Voice

Voice is the form of a verb that indicates whether the subject of the sentence performs the action or is the recipient of the action. English has two voices: active voice and passive voice.

In the active voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb (e.g., 'The hunter shot the tiger'). In the passive voice, the subject receives the action (e.g., 'The tiger was shot by the hunter'). The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb. To form the passive voice, we use the appropriate tense of the verb 'to be' followed by the past participle of the main verb.

CBSE and Cambridge curricula place emphasis on transforming sentences between active and passive voices. Not all sentences can be transformed; only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be converted to passive voice. Intransitive verbs (like go, run, sit) cannot be made passive. Understanding when to use the passive voice (such as when the agent is unknown, obvious, or less important than the action itself) is crucial for scientific writing and formal reports.