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Free SSC English lesson

SSC English Active and Passive Voice

Change the focus. Keep the event.

Active voice normally places the doer in subject position. Passive voice can place the receiver of the action in subject position. A correct transformation preserves the tense, aspect, participants and essential meaning.

Foundation to intermediate12 original questions20–25 minutes suggested study time

Learn the methodGo to practice

Build the skill

What you will learn

  • Identify the doer, action and receiver.
  • Build common passives with the appropriate form of be and a past participle.
  • Keep tense, agreement and meaning when changing voice.

Find the verb and object

Locate the full verb phrase and the object that can become the passive subject.

Keep the time pattern

Preserve simple, continuous or perfect aspect, as well as the tense.

Build the new verb

Use the correct form of be with the past participle and check agreement.

Check the roles

The doer still performs the same action; include it when required by the question.

Understand before you answer

The rules and clues to remember

Build the passive verb group

For the ordinary be-passive, use be plus a past participle. The auxiliary group shows tense and aspect; the new subject controls agreement.

Present simpleA worker inspects the lift. → The lift is inspected by a worker.
Past simpleA worker inspected the lift. → The lift was inspected by a worker.

Remember: Do not change a past event into a present routine.

Preserve aspect and modals

Continuous passives use being; perfect passives use been. A modal such as must is followed by be in a simple passive.

ContinuousThe panel is reviewing the plan. → The plan is being reviewed by the panel.
PerfectThey have approved the plan. → The plan has been approved.
ModalYou must sign the form. → The form must be signed.

Remember: Being and been perform different jobs; do not swap them.

The agent is sometimes omitted

A by-phrase names the doer. It is often unnecessary when the doer is unknown or unimportant. In these questions, retain a named agent when the instruction requires it.

Unknown doerSomeone damaged the sign. → The sign was damaged.

Remember: Omitting an unknown agent can be natural; inventing a named agent changes the information.

Not every clause has an ordinary passive

An intransitive use such as the guests arrived has no direct object to move into passive subject position. Do not mechanically insert was or were before every verb.

No direct objectThe guests arrived before noon.

Remember: First check whether the verb has a suitable object in this use.

See the reasoning

Two worked examples

Example 1

Change to passive, keeping the named agent: “The mechanic repaired the pump.”

AnswerThe pump was repaired by the mechanic.

Pump is the receiver and becomes the subject. Simple past repaired becomes was repaired. The mechanic remains the doer in the by-phrase.

Example 2

Change to active: “The tickets have been checked by the steward.”

AnswerThe steward has checked the tickets.

The steward becomes the singular subject. Present perfect passive have been checked becomes active has checked; tickets remains the object.

Try it yourself

12 questions, with every choice explained

Choose the transformation that preserves the original meaning, tense and aspect. Retain the named agent where requested. Do not add or reverse the participants.

Write down A, B, C or D before opening each answer. Work at your own pace. These exercises use no exam timer or negative marking.

Question 1 · Present simple passive

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “The technician tests the alarm every Friday.”

  1. A.The technician is tested by the alarm every Friday.
  2. B.The alarm was tested by the technician every Friday.
  3. C.The alarm is tested by the technician every Friday.
  4. D.The alarm is testing the technician every Friday.
Show answer and explanations for question 1

Answer C: The alarm is tested by the technician every Friday.

  1. Not correct. The roles are reversed: the technician, not the alarm, performs the test.
  2. Not correct. Was tested changes the routine to the past.
  3. Correct. Is tested preserves the present-simple routine and keeps the technician as the doer.
  4. Not correct. Is testing is active progressive and wrongly makes the alarm the actor.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 2 · Past simple passive

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “The volunteers planted six saplings.”

  1. A.Six saplings were planted by the volunteers.
  2. B.Six saplings are planted by the volunteers.
  3. C.Six saplings was planted by the volunteers.
  4. D.The volunteers were planted by six saplings.
Show answer and explanations for question 2

Answer A: Six saplings were planted by the volunteers.

  1. Correct. Were planted is past-simple passive and agrees with plural saplings.
  2. Not correct. Are planted changes the event from past to present.
  3. Not correct. Was does not agree with plural saplings.
  4. Not correct. This reverses the doer and receiver.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 3 · Future passive

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “The board will announce the shortlist on Monday.”

  1. A.The shortlist will been announced by the board on Monday.
  2. B.The shortlist will announce the board on Monday.
  3. C.The shortlist was announced by the board on Monday.
  4. D.The shortlist will be announced by the board on Monday.
Show answer and explanations for question 3

Answer D: The shortlist will be announced by the board on Monday.

  1. Not correct. A simple future passive uses be after will, not been.
  2. Not correct. This is active and reverses the roles.
  3. Not correct. Was announced changes the future event to the past.
  4. Correct. Will be announced preserves the future and makes shortlist the receiver.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 4 · Present continuous passive

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “The workers are painting the gate.”

  1. A.The gate is painted by the workers.
  2. B.The gate is being painted by the workers.
  3. C.The gate has been painted by the workers.
  4. D.The gate are being painted by the workers.
Show answer and explanations for question 4

Answer B: The gate is being painted by the workers.

  1. Not correct. Is painted is present simple and loses the ongoing aspect.
  2. Correct. Is being painted preserves the ongoing present action and agrees with gate.
  3. Not correct. Has been painted changes the construction to present perfect.
  4. Not correct. Are does not agree with singular gate.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 5 · Past continuous passive

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “The librarian was arranging the magazines.”

  1. A.The librarian was being arranged by the magazines.
  2. B.The magazines were arranged by the librarian.
  3. C.The magazines was being arranged by the librarian.
  4. D.The magazines were being arranged by the librarian.
Show answer and explanations for question 5

Answer D: The magazines were being arranged by the librarian.

  1. Not correct. This reverses the librarian and magazines.
  2. Not correct. Were arranged is simple past and loses the ongoing aspect.
  3. Not correct. Was disagrees with plural magazines.
  4. Correct. Were being arranged preserves past continuous and agrees with plural magazines.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 6 · Present perfect passive

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “The editor has corrected the captions.”

  1. A.The captions have being corrected by the editor.
  2. B.The captions has been corrected by the editor.
  3. C.The captions have been corrected by the editor.
  4. D.The captions had been corrected by the editor.
Show answer and explanations for question 6

Answer C: The captions have been corrected by the editor.

  1. Not correct. Perfect passive uses been, not being, after have.
  2. Not correct. Has does not agree with plural captions.
  3. Correct. Have been corrected preserves present perfect and agrees with captions.
  4. Not correct. Had been corrected changes present perfect to past perfect.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 7 · Past perfect passive

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “The team had completed the survey before the rains began.”

  1. A.The survey had been completed by the team before the rains began.
  2. B.The survey has been completed by the team before the rains began.
  3. C.The survey had being completed by the team before the rains began.
  4. D.The team had been completed by the survey before the rains began.
Show answer and explanations for question 7

Answer A: The survey had been completed by the team before the rains began.

  1. Correct. Had been completed preserves the past-perfect relationship and the original roles.
  2. Not correct. Has been changes the verb to present perfect.
  3. Not correct. Past-perfect passive requires been, not being.
  4. Not correct. This reverses who completed what.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 8 · Modal passive

Choose the passive form of “Applicants must attach a photograph.” The agent may be omitted.

  1. A.A photograph must attached.
  2. B.A photograph must be attached.
  3. C.A photograph must been attached.
  4. D.A photograph must have attached.
Show answer and explanations for question 8

Answer B: A photograph must be attached.

  1. Not correct. The passive auxiliary be is missing.
  2. Correct. Must be attached is the required modal passive.
  3. Not correct. Been cannot directly follow must in this simple modal passive.
  4. Not correct. Must have attached is active perfect and makes photograph the actor.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 9 · Passive to active

Choose the active form: “The windows were cleaned by the caretaker.”

  1. A.The caretaker cleaned the windows.
  2. B.The caretaker cleans the windows.
  3. C.The windows cleaned the caretaker.
  4. D.The caretaker was cleaning the windows.
Show answer and explanations for question 9

Answer A: The caretaker cleaned the windows.

  1. Correct. Cleaned is active simple past with the original doer as subject.
  2. Not correct. Cleans changes the tense to present.
  3. Not correct. This reverses the roles.
  4. Not correct. Was cleaning changes the aspect to past continuous.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 10 · Pronoun form

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “She invited him.”

  1. A.She was invited by him.
  2. B.Him was invited by she.
  3. C.He is invited by her.
  4. D.He was invited by her.
Show answer and explanations for question 10

Answer D: He was invited by her.

  1. Not correct. This reverses who invited whom.
  2. Not correct. Him cannot be the subject here, and she is not the object form after by.
  3. Not correct. Is invited changes past to present.
  4. Correct. He is the subject form; her follows by. Was invited preserves simple past and the roles.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 11 · Intransitive verb

Which sentence has no ordinary passive counterpart because its verb has no direct object in this use?

  1. A.The visitors opened the parcel.
  2. B.The visitors arrived at noon.
  3. C.The visitors read the notice.
  4. D.The visitors carried the boxes.
Show answer and explanations for question 11

Answer B: The visitors arrived at noon.

  1. Not correct. Opened has the direct object the parcel, which can become a passive subject.
  2. Correct. Arrived has no direct object here; at noon is a time phrase.
  3. Not correct. Read has the direct object the notice, which can become a passive subject.
  4. Not correct. Carried has the direct object the boxes, which can become a passive subject.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 12 · Negative passive

Choose the passive form, retaining the agent: “The clerk did not sign the receipt.”

  1. A.The receipt was not sign by the clerk.
  2. B.The receipt did not signed by the clerk.
  3. C.The receipt was not signed by the clerk.
  4. D.The receipt has not been signed by the clerk.
Show answer and explanations for question 12

Answer C: The receipt was not signed by the clerk.

  1. Not correct. The passive needs past participle signed, not sign.
  2. Not correct. Did not signed neither forms the passive nor uses a base verb after did.
  3. Correct. Was not signed preserves the negative simple-past event.
  4. Not correct. Has not been signed changes simple past to present perfect.
Review the method ↑Review your learning ↓

Make the learning stick

Review what changed your answer

  1. Mark the doer, receiver and full verb group in each original.
  2. Write the active and passive versions side by side.
  3. Explain any change in auxiliary agreement without changing the event’s time.

Keep a simple note: question number → your reason → the correct rule or evidence → one new example. A mistake is useful when you can explain the correction.

SSC English hub →SSC English Idioms and Phrases →SSC English Direct and Indirect Speech →Sentence improvement →

Original ESS learning material. Not official SSC questions or a previous-year paper. ESS is independent of SSC. These are untimed skill lessons, not full exam simulations.

References and exam scope

Scope: CGL 2026 Tier-II, Paper-I, Section-II; CHSL 2026 Tier-I and Tier-II English. These are topic lessons, not complete mocks. These topics are included in the linked SSC examination notices. The lesson wording, examples, passages and questions are original ESS teaching material. Check your exam’s current notice and subsequent corrections for its full syllabus, scoring and timing.

Sources reviewed: 3 November 2026. Study-time estimates are suggestions, not official exam limits.