told me, "You should clean the room."
    Passive: She told me that the room should be cleaned by me.

  5. Active: They said, "We are planning a new strategy."
    Passive: They said that a new strategy was being planned.

Passive Voice with Complex Structures and Causative Verbs

  1. Active: I had the mechanic fix my car.
    Passive: I had my car fixed by the mechanic.

  2. Active: The manager had the team prepare the presentation.
    Passive: The manager had the presentation prepared by the team.

  3. Active: They got the plumber to repair the pipe.
    Passive: They got the pipe repaired by the plumber.

  4. Active: We had someone design our website.
    Passive: We had our website designed by someone.

  5. Active: She got the electrician to install the lights.
    Passive: She got the lights installed by the electrician.

Complex Sentences with Multiple Clauses in Active and Passive Voice

  1. Active: The company launched a new product, and customers responded positively to it.
    Passive: A new product was launched by the company, and it was responded to positively by the customers.

  2. Active: He bought a house, and the bank approved his loan application.
    Passive: A house was bought by him, and his loan application was approved by the bank.

  3. Active: They will sign the contract after they review it thoroughly.
    Passive: The contract will be signed after it has been reviewed thoroughly by them.

  4. Active: The police arrested the suspect, and the evidence was presented in court.
    Passive: The suspect was arrested by the police, and the evidence was presented in court.

  5. Active: The students were writing essays when the bell rang.
    Passive: Essays were being written by the students when the bell rang.

Passive Voice in Continuous and Perfect Tenses

  1. Active: She had been preparing the dinner for hours before they arrived.
    Passive: The dinner had been being prepared by her for hours before they arrived.

  2. Active: They were cleaning the house when I visited.
    Passive: The house was being cleaned by them when I visited.

  3. Active: The gardener has been watering the plants since morning.
    Passive: The plants have been being watered by the gardener since morning.

  4. Active: He will have been painting the room for hours by the time we get there.
    Passive: The room will have been being painted by him for hours by the time we get there.

  5. Active: The committee is considering the proposal, and they may approve it by the end of the week.
    Passive: The proposal is being considered by the committee, and it may be approved by the end of the week.

More Advanced Constructions in Active and Passive Voice

Passive Voice with Reporting Verbs

Verbs like say, believe, think, report, and know often appear in passive constructions to report information.

  1. Active: People say that he is a great leader.
    Passive: He is said to be a great leader.

  2. Active: They believe that the Earth is round.
    Passive: The Earth is believed to be round.

  3. Active: Scientists think that climate change is accelerating.
    Passive: Climate change is thought to be accelerating.

  4. Active: People report that a new policy will be introduced.
    Passive: A new policy is reported to be introduced soon.

  5. Active: They claim that the project will finish next month.
    Passive: The project is claimed to finish next month.

  6. Active: They know that he stole the money.
    Passive: He is known to have stolen the money.

  7. Active: Experts estimate that inflation will rise next year.
    Passive: Inflation is estimated to rise next year.

  8. Active: People believe that the treasure is buried in the mountains.
    Passive: The treasure is believed to be buried in the mountains.

  9. Active: People expect that she will win the award.
    Passive: She is expected to win the award.

  10. Active: They say that the movie will be a hit.
    Passive: The movie is said to be a hit.

Impersonal Passive Constructions

These sentences begin with "it" as a placeholder subject, often used to create distance from the statement.

  1. Active: People say that the president is planning a new policy.
    Passive: It is said that the president is planning a new policy.

  2. Active: Experts believe that the economy will improve.
    Passive: It is believed that the economy will improve.

  3. Active: People report that there has been an earthquake.
    Passive: It is reported that there has been an earthquake.

  4. Active: Scientists think that the vaccine is effective.
    Passive: It is thought that the vaccine is effective.

  5. Active: They expect that the results will be announced soon.
    Passive: It is expected that the results will be announced soon.

  6. Active: People say that he was responsible for the accident.
    Passive: It is said that he was responsible for the accident.

  7. Active: People believe that the company will go bankrupt.
    Passive: It is believed that the company will go bankrupt.

  8. Active: They claim that the meeting was canceled due to weather.
    Passive: It is claimed that the meeting was canceled due to weather.

  9. Active: People think that she is the best candidate for the job.
    Passive: It is thought that she is the best candidate for the job.

  10. Active: Experts estimate that 50% of jobs will be automated in the future.
    Passive: It is estimated that 50% of jobs will be automated in the future.

Passive Voice in Idiomatic Expressions

Some idioms and fixed expressions are commonly used in passive constructions. Here's how they might work:

  1. Active: They made a decision.
    Passive: A decision was made.

  2. Active: People take it for granted that everyone has internet access.
    Passive: It is taken for granted that everyone has internet access.

  3. Active: They gave him the cold shoulder.
    Passive: He was given the cold shoulder.

  4. Active: People consider it a piece of cake.
    Passive: It is considered a piece of cake.

  5. Active: They are spreading rumors about her.
    Passive: Rumors are being spread about her.

  6. Active: The critics made a big deal of the mistake.
    Passive: A big deal was made of the mistake by the critics.

  7. Active: The teacher will call the shots in the meeting.
    Passive: The shots will be called by the teacher in the meeting.

  8. Active: Someone dropped the ball during the project.
    Passive: The ball was dropped during the project.

  9. Active: They will sweep the issue under the rug.
    Passive: The issue will be swept under the rug.

  10. Active: He made a mountain out of a molehill.
    Passive: A mountain was made out of a molehill.

Passive Voice in Commands and Requests

Commands and requests can also be transformed into passive constructions for formal or indirect speech.

  1. Active: Close the door!
    Passive: Let the door be closed.

  2. Active: Please submit the report by Friday.
    Passive: The report should be submitted by Friday.

  3. Active: Water the plants.
    Passive: Let the plants be watered.

  4. Active: Solve this problem by tomorrow.
    Passive: This problem must be solved by tomorrow.

  5. Active: Clean your room.
    Passive: Let your room be cleaned.

  6. Active: Complete the task by noon.
    Passive: The task should be completed by noon.

  7. Active: Take out the trash.
    Passive: Let the trash be taken out.

  8. Active: Return the books to the library.
    Passive: Let the books be returned to the library.

  9. Active: Make the announcement.
    Passive: Let the announcement be made.

  10. Active: Solve the issue quickly.
    Passive: The issue must be solved quickly.

Passive Voice with Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs in passive constructions may seem tricky, but they're used often.

  1. Active: They called off the meeting.
    Passive: The meeting was called off.

  2. Active: The manager looked over the report.
    Passive: The report was looked over by the manager.

  3. Active: They put off the event.
    Passive: The event was put off.

  4. Active: The teacher pointed out the mistake.
    Passive: The mistake was pointed out by the teacher.

  5. Active: They handed out the flyers.
    Passive: The flyers were handed out.

  6. Active: Someone ran over the cat with a car.
    Passive: The cat was run over by a car.

  7. Active: They turned down the offer.
    Passive: The offer was turned down.

  8. Active: The police gave out the tickets.
    Passive: The tickets were given out by the police.

  9. Active: They brought up the issue during the meeting.
    Passive: The issue was brought up during the meeting.

  10. Active: The fire burned down the house.
    Passive: The house was burned down.

Passive Voice with Future Perfect and Continuous Tenses

  1. Active: They will have completed the project by next week.
    Passive: The project will have been completed by next week.

  2. Active: The team will have been working for hours by the time you arrive.
    Passive: The work will have been being done by the team for hours by the time you arrive.

  3. Active: We will have fixed the car by tonight.
    Passive: The car will have been fixed by tonight.

  4. Active: They will have been teaching the course for months by then.
    Passive: The course will have been being taught for months by then.

Causative Passive Constructions

These constructions describe something being done for someone by another party.

  1. Active: I had the house cleaned yesterday.
    Passive: The house was cleaned for me yesterday.

  2. Active: She got her hair cut last week.
    Passive: Her hair was cut for her last week.

  3. Active: They will have their car repaired by tomorrow.
    Passive: The car will be repaired for them by tomorrow.

  4. Active: We got the documents signed by the lawyer.
    Passive: The documents were signed for us by the lawyer.

  5. Active: She had her dress altered by the tailor.
    Passive: The dress was altered for her by the tailor.

Passives with "Get" Instead of "Be"

Some passive sentences use "get" instead of "be" for a more casual tone.

  1. Active: The window was broken last night.
    Passive: The window got broken last night.

  2. Active: He was promoted last year.
    Passive: He got promoted last year.

  3. Active: The project was finished on time.
    Passive: The project got finished on time.

  4. Active: They were fired from their jobs.
    Passive: They got fired from their jobs.

  5. Active: The event was canceled due to rain.
    Passive: The event got canceled due to rain.

14. Advanced Passive Voice Structures and Examples

Passive Voice with Infinitives

When an infinitive is used in the passive voice, it often appears as to be + past participle. This is commonly used in formal or polite language to express future plans or expectations.

  1. Active: They expect him to finish the project by tomorrow.
    Passive: He is expected to finish the project by tomorrow.

  2. Active: She wants them to attend the meeting.
    Passive: They are wanted to attend the meeting by her.

  3. Active: We planned the guests to be served dinner at 8 PM.
    Passive: The guests were planned to be served dinner at 8 PM.

  4. Active: The manager asked the employees to complete their tasks early.
    Passive: The employees were asked to complete their tasks early.

  5. Active: The teacher allowed the students to leave early.
    Passive: The students were allowed to leave early.

  6. Active: They needed her to sign the documents immediately.
    Passive: She was needed to sign the documents immediately.

  7. Active: The company requires everyone to wear a uniform.
    Passive: Everyone is required to wear a uniform.

  8. Active: The judge ordered the witnesses to testify in court.
    Passive: The witnesses were ordered to testify in court.

  9. Active: She expected the children to behave well during the event.
    Passive: The children were expected to behave well during the event.

  10. Active: They wanted the report to be completed by the afternoon.
    Passive: The report was wanted to be completed by the afternoon.

Passive Voice with Complex Phrasal Verbs

Many phrasal verbs can be used in the passive voice. In these cases, the object of the phrasal verb becomes the subject of the passive sentence.

  1. Active: The company called off the meeting.
    Passive: The meeting was called off by the company.

  2. Active: The students looked up the new words.
    Passive: The new words were looked up by the students.

  3. Active: The government is carrying out an investigation.
    Passive: An investigation is being carried out by the government.

  4. Active: He brought up the issue during the meeting.
    Passive: The issue was brought up by him during the meeting.

  5. Active: The team put off the match because of bad weather.
    Passive: The match was put off because of bad weather.

  6. Active: The police looked into the case.
    Passive: The case was looked into by the police.

  7. Active: They handed out the invitations yesterday.
    Passive: The invitations were handed out yesterday.

  8. Active: He pointed out the mistake to the class.
    Passive: The mistake was pointed out to the class by him.

  9. Active: They cut down the old trees in the park.
    Passive: The old trees were cut down in the park.

  10. Active: The company called in an expert to solve the issue.
    Passive: An expert was called in to solve the issue by the company.

Passive Voice in Formal Writing

Passive constructions are common in academic, scientific, and formal writing because they help to maintain an objective tone by focusing on the action or result, rather than the actor.

  1. Active: We conducted an extensive study on climate change.
    Passive: An extensive study was conducted on climate change.

  2. Active: The researchers discovered a new treatment for the disease.
    Passive: A new treatment for the disease was discovered by the researchers.

  3. Active: The board approved the new budget proposal.
    Passive: The new budget proposal was approved by the board.

  4. Active: The developers are designing a new app for healthcare.
    Passive: A new app for healthcare is being designed by the developers.

  5. Active: The company will implement new security measures.
    Passive: New security measures will be implemented by the company.

  6. Active: The committee has reviewed the annual report.
    Passive: The annual report has been reviewed by the committee.

  7. Active: The IT department is upgrading the software.
    Passive: The software is being upgraded by the IT department.

  8. Active: The government released the official guidelines for the policy.
    Passive: The official guidelines for the policy were released by the government.

  9. Active: The architect is planning the construction of a new building.
    Passive: The construction of a new building is being planned by the architect.

  10. Active: They will evaluate the candidates based on their skills.
    Passive: The candidates will be evaluated based on their skills.

Passive Voice in Questions

  1. Active: Did they call off the event?
    Passive: Was the event called off?

  2. Active: Will they complete the project on time?
    Passive: Will the project be completed on time?

  3. Active: Is the company offering new benefits to employees?
    Passive: Are new benefits being offered to employees by the company?

  4. Active: Has the teacher graded the exams yet?
    Passive: Have the exams been graded by the teacher yet?

  5. Active: Did someone report the incident to the authorities?
    Passive: Was the incident reported to the authorities?

  6. Active: Are they installing new equipment at the factory?
    Passive: Is new equipment being installed at the factory?

  7. Active: Will they announce the results tomorrow?
    Passive: Will the results be announced tomorrow?

  8. Active: Did the students complete their homework on time?
    Passive: Was the homework completed by the students on time?

  9. Active: Are the engineers designing a new prototype?
    Passive: Is a new prototype being designed by the engineers?

  10. Active: Has anyone notified the manager about the issue?
    Passive: Has the manager been notified about the issue?

Passive Voice in Complex Sentences

  1. Active: The company will launch the new product after they complete the testing phase.
    Passive: The new product will be launched after the testing phase has been completed.

  2. Active: They will announce the winners once they have reviewed all the entries.
    Passive: The winners will be announced once all the entries have been reviewed.

  3. Active: The scientists published their findings after they conducted extensive research.
    Passive: The findings were published after extensive research had been conducted.

  4. Active: The board approved the new policy before they presented it to the public.
    Passive: The new policy was approved before it was presented to the public.

  5. Active: They will issue the licenses after the applicants pass the exam.
    Passive: The licenses will be issued after the exam has been passed by the applicants.

Passive Voice with Two Objects

Some sentences have both a direct and an indirect object. Either object can be the focus of the passive sentence.

  1. Active: They gave me a gift.
    Passive (1): A gift was given to me.
    Passive (2): I was given a gift.

  2. Active: She taught the students a new lesson.
    Passive (1): A new lesson was taught to the students.
    Passive (2): The students were taught a new lesson.

  3. Active: He offered me a job.
    Passive (1): A job was offered to me.
    Passive (2): I was offered a job.

  4. Active: They sent her a letter.
    Passive (1): A letter was sent to her.
    Passive (2): She was sent a letter.

  5. Active: The teacher explained the rules to the class.
    Passive (1): The rules were explained to the class.
    Passive (2): The class was explained the rules.

Summary of Key Points:

  • Infinitives in Passive Voice: Used in formal situations to indicate what should or will happen.
  • Phrasal Verbs in Passive: Common in both casual and formal writing.
  • Passive in Formal Writing: Often used in academic or professional contexts to shift focus from the subject to the action.
  • Questions in Passive: Helps focus on the object of the action in interrogative sentences.
  • Complex Sentences: Passive structures maintain formality and focus on the result of actions, especially in multi-clause sentences.
  • Two-Object Passive Constructions: Both direct and indirect objects can be shifted to the front of passive sentences.

15. Advanced Passive Voice Structures (Extended)

Passive Voice with Causative Structures

In causative structures, we use verbs like have, get, and make to indicate that someone else does the action. These can also appear in passive form for a more formal or indirect tone.

  1. Active: She had the plumber fix the sink.
    Passive: She had the sink fixed by the plumber.

  2. Active: They made the children clean their rooms.
    Passive: The children were made to clean their rooms.

  3. Active: He got the mechanic to repair his car.
    Passive: He got his car repaired by the mechanic.

  4. Active: We had someone paint the house last week.
    Passive: We had the house painted last week.

  5. Active: She got her hairdresser to cut her hair.
    Passive: She got her hair cut by her hairdresser.

  6. Active: They had the gardener trim the hedges.
    Passive: They had the hedges trimmed by the gardener.

  7. Active: The manager got the staff to organize the files.
    Passive: The staff were got to organize the files by the manager.

  8. Active: We had a specialist review the proposal.
    Passive: We had the proposal reviewed by a specialist.

  9. Active: She got the designer to decorate the room.
    Passive: She got the room decorated by the designer.

  10. Active: He had the electrician install new lights.
    Passive: He had new lights installed by the electrician.

Passive Voice with Verbs of Perception

Verbs of perception like see, hear, feel, watch, and notice are often used in passive constructions, focusing on the action being perceived.

  1. Active: They saw him leave the building.
    Passive: He was seen leaving the building.

  2. Active: We heard her sing the song beautifully.
    Passive: She was heard singing the song beautifully.

  3. Active: I felt the ground shake during the earthquake.
    Passive: The ground was felt shaking during the earthquake.

  4. Active: They watched the sun set over the horizon.
    Passive: The sun was watched setting over the horizon.

  5. Active: She noticed him sneak out of the room.
    Passive: He was noticed sneaking out of the room.

  6. Active: We observed the experiment succeed.
    Passive: The experiment was observed succeeding.

  7. Active: He heard someone call his name.
    Passive: His name was heard being called.

  8. Active: I saw the thief steal the wallet.
    Passive: The thief was seen stealing the wallet.

  9. Active: The teacher watched the students take the exam.
    Passive: The students were watched taking the exam.

  10. Active: We noticed the storm approach.
    Passive: The storm was noticed approaching.

Passive Voice for Emphasis

In some cases, passive voice can be used to emphasize a particular part of the sentence, especially in formal or academic contexts where the focus is more on the action or result than the doer.

  1. Active: The committee rejected the proposal.
    Passive: The proposal was rejected by the committee.

  2. Active: The artist completed the painting.
    Passive: The painting was completed by the artist.

  3. Active: The scientist discovered a new element.
    Passive: A new element was discovered by the scientist.

  4. Active: They will announce the decision tomorrow.
    Passive: The decision will be announced tomorrow.

  5. Active: The court has dismissed the charges.
    Passive: The charges have been dismissed by the court.

  6. Active: The author wrote the book last year.
    Passive: The book was written by the author last year.

  7. Active: The company produces millions of cars annually.
    Passive: Millions of cars are produced annually by the company.

  8. Active: The technician fixed the issue.
    Passive: The issue was fixed by the technician.

  9. Active: The chef prepared an amazing meal.
    Passive: An amazing meal was prepared by the chef.

  10. Active: The principal announced the results to the students.
    Passive: The results were announced to the students by the principal.

Passive Voice in Mixed Conditionals

In mixed conditionals, passive voice can be used to create hypothetical or speculative scenarios.

  1. Active: If they had told me earlier, I would have attended the meeting.
    Passive: If I had been told earlier, I would have attended the meeting.

  2. Active: If she had been more careful, the accident wouldn’t have happened.
    Passive: If more care had been taken by her, the accident wouldn’t have happened.

  3. Active: If they had fixed the engine, we could have used the car.
    Passive: If the engine had been fixed, the car could have been used.

  4. Active: If I had heard the news earlier, I wouldn’t have missed the event.
    Passive: If the news had been heard by me earlier, the event wouldn’t have been missed.

  5. Active: If we had checked the report, we could have corrected the errors.
    Passive: If the report had been checked, the errors could have been corrected.

Passive Voice in Sentences with Modal Verbs and Perfect Tenses

  1. Active: They could have delivered the package by now.
    Passive: The package could have been delivered by now.

  2. Active: The teacher should have graded the exams.
    Passive: The exams should have been graded by the teacher.

  3. Active: They might have finished the work before the deadline.
    Passive: The work might have been finished before the deadline.

  4. Active: He must have forgotten to send the email.
    Passive: The email must have been forgotten to be sent by him.

  5. Active: We ought to have submitted the application by last week.
    Passive: The application ought to have been submitted by last week.

  6. Active: The contractor could have repaired the roof earlier.
    Passive: The roof could have been repaired earlier by the contractor.

  7. Active: She might have written the report already.
    Passive: The report might have been written by her already.

  8. Active: They must have known about the changes.
    Passive: The changes must have been known by them.

  9. Active: The chef should have prepared the meal by now.
    Passive: The meal should have been prepared by now by the chef.

  10. Active: The manager could have approved the proposal last week.
    Passive: The proposal could have been approved last week by the manager.

Passive Voice with Emphasizing 'It is/was' Constructions

Sometimes, we use "It is/was" to emphasize the doer or timing of an action in passive voice.

  1. Active: The company delivered the package on time.
    Passive: It was the package that was delivered on time by the company.

  2. Active: She won the competition last year.
    Passive: It was last year that the competition was won by her.

  3. Active: The team completed the project before the deadline.
    Passive: It was before the deadline that the project was completed by the team.

  4. Active: He discovered the solution.
    Passive: It was the solution that was discovered by him.

  5. Active: They announced the decision yesterday.
    Passive: It was yesterday that the decision was announced by them.

Summary of New Concepts Covered:

  • Causative Passives: Focuses on causing someone to do something for you.
  • Verbs of Perception in Passive: These verbs shift the focus to the action that was seen, heard, or felt.
  • Emphasis in Passive Voice: Used in formal writing or when emphasizing the action/result over the doer.
  • Mixed Conditionals in Passive: Focuses on hypothetical or unreal situations involving past and present.
  • Modal Verbs with Perfect Tenses in Passive: Adds complexity and allows for speculation or obligation in passive voice.
  • "It is/was" Constructions for Emphasis: Allows focus on specific parts of the sentence for emphasis.