Active and Passive Voice Rules for SSC CGL: The Short Answer
To change active voice into passive voice, make the object the new subject, use the correct form of be for the tense, add the past participle (V3) of the main verb, and put the old subject after by (or drop it). So "Riya writes a letter" becomes "A letter is written by Riya". The tense never changes; only the form of "be" changes to match it.
Key takeaway for SSC: SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS give one or two voice questions in the English section, usually "Select the option that expresses the given sentence in passive (or active) voice." Learn the tense chart below, the four tenses that have no passive form, and the imperative and question patterns. Most wrong options change the tense, the number of the verb or the pronoun case.
This note uses only original example sentences. For more grammar practice, see our sentence improvement rules for SSC CGL.
What Is Active and Passive Voice? (Meaning with Examples)
- Active voice: the subject does the action. The chef cooked the rice.
- Passive voice: the subject receives the action. The rice was cooked by the chef.
Passive voice is used when the doer is unknown, unimportant or obvious (My phone was stolen; English is spoken all over the world), or when we want to focus on the action or the receiver.
Only transitive verbs (verbs with an object) can be changed into passive. "She sleeps early" has no object, so it has no passive form. This is a favourite elimination trick.
Rules of Active and Passive Voice (Step-by-Step Method)
- Find the subject, verb and object. The teacher (S) praised (V) Arjun (O).
- Move the object to the subject position. Arjun …
- Write "be" in the same tense as the active verb. Praised is simple past, and Arjun is singular, so "was".
- Add V3 (past participle) of the main verb: praised.
- Add "by" + the old subject in object form: by the teacher.
- Change pronouns from subject form to object form and vice versa.
Result: Arjun was praised by the teacher.
Pronoun change table for voice change
| Active (subject) | Passive (after "by") | Active (object) | Passive (as subject) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | by me | me | I |
| we | by us | us | we |
| you | by you | you | you |
| he | by him | him | he |
| she | by her | her | she |
| they | by them | them | they |
| it | by it | it | it |
The verb in the passive must agree with the new subject. They help me → I am helped by them (not "is helped").
Active and Passive Voice Rules for All Tenses (Chart with Examples)
This is the most important table in the topic. "Be" changes with the tense; V3 never changes.
| Tense | Active structure | Passive structure | Example (active → passive) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple present | V1 / V1+s | is / am / are + V3 | She cleans the room. → The room is cleaned by her. |
| Present continuous | is / am / are + V-ing | is / am / are + being + V3 | They are painting the wall. → The wall is being painted by them. |
| Present perfect | has / have + V3 | has / have + been + V3 | He has posted the letters. → The letters have been posted by him. |
| Simple past | V2 | was / were + V3 | The boy broke a glass. → A glass was broken by the boy. |
| Past continuous | was / were + V-ing | was / were + being + V3 | She was reading a novel. → A novel was being read by her. |
| Past perfect | had + V3 | had + been + V3 | They had finished the work. → The work had been finished by them. |
| Simple future | will / shall + V1 | will / shall + be + V3 | Meera will sing a song. → A song will be sung by Meera. |
| Future perfect | will / shall + have + V3 | will / shall + have + been + V3 | He will have completed the task. → The task will have been completed by him. |
Tenses with no passive voice (SSC trap)
Four tenses are not normally changed into passive in exam grammar, because the forms become clumsy:
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous | She has been writing a book since May. |
| Past perfect continuous | They had been building the bridge for two years. |
| Future continuous | I will be watching the match. |
| Future perfect continuous | He will have been teaching here for ten years. |
If a question gives one of these and every passive option looks awkward, check whether the option keeps the same tense. SSC usually avoids these tenses in voice questions.
Passive Voice of Modals (Can, Could, May, Must, Should)
Rule: modal + be + V3. For past modals: modal + have been + V3.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| You can solve this sum. | This sum can be solved by you. |
| We must obey the rules. | The rules must be obeyed by us. |
| She should finish the report. | The report should be finished by her. |
| They may cancel the trip. | The trip may be cancelled by them. |
| He ought to repay the loan. | The loan ought to be repaid by him. |
| Someone might have taken the keys. | The keys might have been taken. |
| You have to submit the form. | The form has to be submitted by you. |
Imperative Sentences: Active and Passive Voice Rules
Imperative sentences (orders, requests, advice) have two passive patterns.
| Type | Rule | Active → Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Let + object + be + V3 | Close the door. → Let the door be closed. |
| Request (please / kindly) | You are requested to + V1 | Please help me. → You are requested to help me. |
| Advice | You are advised to + V1 | Take some rest. → You are advised to take some rest. |
| Order (formal) | You are ordered to + V1 | Leave the room. → You are ordered to leave the room. |
| Negative order | Let + object + not + be + V3 | Do not touch the wire. → Let the wire not be touched. |
SSC prefers "Let + object + be + V3" for simple orders and "You are requested to" for sentences that start with please or kindly.
Interrogative Sentences: Passive Voice Rules for Questions
Yes/No questions
Start with the helping verb that matches the tense of "be".
- Did she invite you? → Were you invited by her?
- Is he repairing the bike? → Is the bike being repaired by him?
- Have they sold the house? → Has the house been sold by them?
- Can you lift this box? → Can this box be lifted by you?
Wh- questions
Keep the question word at the start.
- Why did he call the police? → Why were the police called by him?
- When will they announce the results? → When will the results be announced by them?
- Who wrote this poem? → By whom was this poem written?
- Whom did you meet? → Who was met by you? (formal: Whom was met is wrong; the passive subject is who)
Note the special change: who (subject) → by whom; whom (object) → who.
Active and Passive Voice with Prepositions Other Than "By"
Some verbs take a fixed preposition in the passive. SSC often tests these.
| Verb | Passive with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| know | to | He is known to everyone in the village. |
| surprise / astonish | at | We were surprised at his rude reply. |
| please / satisfy | with | The manager was pleased with her work. |
| fill | with | The tank was filled with water. |
| interest | in | She is interested in music. |
| contain | in | Useful tips are contained in this book. |
| shock | at / by | The town was shocked at the news. |
| cover | with | The hills are covered with snow. |
Special Cases in Voice Change for SSC CGL
Sentences with two objects
The coach gave Ravi a medal. Either object can become the subject:
- Ravi was given a medal by the coach. (person as subject, more common)
- A medal was given to Ravi by the coach.
"People say that …" pattern
People say that he is honest. →
- It is said that he is honest.
- He is said to be honest.
Infinitive patterns
I want you to clean the car. → I want the car to be cleaned by you. There is no time to waste. → There is no time to be wasted.
Verbs that look transitive but are used without object
The shop opens at nine. No passive. The bell rang. No passive.
Agent omitted
When the doer is "someone, people, they (in general), somebody", drop "by …": Someone has stolen my bag. → My bag has been stolen.
How to Solve Active and Passive Voice Questions Quickly (SSC Trick)
- Mark the tense of the given sentence in one word (simple past, present continuous …).
- Delete options with the wrong tense. This alone removes two options in most SSC questions.
- Check "be" agreement with the new subject (is/are, was/were, has/have).
- Check pronoun case after "by" (by him, not by he).
- Check special patterns: imperative (Let / You are requested), question word order, prepositions like known to.
- Pick the option that keeps the meaning without adding or removing words like already, just, not.
Common Mistakes in Active and Passive Voice Questions
- Changing the tense (He wrote a letter → A letter has been written by him). Wrong: simple past must stay simple past.
- Forgetting being in continuous tenses (The wall is painted by them for They are painting the wall).
- Forgetting been in perfect tenses.
- Using a subject pronoun after "by" (by they).
- Making the verb agree with the old subject (The letters has been posted).
- Writing "by" with known (He is known by everyone): SSC treats known to as correct.
- Dropping not, already or never from the original.
Quick Revision Table: Passive Voice Formulas
| Form | Passive formula |
|---|---|
| Simple tenses | is/am/are, was/were, will be + V3 |
| Continuous tenses | is/am/are being, was/were being + V3 |
| Perfect tenses | has/have been, had been, will have been + V3 |
| Modals | modal + be + V3 |
| Past modals | modal + have been + V3 |
| Order | Let + object + be + V3 |
| Request | You are requested to + V1 |
| Who (subject) | By whom … |
| People say that … | It is said that … / X is said to … |
Active and Passive Voice Questions for SSC CGL (with Answers)
Select the correct passive (or active) form.
- The workers are repairing the road. (a) The road is repaired by the workers. (b) The road is being repaired by the workers. (c) The road was being repaired by the workers. (d) The road has been repaired by the workers. Answer: (b). Present continuous → is being + V3.
- Has she paid the electricity bill? (a) Has the electricity bill been paid by her? (b) Was the electricity bill paid by her? (c) Had the electricity bill been paid by her? (d) Is the electricity bill paid by her? Answer: (a). Present perfect question → has + been + V3.
- Switch off the fan. (a) The fan is switched off. (b) Let the fan be switched off. (c) Let the fan switched off. (d) The fan should switch off. Answer: (b). Order → Let + object + be + V3.
- Kindly lend me your pen. (a) Your pen is lent to me. (b) Let your pen be lent. (c) You are requested to lend me your pen. (d) You were requested to lend me your pen. Answer: (c). Request with kindly → You are requested to.
- Who broke the window? (a) Who was broken the window? (b) By whom the window was broken? (c) By whom was the window broken? (d) By whom is the window broken? Answer: (c). Who → by whom; simple past question → was + subject + V3.
- The news shocked everyone. (a) Everyone was shocked at the news. (b) Everyone is shocked at the news. (c) Everyone has been shocked by the news. (d) Everyone were shocked at the news. Answer: (a). Simple past; shocked at; everyone is singular.
- We should respect our elders. (a) Our elders should respected by us. (b) Our elders should be respected by us. (c) Our elders are respected by us. (d) Our elders should have been respected by us. Answer: (b). Modal + be + V3.
- Active voice of: The match will have been won by our team. (a) Our team will win the match. (b) Our team will have won the match. (c) Our team would have won the match. (d) Our team had won the match. Answer: (b). Future perfect.
- Everybody knows the Prime Minister. (a) The Prime Minister is known by everybody. (b) The Prime Minister is known to everybody. (c) The Prime Minister was known to everybody. (d) The Prime Minister has known everybody. Answer: (b). Simple present; known to.
- People believe that the temple is very old. (a) The temple is believed to be very old. (b) The temple was believed very old. (c) It was believed that the temple is very old. (d) The temple believes to be very old. Answer: (a). "People believe that …" → "X is believed to be …" (also "It is believed that …").
Practise more voice and grammar questions in the SSC CGL English Mini Mock Test 01 and the SSC CHSL English Language Sectional Mock Test 01.
Active and Passive Voice FAQs
What are the rules of active and passive voice?
Make the object the new subject, use the form of "be" that matches the original tense and the new subject, add the past participle (V3) of the main verb, and put the old subject after "by" in object form. The tense never changes.
Which tenses cannot be changed into passive voice?
Present perfect continuous, past perfect continuous, future continuous and future perfect continuous are not normally changed into passive in exam grammar. Intransitive verbs (verbs without an object) also have no passive.
How do you change imperative sentences into passive voice?
Use "Let + object + be + V3" for orders (Close the door → Let the door be closed) and "You are requested to + V1" for requests that begin with please or kindly.
How many questions come from active and passive voice in SSC CGL?
Usually one or two questions in the English section of SSC CGL Tier 1, and similar numbers in SSC CHSL and MTS, along with sentence improvement and error spotting items that test the same rules.
Is "known by" or "known to" correct?
"Known to" is the standard choice in exam grammar when it means familiar to people: He is known to everyone. "Known by" is used for a name or sign: A tree is known by its fruit.
What is the passive voice of "Who taught you English?"
By whom were you taught English? (Also acceptable: By whom was English taught to you?)
Practice Next
- Mock tests: SSC CGL English Mini Mock Test 01, SSC CGL English Comprehension Sectional Mock Test 01 and SSC CHSL English Mini Mock Test 01.
- Related notes: sentence improvement rules for SSC CGL, idioms asked in SSC CGL, one word substitution for SSC CGL and phrasal verbs for SSC CGL.
- Exam details: SSC CGL 2026 and SSC CHSL 2026.
- Browse all study notes.