Passive voice confuses most SSC students. The problem isn’t the concept—it’s that students memorize structure but don’t understand when to use it.
मराठीत समजून घ्या: कर्मणी प्रयोग (Passive Voice)
Active voice मध्ये काम कोणी केले यावर भर असतो; Passive voice मध्ये काय केले गेले यावर भर असतो.
उदा. The teacher explained the lesson. → The lesson was explained by the teacher. (धडा शिक्षकांकडून समजावून सांगितला गेला.)
- काळ (tense) ओळखा. Passive मध्येही तोच काळ ठेवायचा. She writes emails → Emails are written by her. (येथे were चूक आहे.)
- कर्म (object) शोधा. तेच passive वाक्याचा कर्ता (subject) बनते.
- योग्य सहायक क्रियापद वापरा: is/are, was/were, is/are being, has/have been, must/can + be.
- क्रियापदाचे तिसरे रूप (V3) लावा.
- by + कर्ता गरज असेल तरच लिहा. कर्ता माहीत नसेल तर गाळा: The window was broken.
नेहमीच्या चुका: “must submitted” (be विसरणे), “is been completed” (has been हवे).
The One Rule That Solves Everything
Passive voice shifts focus from WHO did something to WHAT was done. Active: “The teacher explained the lesson.” Passive: “The lesson was explained by the teacher.” Use passive voice when the object is more important than the subject.
Exam Trick 1: Spot the Hidden Agent
When converting active to passive, students forget the “by” phrase. In exams you may see: “The book was written ___.” The agent is hidden. Examiners expect: “by the author” or “in 1995”. If the agent is unknown, drop the “by” phrase: “The window was broken.”
Exam Trick 2: Tense Agreement
The passive voice must match the original tense. Active Present: “She writes emails.” Passive Present: “Emails are written by her.” NOT: “Emails were written by her.” When you see a gap-fill question, check the original tense and match it in passive.
Three Passive Forms Students Always Get Wrong
Modal Verbs: Active “Students must submit the project.” Passive: “The project must be submitted by students.” Present Perfect: Active “They have completed work.” Passive: “The work has been completed.” Past Continuous: Active “She was reading the book.” Passive: “The book was being read by her.”
Quick Reference
Simple Present: is/are + past participle. Simple Past: was/were + past participle. Present Continuous: is/are being + past participle. Modal: must/can/should + be + past participle.
Your Exam Strategy
1. Read the sentence. Identify the tense. 2. Find the object (becomes subject in passive). 3. Choose the correct auxiliary verb. 4. Add the past participle. 5. Decide: Does the agent matter? If yes, add “by + agent”. If no, leave it out.
Passive Voice Table: All Tenses at a Glance
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | She writes a letter. | A letter is written by her. |
| Present Continuous | She is writing a letter. | A letter is being written by her. |
| Present Perfect | She has written a letter. | A letter has been written by her. |
| Simple Past | She wrote a letter. | A letter was written by her. |
| Past Continuous | She was writing a letter. | A letter was being written by her. |
| Past Perfect | She had written a letter. | A letter had been written by her. |
| Simple Future | She will write a letter. | A letter will be written by her. |
| Future Perfect | She will have written a letter. | A letter will have been written by her. |
| Modal | She can write a letter. | A letter can be written by her. |
Note: Perfect continuous tenses and the future continuous are almost never changed into the passive. If you see one, read the question again.
Special Cases Examiners Love
1. Questions: Did he finish the work? → Was the work finished by him? | Who broke the glass? → By whom was the glass broken?
2. Commands: Close the door. → Let the door be closed. | Please help me. → You are requested to help me.
3. Two objects: The teacher gave me a book. → I was given a book by the teacher. OR A book was given to me by the teacher.
4. Negatives: They did not invite him. → He was not invited by them.
5. Pronouns in the by-phrase: I → me, we → us, he → him, she → her, they → them. Never write “by I” or “by they”.
Practise: 10 Board-Style Questions
Change the voice. Try all ten before opening the answers.
- Ravi plays cricket.
- The farmers are harvesting the crop.
- Someone has stolen my bicycle.
- The police caught the thief.
- We will plant trees tomorrow.
- You must obey the rules.
- Did she cook the food?
- Open the window.
- My mother gave me a gift.
- The workers were painting the wall.
Show answers
- Cricket is played by Ravi.
- The crop is being harvested by the farmers.
- My bicycle has been stolen.
- The thief was caught by the police.
- Trees will be planted by us tomorrow.
- The rules must be obeyed (by you).
- Was the food cooked by her?
- Let the window be opened.
- I was given a gift by my mother. / A gift was given to me by my mother.
- The wall was being painted by the workers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can every sentence be changed into the passive voice?
No. Only sentences with an object can. “She sleeps” and “The baby cried” have no object, so they stay active.
When should I leave out the by-phrase?
When the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant: “My phone was stolen.” “English is spoken all over the world.”
कर्मणी प्रयोगात क्रियापदाचे कोणते रूप वापरतात?
नेहमी क्रियापदाचे तिसरे रूप (V3 किंवा past participle): written, taken, done, given.
Practice passive voice conversions now. Check Lesson 9: Passive Voice for the complete explanation. Then practice with the Command Centre to test yourself.