Active Passive Voice for SSC Exams
Active and Passive Voice is an important topic in the English section of SSC exams such as SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC MTS, and others. Questions from this topic test a candidate’s understanding of sentence structure and grammar. Below are some practice questions based on Active and Passive Voice to help you prepare effectively for the exam.
Common Mistakes Students Make in Active and Passive Voice Questions
Active and Passive Voice questions are common in SSC exams, but many students make small mistakes that lead to wrong answers. Here are some important points to remember:
- Changing the tense by mistake
The verb tense should stay the same when changing from active to passive. Don’t use past tense if the original sentence is in present tense. - Using ‘by’ when it’s not needed
Not every passive sentence needs the word ‘by’. Use it only when the person doing the action is important or clearly mentioned. - Wrong helping verb
Choosing the wrong form of “be” (is, are, was, were, etc.) is a common mistake. Always match it with the tense of the sentence. - Incorrect word order
In passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject. Mixing up the order can make the sentence wrong. - Mistakes in command sentences
Sentences that give instructions or orders need special care. Passive voice usually starts with “Let…” (Example: Let the book be taken). - Trying to change voice without an object
If the active sentence has no object, you can’t change it into passive voice. Always check if there’s an object first. - Using passive voice too much
Use passive voice only when the question asks for it. In other cases, stick to active voice to keep things clear.
Tips and Tricks to Solve Active and Passive Voice Questions
Active and Passive Voice questions test your grammar and understanding of sentence structure. With the right approach, you can solve them quickly and accurately. Here are some helpful tips:
- Identify the subject, verb, and object clearly
Start by breaking the sentence into three parts subject (the doer), verb (the action), and object (the receiver). This helps in converting the sentence properly. - Keep the tense the same
When changing the voice, do not change the tense. Match the helping verb with the tense of the original sentence. - Use the correct helping verb with the past participle
In passive voice, always use a form of ‘be’ (is, are, was, were, etc.) followed by the third form (V3) of the main verb. For example, write → written, eat → eaten. - Change the object into the subject
In passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the new subject. This shift in focus is key to correct transformation. - Use ‘by + doer’ only if needed
You don’t always need to mention who did the action. Use ‘by’ only when the doer is important or specifically asked. - Handle commands using ‘Let’
For imperative sentences (commands or requests), start the passive form with “Let”.
Example: “Shut the door.” → “Let the door be shut.” - Understand modal verb patterns
When the active sentence uses modal verbs (can, should, must), use: modal + be + V3.
Example: “You must complete the task.” → “The task must be completed.” - Be careful with questions
Keep question words (like what, when, who) in front, and follow proper passive structure.
Example: “Did she solve the puzzle?” → “Was the puzzle solved by her?” - Practice different sentence types
Passive voice questions can be asked in all tenses. Make sure to practice present, past, future, modals, and imperative sentence types. - Use option elimination in MCQs
Quickly remove choices that change the tense, skip the helping verb, or use the wrong word order. This helps you answer faster and more accurately.
Active and Passive Voice Practice Questions for SSC
Directions:
In each of the following questions, a sentence is given in Active or Passive voice. Choose the correct alternative that expresses the same sentence in the other voice.
- They will complete the project by next week.
(1) The project will have been completed by them next week.
(2) The project will be completed by them by next week.
(3) The project has been completed by them by next week.
(4) The project is being completed by them by next week.
Answer: (2) - The manager has approved your leave.
(1) Your leave had been approved by the manager.
(2) Your leave is being approved by the manager.
(3) Your leave has been approved by the manager.
(4) Your leave was approved by the manager.
Answer: (3) - Close the door.
(1) Let the door be closed.
(2) The door is being closed.
(3) You should close the door.
(4) The door is closed by you.
Answer: (1) - Someone has stolen my purse.
(1) My purse had been stolen.
(2) My purse was stolen.
(3) My purse has been stolen.
(4) My purse is being stolen.
Answer: (3) - They are watching a movie.
(1) A movie was watched by them.
(2) A movie is watched by them.
(3) A movie is being watched by them.
(4) A movie has been watched by them.
Answer: (3) - The teacher will check the papers.
(1) The papers are checked by the teacher.
(2) The papers have been checked by the teacher.
(3) The papers will be checked by the teacher.
(4) The papers are being checked by the teacher.
Answer: (3) - Do not waste water.
(1) Water is not to be wasted.
(2) Water is not wasted.
(3) Let not water be wasted.
(4) You should not waste water.
Answer: (3) - The police caught the thief.
(1) The thief is caught by the police.
(2) The thief has been caught by the police.
(3) The thief was caught by the police.
(4) The thief was being caught by the police.
Answer: (3) - I will help you.
(1) You will be helped by me.
(2) You are helped by me.
(3) You are being helped by me.
(4) You were helped by me.
Answer: (1) - The chef is preparing dinner.
(1) Dinner is prepared by the chef.
(2) Dinner is being prepared by the chef.
(3) Dinner has been prepared by the chef.
(4) Dinner was prepared by the chef.
Answer: (2) - He wrote a letter.
(1) A letter was written by him.
(2) A letter is written by him.
(3) A letter was being written by him.
(4) A letter had been written by him.
Answer: (1) - Did she complete the task?
(1) Is the task completed by her?
(2) Was the task completed by her?
(3) Has the task been completed by her?
(4) Had the task been completed by her?
Answer: (2) - Someone is cleaning the floor.
(1) The floor is being cleaned.
(2) The floor was being cleaned.
(3) The floor has been cleaned.
(4) The floor is cleaned.
Answer: (1) - They had taken all the documents.
(1) All the documents have been taken by them.
(2) All the documents had been taken by them.
(3) All the documents are taken by them.
(4) All the documents are being taken by them.
Answer: (2) - The doctor examined the patient.
(1) The patient is examined by the doctor.
(2) The patient has been examined by the doctor.
(3) The patient was examined by the doctor.
(4) The patient is being examined by the doctor.
Answer: (3) - They were watching the match.
(1) The match is being watched by them.
(2) The match was being watched by them.
(3) The match was watched by them.
(4) The match had been watched by them.
Answer: (2) - Who wrote this book?
(1) By whom was this book written?
(2) This book was written by whom?
(3) Who is this book written by?
(4) This book had been written by whom?
Answer: (1) - We must follow the rules.
(1) The rules should be followed by us.
(2) The rules must be followed by us.
(3) The rules ought to be followed by us.
(4) The rules have to be followed by us.
Answer: (2) - Open the window.
(1) Let the window be opened.
(2) The window was opened.
(3) The window is opened.
(4) You should open the window.
Answer: (1) - He is painting the wall.
(1) The wall was painted by him.
(2) The wall is painted by him.
(3) The wall has been painted by him.
(4) The wall is being painted by him.
Answer: (4) - Have you finished your homework?
(1) Has your homework been finished by you?
(2) Is your homework finished by you?
(3) Had your homework been finished by you?
(4) Was your homework being finished by you?
Answer: (1) - They will announce the results tomorrow.
(1) The results will have been announced tomorrow.
(2) The results will be announced by them tomorrow.
(3) The results are announced by them tomorrow.
(4) The results will be announcing tomorrow.
Answer: (2) - The children are singing a song.
(1) A song is being sung by the children.
(2) A song is sung by the children.
(3) A song was sung by the children.
(4) A song had been sung by the children.
Answer: (1) - Did he complete the assignment?
(1) Had the assignment been completed by him?
(2) Has the assignment been completed by him?
(3) Was the assignment completed by him?
(4) Is the assignment completed by him?
Answer: (3) - Somebody has broken the window.
(1) The window had been broken.
(2) The window is broken.
(3) The window has been broken.
(4) The window was broken.
Answer: (3) - They speak English fluently.
(1) English was spoken fluently by them.
(2) English is being spoken fluently by them.
(3) English is spoken fluently by them.
(4) English had been spoken fluently by them.
Answer: (3) - I am reading a novel.
(1) A novel was read by me.
(2) A novel is being read by me.
(3) A novel has been read by me.
(4) A novel is read by me.
Answer: (2) - Will he write the letter?
(1) Will the letter be written by him?
(2) Would the letter be written by him?
(3) Has the letter been written by him?
(4) Was the letter written by him?
Answer: (1) - She had prepared the speech.
(1) The speech was prepared by her.
(2) The speech is prepared by her.
(3) The speech had been prepared by her.
(4) The speech has been prepared by her.
Answer: (3) - Somebody is calling you.
(1) You are called by somebody.
(2) You are being called.
(3) You were being called.
(4) You have been called.
Answer: (2) - Do they complete their work on time?
(1) Is their work completed on time by them?
(2) Has their work been completed on time by them?
(3) Was their work completed on time by them?
(4) Does their work be completed on time by them?
Answer: (1) - He teaches us grammar.
(1) Grammar is being taught to us by him.
(2) Grammar has been taught to us by him.
(3) Grammar is taught to us by him.
(4) Grammar was taught to us by him.
Answer: (3) - The guard opened the gate.
(1) The gate is opened by the guard.
(2) The gate had been opened by the guard.
(3) The gate was opened by the guard.
(4) The gate is being opened by the guard.
Answer: (3) - Who will clean the room?
(1) The room is cleaned by whom?
(2) Will the room be cleaned by whom?
(3) By whom will the room be cleaned?
(4) The room will be cleaned by who?
Answer: (3) - Why did she close the window?
(1) Why was the window closed by her?
(2) Why had the window been closed by her?
(3) Why is the window closed by her?
(4) Why was she closing the window?
Answer: (1)
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Active and Passive Voice – FAQs for SSC Exams
Ans: Active voice shows the subject doing the action, while passive voice shows the subject receiving the action.
Ans: Watch for tense shifts, wrong helping verbs, incorrect word order, or unnecessary use of ‘by’.
Ans: You can practice with Oliveboard’s free mock tests and English quizzes tailored for SSC exams.
Ans: Identify the object, keep the tense unchanged, and use correct helping verb + past participle form (V3).
Ans: Avoid changing the tense, using the wrong helping verb, or adding ‘by’ unnecessarily.
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