Active & Passive Voice
🔒 Log in to trackModals, imperatives, infinitives and questions
🔒 Log in to trackModals (will, can, must, should) follow one row: modal + be + V3. Orders use Let + object + be + V3. Requests, advice and warnings use You are requested / advised / warned to. Questions start with By whom or move the question word to the front.
Modals have one row
Will, shall, can, could, may, might, must, should and ought to all follow modal + be + V3.
- You must obey the rules. becomes The rules must be obeyed.
- They can solve it. becomes It can be solved.
- Ought to keeps its to: The bill ought to be paid.
Rule: Nothing goes between the modal and be. Must being obeyed and must been obeyed are wrong.
Orders use Let
An order has no subject and starts with a base verb. Convert it with Let + object + be + V3.
- Order: Shut the door. becomes Let the door be shut.
- Negative order: Do not pluck the flowers. becomes Let the flowers not be plucked. You can also write The flowers should not be plucked.
- The verb after be is always V3. Write Let the gate be opened, never be open or be opening.
Requests, advice and warnings
Polite words change the frame. The rest of the sentence stays the same.
| Active sentence | Passive frame | Example |
|---|---|---|
| please / kindly | You are requested to + V1 | Please post this letter. becomes You are requested to post this letter. |
| advice | You are advised to + V1 | Give up smoking. becomes You are advised to give up smoking. |
| danger, warning | You are warned not to + V1 | Never touch the wire. becomes You are warned not to touch the wire. |
Tip: Please means requested. Advice means advised. Danger means warned.
Questions come in three shapes
- Who as doer. Use By whom + auxiliary + new subject + V3. Who broke the window? becomes By whom was the window broken?
- Whom or what as receiver. The question word becomes the subject. Whom did the manager appoint? becomes Who was appointed by the manager?
- Yes/no question. Put the helping verb first. Did she sing a song? becomes Was a song sung by her?
Watch: Question order puts the helping verb before the subject. By whom the window was broken? is statement order and is wrong.
Infinitives and gerunds
- Infinitive: to write becomes to be written. I want someone to compile the report becomes I want the report to be compiled.
- Gerund: writing becomes being written. He likes people praising him becomes He likes being praised.
After like, hate, want use being or to be. Never use been there.
Verbs with two objects
Give, send, offer, teach, show and tell have two passives. The guide showed the tourists the paintings becomes:
- The tourists were shown the paintings by the guide. (clean)
- The paintings were shown to the tourists. (needs to)
The paintings were shown the tourists is broken.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Modal + be + V3
The sentence has will, can, must, should or ought to. The options add being, been or drop be.
Spot the modal and keep it unchanged.
Use the fixed row: modal + be + V3.
Reject options with being, been or a missing be.
The modal row has no variants, so any option that changes it is wrong.
Select the passive form: You should check the receipts.
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Should is a modal and stays.
Use should be + V3.
The new subject is the receipts.
The receipts should be checked.
Order becomes Let + object + be + V3
The sentence is a bare order with a base verb and no subject. The right option starts with Let.
Spot the order (no subject, base verb).
Write Let + object + be + V3.
Reject options with no Let, and options with V1 or V-ing after be.
Let is the standard passive frame for an order.
Select the passive form: Post this letter today.
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It is an order with a base verb.
The object is this letter.
Use Let + object + be + V3.
Let this letter be posted today.
Negative order and warning
The sentence says Do not ... or Never .... The options must keep not in the right place.
Decide the tone: request, advice or warning.
Use requested / advised / warned not to + V1.
For a bare negative order, use Let + object + not + be + V3.
Put not before to: not to smoke.
The negative travels with the frame, so options that drop the frame fail.
Select the passive form: Please do not smoke in the hall.
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It is a polite request.
Use You are requested not to + V1.
Keep the rest: smoke in the hall.
You are requested not to smoke in the hall.
Request: You are requested to
The sentence has please or kindly and a base verb. The right option starts with You are requested to.
Spot please or kindly.
Start with You are requested to.
Keep the rest of the sentence word for word.
Treat Let-forms as decoys.
Please cannot stay in a passive clause, so the frame requested to replaces it.
Select the passive form: Kindly grant me a day's leave.
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Kindly signals a request.
Use You are requested to + V1.
Keep grant me a day's leave.
You are requested to grant me a day's leave.
Question conversions (By whom / Who was)
The sentence ends with a question mark. A who-question needs By whom. A whom or what question moves the question word to the front.
Decide the question word's job: doer or receiver.
Doer: By whom + auxiliary + new subject + V3.
Receiver: the question word becomes the subject.
Check that the helping verb comes before the subject.
Most errors here are word-order errors, not verb-form errors.
Select the passive form: Who broke the window?
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Who is the doer, so start with By whom.
Broke is simple past: was + V3.
The new subject is the window.
By whom was the window broken?
Infinitive and gerund passives
The sentence has to + verb after want, or a gerund after like or hate. The options offer to be, being and been.
Infinitive: to + V1 becomes to be + V3.
Gerund: V-ing becomes being + V3.
Reject been after like or want.
Reject options that keep the old doer.
The passive marker takes the same slot the active verb held.
Select the passive form: He likes people praising him.
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Praising is a gerund.
The gerund passive is being + V3.
The doer people drops out.
He likes being praised.
Advice and warning frames
The sentence gives advice (Give up, Avoid) or a danger warning (Never touch). The options use advised or warned.
Advice: You are advised to + V1.
Warning about danger: You are warned not to + V1.
Keep the rest of the sentence unchanged.
The frame word matches the tone: requested, advised or warned.
Select the passive form: Never touch the live wire.
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Never touch is a warning about danger.
Use You are warned not to + V1.
Keep touch the live wire.
You are warned not to touch the live wire.
Shortcuts that save time
An order (no subject, base verb) points to Let + object + be + V3. An option with no Let and no modal cannot be right.
Select the passive form: Switch off the mobile.
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It is an order with a base verb.
Use Let + object + be + V3.
Switch off becomes switched off.
Let the mobile be switched off.
Who-questions become By whom + was/were/is + new subject + V3. Check the word order first, because options scramble it.
Please gives You are requested to. Advice gives You are advised to. A warning gives You are warned not to.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Changing Please help me into Let me be helped.
Use the request frame: You are requested to help me.
Writing By whom this was written?
Use question order: By whom was this written?
Dropping to in the second passive of a two-object verb: Homework was given the students.
Write Homework was given to the students.
Putting being or been after a modal: must been obeyed.
Write modal + be + V3: must be obeyed.
Writing Let the gate be open.
After be, use V3: Let the gate be opened.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Modal row: modal + be + V3. No being, no been. Ought to keeps its to.
Order: Let + object + be + V3. Negative: Let ... not be ... or should not be.
please: You are requested to. advice: You are advised to. danger: You are warned not to.
Who question: By whom + auxiliary + new subject + V3.
Whom or what question: the question word becomes the subject (Who was appointed...?).
Yes/no question: helping verb first (Was a song sung by her?).
to write becomes to be written. people praising becomes being praised.
Practice: 16 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.