Active and Passive Voice: Group 2 General English Practice Questions PDF

The 3 steps from active to passive, the full tense table, pronouns, questions, commands and requests, 4 real TNPSC PYQs with the official answers, and 20 practice MCQs with answers and short explanations.

Real questions: TNPSC previous year questions (2025), official answer key. Practice questions: ArivArk Academy.

Active to passive in 3 steps

Step 1. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject.

Step 2. The verb becomes be + third form (V3). The form of "be" follows the tense: is / am / are, was / were, will be, being, been.

Step 3. The old subject goes after by. Example: Ravi writes a letter. → A letter is written by Ravi.

The tense table: be + third form

Tense	Active	Passive
Simple present	He writes a letter.	A letter is written by him.
Simple past	He wrote a letter.	A letter was written by him.
Simple future	He will write a letter.	A letter will be written by him.
Present continuous	He is writing a letter.	A letter is being written by him.
Past continuous	He was writing a letter.	A letter was being written by him.
Present perfect	He has written a letter.	A letter has been written by him.
Past perfect	He had written a letter.	A letter had been written by him.
Future perfect	He will have written a letter.	A letter will have been written by him.
Modals (can, must, should)	You must finish the work.	The work must be finished (by you).

Future continuous and the perfect continuous tenses are not normally used in the passive voice.

Pronouns change after "by"

Subject form	I	we	he	she	they	you	it
Object form (after by)	me	us	him	her	them	you	it

Questions, commands, requests, two objects

Type	Active	Passive
Question (yes / no)	Did he write the letter?	Was the letter written by him?
Question (who)	Who wrote this book?	By whom was this book written?
Command	Shut the door.	Let the door be shut.
Request	Please help me.	You are requested to help me.
Two objects (give, show, tell, teach)	The Manager will give you a ticket.	You will be given a ticket by the Manager. / A ticket will be given to you by the Manager.

Quick tips

Drop "by ..." when the doer is unknown or not important: English is spoken all over the world. My bag has been stolen.

No object, no passive. Verbs like sleep, come, go, die, arrive have no object, so "He sleeps" has no passive form.

Exam check: does the subject DO the action (active) or is the action DONE TO the subject (passive)? "She would have passed" is right; "she would be passed" is wrong, because she passes the exam herself.

Tamil meaning: "-படு-" shows the passive (தொடரப்பட்டு), "கொண்டிருந்தார்கள்" shows the continuous.

TNPSC PYQs (official key)

1. Select the correct Passive forms of the sentence: "The Manager will give you a ticket".
(a) A ticket will be given to the Manager by you. (b) A ticket will be given to you by the Manager. (c) The Manager will be given a ticket by you. (d) You will be given a ticket by the Manager.

(A) (a) and (b)(B) (a) and (c)(C) (b) and (d)(D) (b) and (c)

Answer: (C) (b) and (d). "give" has two objects (you, a ticket), so either can become the subject. (a) and (c) change the meaning: the Manager gives, he does not receive.

2. Sentence: "They were being followed when they left the building." Which of the following Tamil sentences best conveys the meaning?
(a) அவர்கள் கட்டிடத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறிய போது அவர்களை பின் தொடர்ந்தார்கள்
(b) அவர்கள் கட்டிடத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறும் போது அவர்கள் பின் தொடரப்பட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தார்கள்
(c) அவர்கள் கட்டிடத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறினார்கள், அவர்களை பின் தொடர்ந்தார்கள்.
(d) அவர்கள் கட்டிடத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறும் போது அவர்கள் பின் தொடர்ந்தார்கள்.

(A) (a) and (b)(B) only (b)(C) (a) and (d)(D) only (c)

Answer: (B) only (b). "were being followed" is the past continuous passive. Only (b) has both the passive (தொடரப்பட்டு) and the continuous (கொண்டிருந்தார்கள்). (d) means they themselves followed.

3. Choose the correct verb form to fill the following statement: "If she had studied well, she ______ in the examination."

(A) would have passed(B) would passed(C) would pass(D) would be passed

Answer: (A) would have passed. "had studied" takes "would have passed". "would be passed" is passive, but she does the passing herself, so the active form is needed.

4. Transform the following assertive sentence into an imperative sentence: "You should answer all the questions."
(a) Should you answer all the questions? (b) Answer all the questions. (c) You answer all the questions. (d) All questions should be answered.

(A) (a)(B) (b)(C) (c)(D) (d)

Answer: (B) (b). An imperative starts with the verb: "Answer all the questions." (d) is the passive voice, not an imperative.

Practice MCQs

1. Change into passive: "The cat killed the rat."

(A) The rat is killed by the cat.(B) The rat killed the cat.(C) The rat has been killed by the cat.(D) The rat was killed by the cat.

2. Change into passive: "She is writing a letter."

(A) A letter is being written by her.(B) A letter has been written by her.(C) A letter is written by her.(D) A letter was being written by her.

3. Change into passive: "They have finished the work."

(A) The work was being finished by them.(B) The work has been finished by them.(C) The work had been finished by them.(D) The work is finished by them.

4. Change into passive: "Ram will help you."

(A) You would be helped by Ram.(B) You are helped by Ram.(C) You will be helped by Ram.(D) You will help Ram.

5. Change into passive: "Who wrote this book?"

(A) Who has written this book by?(B) Who was this book written?(C) By whom is this book written?(D) By whom was this book written?

6. Change into passive: "Open the window."

(A) Let the window open.(B) The window was opened.(C) The window is opened.(D) Let the window be opened.

7. Change into passive: "Please give me a pen."

(A) I am requested to give a pen.(B) Please be given a pen.(C) You are requested to give me a pen.(D) A pen is given to me.

8. Change into passive: "You must obey the rules."

(A) You must be obeyed by the rules.(B) The rules must be obey by you.(C) The rules must obeyed by you.(D) The rules must be obeyed by you.

9. Change into active: "The thief was caught by the police."

(A) The thief caught the police.(B) The police catch the thief.(C) The police have caught the thief.(D) The police caught the thief.

10. Change into active: "The song is being sung by Meena."

(A) Meena was singing the song.(B) Meena has sung the song.(C) Meena sings the song.(D) Meena is singing the song.

11. Change into passive: "Did she invite you?"

(A) Were you invited by her?(B) Had you been invited by her?(C) Was you invited by her?(D) Are you invited by her?

12. Change into passive: "He had completed the project."

(A) The project was completed by him.(B) The project had completed by him.(C) The project had been completed by him.(D) The project has been completed by him.

13. Choose the correct passive: "The teacher gave the students a test."

(A) The students were gave a test by the teacher.(B) The students gave a test to the teacher.(C) The teacher was given a test by the students.(D) The students were given a test by the teacher.

14. Which sentence is in the passive voice?

(A) The bridge stands on the river.(B) They are building a bridge.(C) The workers built the bridge.(D) The bridge was built in 1990.

15. Which sentence CANNOT be changed into the passive voice?

(A) The baby sleeps.(B) They sell fruits.(C) Ravi wrote a poem.(D) The baby drinks milk.

16. Change into passive: "People speak Tamil in Sri Lanka."

(A) Tamil is spoken in Sri Lanka.(B) Tamil is speaking in Sri Lanka.(C) Tamil was spoken in Sri Lanka.(D) Tamil speaks in Sri Lanka.

17. Change into passive: "They were playing football."

(A) Football was being played by them.(B) Football is being played by them.(C) Football was played by them.(D) Football had been played by them.

18. Change into passive: "We will win the match."

(A) The match will won by us.(B) The match is won by us.(C) The match would be won by us.(D) The match will be won by us.

19. Fill in the blank: "The Taj Mahal ______ by Shah Jahan."

(A) has built(B) is building(C) built(D) was built

20. Change into passive: "Somebody has stolen my bag."

(A) My bag was being stolen.(B) My bag had stolen.(C) My bag has been stolen.(D) My bag is stolen by somebody.

Answer key: 1 D, 2 A, 3 B, 4 C, 5 D, 6 D, 7 C, 8 D, 9 D, 10 D, 11 A, 12 C, 13 D, 14 D, 15 A, 16 A, 17 A, 18 D, 19 D, 20 C

Why? Short explanations

1 (D) Simple past: was + V3.

2 (A) Present continuous: is being + V3.

3 (B) Present perfect: has been + V3.

4 (C) Simple future: will be + V3; "you" stays "you".

5 (D) "Who" becomes "By whom"; simple past: was + V3.

6 (D) A command takes Let + object + be + V3.

7 (C) A request takes "You are requested to ...".

8 (D) Modal + be + V3.

9 (D) "was caught" is simple past, so the active is "caught".

10 (D) "is being sung" is present continuous.

11 (A) Did + simple past becomes Was / Were + V3; "you" takes "were".

12 (C) Past perfect: had been + V3.

13 (D) The person who receives (the students) can become the subject.

14 (D) was + V3 (built) = passive.

15 (A) "sleep" has no object, so it has no passive.

16 (A) Simple present: is + V3; "by people" is dropped.

17 (A) Past continuous: was being + V3.

18 (D) Simple future: will be + V3.

19 (D) A past fact in the passive: was + V3.

20 (C) Present perfect: has been + V3; "by somebody" is dropped.

Active and Passive Voice: Practice Questions with Answers (Group 2 General English)