Voice Change — Active to Passive — Full Lecture

Basic Formula: Object → Subject + be (tense) + V3 + by + Subject → Object

Tense	Active	Passive
Present Indefinite	He writes a letter.	A letter is written by him.
Present Continuous	He is writing a letter.	A letter is being written by him.
Present Perfect	He has written a letter.	A letter has been written by him.
Past Indefinite	He wrote a letter.	A letter was written by him.
Past Continuous	He was writing a letter.	A letter was being written by him.
Past Perfect	He had written a letter.	A letter had been written by him.
Future Indefinite	He will write a letter.	A letter will be written by him.
Future Perfect	He will have written a letter.	A letter will have been written by him.
Modal	He can write a letter.	A letter can be written by him.

Special Rules:

1. Imperative sentence:

• Active: "Open the door." → Passive: "Let the door be opened."
• Active: "Do not touch it." → Passive: "Let it not be touched."

2. Quasi-passive (Active form but passive meaning):

• "The book reads well." "The rose smells sweet." "Rice sells cheap."

3. Double object (give, tell, show, offer, teach):

• Active: "He gave me a book."
• Passive 1: "I was given a book by him." (person as subject — more common)
• Passive 2: "A book was given to me by him."

4. Infinitive structure:

• Active: "People know him to be honest."
• Passive: "He is known to be honest."

5. "By" is not always used — sometimes with/at/to/in:

• "I am surprised at the news." "The jar is filled with water."
• "He is known to all." "He is interested in music."