Mastering voice change (active to passive) is essential for effective English grammar, syntax, and sentence structure. Voice is the form of the verb that indicates whether the subject does the work or has the work done upon it by someone or something else.
Voice দু' প্রকার। যথা: (i) Active Voice ও (ii) Passive Voice.
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Active voice: যে sentence-এ subject নিজে সক্রিয় হয়ে কাজ সম্পন্ন করে, সে sentence-এ verb-এর Active verb হয়। উদাহরণ: I do the work.
Passive voice: যে sentence-এ subject নিজে কাজ সম্পন্ন করে না বরং object-এর কাজটি তার উপর এসে পড়ে তখন সে sentence-এ verb-এর passive voice হয়। উদাহরণ: The work is done by me.
What is Assertive Sentence Voice Change?
Active থেকে Passive করার সাধারণ নিয়মাবলী:
How to Apply Rule-1 for Assertive Sentences?
(i) Object কে সবার প্রথমে Subject হিসাবে বসাতে হবে। যদি Object এর সাথে Of/Under /Below/Above ইত্যাদি থাকে তবে এগুলো সহ পুরো Phrase টুকু Object এর সাথে Subject হিসাবে সবার প্রথমে বসবে।
(ii) Tense অনুসারে সাহায্যকারী Verb বসবে। (নিচের ছক অনুযায়ী বিভিন্ন Tense এ বিভিন্ন সাহায্যকারী Verb বসবে।)
(iii) মূল Verb এর Past Participle Form বসবে।
(iv) By বসবে।
কিন্তু ,
Known এর পর = To বসবে।
Filled এর পর = With বসবে।
Seized এর পর = With বসবে।
Covered এর পর = With বসবে।
Annoyed এর পর মানুষ থাকলে = with বসবে।
Annoyed এর পর বস্তু/প্রাণী থাকলে = at বসবে ।
Pleased এর পর মানুষ থাকলে = with বসবে।
Please এর পর বস্তু/প্রাণী থাকলে = at বসবে।
Surprised এর পর মানুষ থাকলে = with বসবে।
Surprised এর পর বস্তু/প্রাণী থাকলে = at বসবে।
Worried এর পর = about বসবে।
Embodied এর পর = in বসবে।
Shocked এর পর মানুষ থাকলে = with বসবে। Shocked এর পর বস্তু/প্রাণী থাকলে = at বসবে। Contained এর পর = in বসবে।
(v) By + Subject এর Objective Form বসবে।
(vii) যদি বিভিন্ন শব্দ/Phrase থাকে, তবে তাদেরকে By পূর্বে বসানো উত্তম। By এর পরে না বসানোই ভালো।
How to Handle Modal Auxiliaries in Passive Voice?
Active Voice এ Modal Auxiliary থাকলে Passive করতে Modal Auxiliary + be বসবে।
Examples:
Active: We ought to respect our teachers.
Passive: Our teachers ought to be respected by us.
Active: I have to do it.
Passive: It has to be done by me.
Active: You are to colour the picture.
Passive: The picture is to be coloured by you.
Active: I am going to open a shop.
Passive: A shop is going to be opened by me
What to Do When There Are Two Objects?
যদি Active এ দুটো Object থাকে, তবে মানুষ জাতীয় Indirect Object কে সবার প্রথমে Subject হিসাবে নিতে হবে এবং বস্তু/প্রাণী জাতীয় Direct Object কে by এর পূর্বে বসাতে হবে।
Examples:
Active: They elected him captain.
Passive: He was elected captain by them.
Active: He gave me a flower.
Passive: I was given a flower by him.
How to Change Voice with Bare Infinitives?
যদি Active এ Bare Infinitive থাকে তবে Passive করতে উক্ত Bare-Infinitive এর পূর্বে To বসাতে হবে। (যদি উক্ত Sentence এ ১ম Verb = Let থাকে তবে Passive করলেও Bare-Infinitive এর পূর্বে To বসবে না।)
Examples:
Active: He made me understand the matter.
Passive: I was made to understand the matter by him.
Active: He heard the baby cry for its food.
Passive: The baby was heard to cry for its food by him.
Active: I let him go away.
Passive: He is/was let go away by me.
What Are the Rules for Infinitive Phrases?
যদি Activeএর Object = Infinitive Phrase থাকে তবে Passive করতে Transitive Verb এর পর Infinitive Phrase এর Object বসবে এবং তারপর Infinitive কে Passive করতে হবে। (এছাড়া Infinitive Phrase কে Subject আকারে সবার প্রথমে এনেও কাজ করা যায়।)
Examples:
Active: He decided to leave the job.
Passive: He decided the job to be left.
Or,
Passive: To leave the job was decided by him.
→ যদি কোন Active বাক্যে adj +to + verb থাকে, তবে Passive করার সময় তা অপরিবর্তিত থাকে। যেমন—
Active: I found it easy to do.
Passive: It was found easy to do.
Active: He wanted to draw a picture.
Passive: He wanted a picture to be drawn.
Or,
Passive: To draw a picture was wanted by him.
How to Change Complex Sentences with Noun Clauses?
যদি Complex Sentence এর Object = Noun Clause থাকে, তবে তাকে Subject হিসেবে সবার প্রথমে এনে Passive করা যায়। (এক্ষেত্রে Noun Clause এর পূর্বেও Passive করে নেয়া যায়।)
Examples:
Active: I know that he did not work.
Passive: That he did not work is known to me.
Or,
Passive: It is known to me that he did not work.
What Are the Rules for Linking Verbs and Adjectives?
যদি Active এর Structure : Subject + Linking Verb + Adjective থাকে তবে Linking Verb Passive করতে হবে। (তবে Subject + Be verb + Adjective + when+it+ Verb এর Passive form ও করা যায়।)
Examples:
Active: Honey tastes sweet.
Passive: Honey is tasted sweet.
Or,
Passive: Honey is sweet when it is tasted.
Active: The bed felt hard.
Passive: The bed was felt hard.
Or,
Passive: The bed was hard when it s felt.
Active: Milk turns sour.
Passive: Milk is turned sour.
Or,
Passive: Milk is sour when it is turned..
How Do Reflexive Pronouns Affect Voice Change?
Active Sentence এর Structure = Subject + Verb + Reflexive Pronoun থাকে তবে Passive করতে কেবলমাত্র Verb এর Passive করতে হবে এবং by + Reflexive Pronoun বসবে।
Examples:
Active: Mina killed herself.
Passive: Mina was killed by herself.
Active: They thanked themselves.
Passive: They were thanked by themselves.
Active: Rishana praised herself.
Passive: Rishana was praised by herself.
What Verbs Only Need Verb Passivization?
কিছু কিছু Active Sentence এ Publish, Print, Sell, Grow, Issue, Build ইত্যাদি Verb থাকে। এগুলো Sentence কে Passive করতে কেবলমাত্র Verb এর Passive করলেই চলবে।
Examples:
Active: The book is printing.
Passive: The book is being printed.
Active: The house is building.
Passive: The house is being built.
How to Convert Passive to Active Voice?
Passive থেকে Active করতে বলা হলে উল্টা নিয়ম প্রয়োগ করলেই চলবে।
Examples:
Passive: I was half-awakened by the sound of chopping.
Active: The sound of chopping half-awakened me.
Passive: The boy has been beaten severely by his master.
Active: His master has beaten the boy severely.
What is Imperative Sentence Voice Change?
How to Apply Rule-1 for Imperative Sentences?
(i) Imperative Sentence কে Passive করার সাধারণ নিয়ম:
(i) সবার প্রথমে Let বসবে। যদি Do not / Never থাকে তবে সবার প্রথমে Let not বসবে। Never থাকলে Verb এর পূর্বে Ever বসবে।
(ii) Object বসবে
(iii) Be
(vi) মূল Verb এর Past Participle form বসবে।
(v) যদি অন্যান্য শব্দ Phrase থাকে তবে সেগুলোকে সবার শেষে বসাতে হবে।
(vi) যদি Active এ দুটি Object থাকে তবে Passive এ Let এর পর বস্তুজাতীয় Direct Object বসবে এবং সবার শেষে to/for + মানুষ জাতীয় Indirect Object বসবে।
Examples:
Active: Open the door.
Passive: Let the door be opened.
Active: Don't laugh at the poor.
Passive: Let not the poor be laughed at.
Active: Never eat more than one thing for luncheon.
Passive: Let not more than one thing be ever eaten for luncheon.
Active: Buy me a shirt.
Passive: Let a shirt be bought for me.
Active: Give me your watch.
Passive: Let your watch be given to me.
When to Use Should be in Imperative Sentences?
Imperative Sentence এ Suggestive কিছু থাকলে এবং “কোন কাজ করা উচিৎ" বুঝালে Passive করতে Should be বসবে। (Let ব্যবহার করা যাবে না)
Examples:
Active: Keep words.
Passive: Your words should be kept.
Active: Take care of your health.
Passive: Your health should be taken care of.
What to Do When Imperative Sentences Have No Object?
Imperative Sentence এ যদি Verbএর পর Object না থাকে তবে Passive করতে You are ordered/ asked/ told + to বসিয়ে কাজ করতে হবে।
Examples:
Active: Go away.
Passive: You are ordered to go away.
Active: Move quickly.
Passive: You are asked / told to move quickly.
How to Handle Please or Kindly in Imperative Sentences?
Imperative Sentence এর Active এ Please/ Kindly থাকে, তবে Passive এ এগুলো উঠে যেয়ে You are requested to বসবে।
Example:
Active: Open the window, please.
Passive: You are requested to open the window.
How to Change Sentences Starting with Let?
Imperative Sentence এ Let me, Let him, Let you, Let her, Let them ইত্যাদি থাকে তবে Passive করতে এগুলো উঠে যেয়ে যথাক্রমে by me, by him, by you, by her, by them ইত্যাদি বসবে।
Examples:
Active: Let me do the sum.
Passive: Let the sum be done by me.
Active: Let him draw a picture.
Passive: Let a picture be drawn by him.
What is Interrogative Sentence Voice Change?
Rule-1: Wh-Word দ্বারা Active থাকলে Pasive করার নিয়ম:
(i) Who থাকলে তা উঠে সবার প্রথমে By Whom/ To whom/ With whom/ At whom বসে। Whom থাকলে তা উঠে গিয়ে সবার প্রথমে Who বসে।
(ii) When/Where/How/How long/Why/How far ইত্যাদি থাকলে Passive এ এরা অপরিবর্তিত অবস্থায় প্রথমেই থাকবে ৷
(iii) What/Which/ How much/How many + Noun যদি Active এ থাকে তবে Passive এ এরা অপরিবর্তিত অবস্থায় প্রথমেই থাকবে।
(iv) এদের পর Tense অনুসারে সাহায্যকারী Verb বসবে।
(v) মূল Verb এর Past Participle বসবে।
(vi) By+ Subject এর Objective From বসবে।
Examples:
Active: Who broke the pencil?
Passive: By Whom was the pencil broken?
Active: Whom did they accuse?
Passive: Who was accused by them?
Active: How can you do this?
Passive: How can this be done by you?
Active: Whom did you like?
Passive: Who was liked by you?
Active: Who know this?
Passive: To Whom is this known?
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Key Takeaways
- Voice indicates whether the subject performs the action or receives it.
- Active Voice features a subject that is active and executes the action directly.
- Passive Voice places focus on the object receiving the action from the verb.
- Special preposition rules apply after past participles, such as Known to and Filled with.
- Different sentence structures (Assertive, Imperative, Interrogative) require unique syntax rules.
Quick Practice
Test your understanding of voice change (active to passive) by writing the passive forms of these sentences in the comments below:
- Open the door.
- Who broke the pencil?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is voice change (active to passive)?
Voice change (active to passive) is the grammatical process of converting a sentence where the subject performs the action into one where the subject receives the action.
How do you change modal auxiliaries to passive voice?
When an active voice contains a modal auxiliary, you change it to passive by using the structure Modal Auxiliary + be followed by the past participle.
What happens to "Who" in interrogative voice change?
When converting an active interrogative sentence starting with "Who", "Who" changes to By Whom, To whom, With whom, or At whom at the beginning of the passive sentence.