This is the specific lesson where we’ll learn active and passive voice with modals examples to understand more concepts. Here are examples of sentences in both the active and passive voice using various modal verbs:
Active and Passive Voice with Modals Examples
Examples with “can”
Active Voice:
- She can solve the problem.
- They can complete the project.
Passive Voice:
- The problem can be solved by her.
- The project can be completed by them.
Examples with “will”
Active Voice:
- He will finish the report.
- We will organize the event.
Passive Voice:
- The report will be finished by him.
- The event will be organized by us.
Examples with “should”
Active Voice:
- You should check the details.
- They should follow the instructions.
Passive Voice:
- The details should be checked by you.
- The instructions should be followed by them.
Examples with “must”
Active Voice:
- She must complete the assignment.
- We must follow the rules.
Passive Voice:
- The assignment must be completed by her.
- The rules must be followed by us.
Examples with “may”
Active Voice:
- He may join the meeting.
- They may announce the results.
Passive Voice:
- The meeting may be joined by him.
- The results may be announced by them.
Examples with “could”
Active Voice:
- She could paint the picture.
- They could develop the software.
Passive Voice:
- The picture could be painted by her.
- The software could be developed by them.
Examples with “might”
Active Voice:
- He might read the book.
- We might attend the conference.
Passive Voice:
- The book might be read by him.
- The conference might be attended by us.
Examples with “would”
Active Voice:
- She would present the proposal.
- They would make the decision.
Passive Voice:
- The proposal would be presented by her.
- The decision would be made by them.
How Passive Voice is Made using Modals?
Creating the passive voice using modal verbs involves a few steps to ensure the sentence is grammatically correct. Here is a detailed explanation:
Steps to Form the Passive Voice with Modals
- Identify the subject, modal verb, and main verb in the active voice.
- Change the main verb to its past participle form.
- Rearrange the sentence to make the object of the active sentence the subject of the passive sentence.
- Use the structure: [subject] + [modal verb] + [be] + [past participle] + [optional: by + agent].
Detailed Example Breakdown
Example with “can”
Active Voice: She can solve the problem.
- Identify parts:
- Subject: She
- Modal Verb: can
- Main Verb: solve
- Object: the problem
- Change main verb to past participle: solved
- Rearrange the sentence:
- The object (the problem) becomes the subject.
- The subject (she) becomes the agent (optional).
- Form the passive sentence:
- The problem can be solved by her.
Example with “will”
Active Voice: He will finish the report.
- Identify parts:
- Subject: He
- Modal Verb: will
- Main Verb: finish
- Object: the report
- Change main verb to past participle: finished
- Rearrange the sentence:
- The object (the report) becomes the subject.
- The subject (he) becomes the agent (optional).
- Form the passive sentence:
- The report will be finished by him.
General Structure
- Active Voice: Subject + modal verb + base form of main verb + object
- Passive Voice: Object + modal verb + be + past participle + [by + agent]
Additional Examples
Example with “should”
Active Voice: You should check the details.
- Identify parts:
- Subject: You
- Modal Verb: should
- Main Verb: check
- Object: the details
- Change main verb to past participle: checked
- Rearrange the sentence:
- The object (the details) becomes the subject.
- The subject (you) becomes the agent (optional).
- Form the passive sentence:
- The details should be checked by you.
Example with “must”
Active Voice: She must complete the assignment.
- Identify parts:
- Subject: She
- Modal Verb: must
- Main Verb: complete
- Object: the assignment
- Change main verb to past participle: completed
- Rearrange the sentence:
- The object (the assignment) becomes the subject.
- The subject (she) becomes the agent (optional).
- Form the passive sentence:
- The assignment must be completed by her.
Tips for Passive Voice with Modals
- Focus on the object of the active sentence, as it becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
- Ensure the correct form of the past participle for the main verb is used.
- Including the agent (the doer of the action) is optional and often omitted if the agent is unknown or not important to the context.
By following these steps, you can convert active sentences with modals into passive sentences accurately.