Change the Voice

Changing the voice of a sentence means altering the form of a verb to show whether the subject is performing the action (active voice) or receiving the action (passive voice). Here are the basic rules for changing the voice:

1.Active Voice: In active voice sentences, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb. The basic form is:

   Subject + Verb (transitive) + Object

   Example: “The cat (subject) chased (verb) the mouse (object).”

2. Passive Voice: In passive voice sentences, the subject receives the action denoted by the verb. The basic form is:

   Object of the active sentence + Verb “to be” + Past Participle of the Main Verb + (By + Agent

   Example: “The mouse (object) was chased (verb) by the cat.”

[  Note: The “by” phrase (Agent) is optional and indicates who or what performed the action.]

3. Rules for Changing from Active to Passive Voice:

•    The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
•     The verb is changed to a form of “to be” + past participle of the main verb.
•     If needed, add the agent (the “by” phrase) at the end of the passive sentence.

4. Rules for Changing from Passive to Active Voice:

•   The subject of the passive sentence becomes the object of the active sentence.
•   The verb phrase is changed from “to be” + past participle to the corresponding active verb form.
•   The agent (if present) becomes the subject of the active sentence.

Here’s an example to illustrate changing from active to passive voice and vice versa:

• Active Voice: “The chef (subject) prepares (verb) the meal (object).”
• Passive Voice: “The meal (object) is prepared (verb) by the chef (agent).”
• Changing back to Active Voice: “The chef (agent) prepares (verb) the meal (object).”

Remember, the choice between active and passive voice depends on the emphasis you want to give to the subject or object in your sentence.