Active Voice and Passive Voice Notes | English for Communication | RGPV BTech First Year


Introduction to Active Voice and Passive Voice

English Grammar में Voice एक महत्वपूर्ण Topic है जो यह दर्शाता है कि Sentence में कार्य (Action) करने वाला Subject महत्वपूर्ण है या कार्य का प्रभाव प्राप्त करने वाला Object। Communication Skills, Technical Writing, Business Correspondence, Report Writing तथा Academic Writing में Active Voice और Passive Voice का अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण योगदान है।

Engineering Students के लिए Voice का सही ज्ञान आवश्यक है क्योंकि Technical Reports, Project Documentation, Research Papers तथा Laboratory Reports में Passive Voice का व्यापक उपयोग किया जाता है।


Definition of Voice

Voice is the form of a verb that shows whether the subject performs an action or receives the action.

Voice दो प्रकार की होती है:

  • Active Voice
  • Passive Voice

Active Voice

जब Subject स्वयं कार्य करता है तो Sentence Active Voice में होता है।

Definition

In Active Voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.

Structure

Subject + Verb + Object

Examples

  • Ram writes a letter.
  • The engineer designs a machine.
  • The students complete the project.
  • The teacher teaches English.
  • The company launches a product.

Passive Voice

जब Subject पर कार्य किया जाता है तो Sentence Passive Voice में होता है।

Definition

In Passive Voice, the subject receives the action performed by someone or something else.

Structure

Object + Helping Verb + V3 + By + Subject

Examples

  • A letter is written by Ram.
  • A machine is designed by the engineer.
  • The project is completed by the students.
  • English is taught by the teacher.
  • A product is launched by the company.

Basic Principle of Voice Change

Voice Change करते समय निम्न बिंदुओं का ध्यान रखा जाता है:

  • Object Subject बन जाता है।
  • Subject Object बन जाता है।
  • Main Verb की Third Form (V3) का प्रयोग होता है।
  • Tense नहीं बदलता।
  • Appropriate Helping Verb का प्रयोग किया जाता है।

Active and Passive Voice Transformation

Active Voice Passive Voice
Ram writes a letter. A letter is written by Ram.
She sings a song. A song is sung by her.
The engineer designs a bridge. A bridge is designed by the engineer.
The students submit the report. The report is submitted by the students.

Voice Change Rules According to Tenses

1. Simple Present Tense

Active: Subject + V1 + Object

Passive: Object + is/am/are + V3 + by + Subject

Example:

  • He writes a letter.
  • A letter is written by him.

2. Present Continuous Tense

Active: Subject + is/am/are + V1+ing + Object

Passive: Object + is/am/are + being + V3

Example:

  • She is writing a letter.
  • A letter is being written by her.

3. Present Perfect Tense

Passive: Object + has/have been + V3

  • They have completed the work.
  • The work has been completed by them.

4. Simple Past Tense

Passive: Object + was/were + V3

  • Ram wrote a letter.
  • A letter was written by Ram.

5. Past Continuous Tense

Passive: Object + was/were being + V3

  • She was reading a book.
  • A book was being read by her.

6. Past Perfect Tense

Passive: Object + had been + V3

  • They had completed the project.
  • The project had been completed by them.

7. Simple Future Tense

Passive: Object + will be + V3

  • He will write a letter.
  • A letter will be written by him.

8. Future Perfect Tense

Passive: Object + will have been + V3

  • They will have completed the work.
  • The work will have been completed by them.

Interrogative Sentences in Passive Voice

Question sentences को भी Passive Voice में बदला जा सकता है।

Examples

  • Do you write a letter?
  • Is a letter written by you?
  • Did he complete the work?
  • Was the work completed by him?

Imperative Sentences in Passive Voice

  • Open the door.
  • Let the door be opened.
  • Complete the report.
  • Let the report be completed.

Use of Passive Voice in Technical Communication

Technical Communication में Passive Voice का अत्यधिक उपयोग किया जाता है क्योंकि इसमें कार्य करने वाले व्यक्ति की बजाय कार्य पर ध्यान दिया जाता है।

Examples

  • The experiment was conducted successfully.
  • The software was developed using Java.
  • The report was submitted on time.
  • The machine was tested thoroughly.
  • The circuit was designed using simulation tools.

Advantages of Active Voice

  • Clear communication
  • Easy to understand
  • Direct expression
  • Improves readability
  • Suitable for spoken communication

Advantages of Passive Voice

  • Useful in technical reports
  • Focuses on action
  • Professional writing style
  • Widely used in research papers
  • Suitable for scientific communication

Disadvantages of Active Voice

  • May appear informal in technical writing.
  • Less suitable for scientific reports.

Disadvantages of Passive Voice

  • Can make sentences lengthy.
  • Sometimes less clear.
  • May reduce readability.

Comparison Between Active and Passive Voice

Basis Active Voice Passive Voice
Focus Subject Action/Object
Structure Simple Complex
Communication Direct Indirect
Technical Reports Less Used Highly Used
Readability High Moderate

Applications of Voice

  • Technical Writing
  • Academic Reports
  • Research Papers
  • Business Communication
  • Email Writing
  • Project Documentation
  • Laboratory Reports
  • Professional Correspondence

Viva Questions

  1. What is Voice?
  2. Define Active Voice.
  3. Define Passive Voice.
  4. What is the structure of Active Voice?
  5. What is the structure of Passive Voice?
  6. Why is Passive Voice used in Technical Writing?
  7. How do you convert Active Voice into Passive Voice?
  8. Which verb form is used in Passive Voice?
  9. What are the advantages of Active Voice?
  10. Differentiate between Active and Passive Voice.

Exam Oriented Important Questions

  1. Define Voice and explain its types.
  2. Differentiate between Active Voice and Passive Voice.
  3. Explain the rules for changing Active Voice into Passive Voice.
  4. Discuss the use of Passive Voice in Technical Communication.
  5. Convert suitable examples from Active to Passive Voice.
  6. Explain Voice Change in different tenses.
  7. Write a short note on Passive Voice.
  8. Discuss advantages and disadvantages of Active and Passive Voice.
  9. Explain Interrogative and Imperative Voice Transformation.
  10. Compare Active Voice and Passive Voice with examples.

Conclusion

Active Voice and Passive Voice English Grammar के महत्वपूर्ण भाग हैं। Active Voice communication को सरल और प्रभावी बनाता है जबकि Passive Voice Technical Writing, Scientific Reports तथा Professional Communication में विशेष रूप से उपयोगी होता है। Engineering Students के लिए दोनों प्रकार की Voice का ज्ञान आवश्यक है क्योंकि यह Academic तथा Professional Success में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाता है।