Turning a present indefinite sentence into the passive voice comes down to three moves: swap the subject and object, add the right form of “be,” and change the verb to its third form. Once you’ve done it a dozen times, it becomes automatic.
This guide walks through the formula, the exact steps, and solved examples for positive, negative, interrogative, and interro-negative sentences — the kind you’ll see in JSS, BECE, and WASSCE English papers, and in most competitive exam preparation books.
Table of Contents
- Formula of Present Indefinite to Passive Voice
- Steps to Convert Present Indefinite to Passive Voice
- Positive Sentences: Solved Examples
- Negative Sentences: Solved Examples
- Interrogative Sentences: Solved Examples
- Interro-Negative Sentences: Solved Examples
- Common Mistakes Students Make
- FAQs
- You Should Also Learn
As an English grammar teacher, I’ve taught this exact framework to thousands of students — it’s the same sequence I use in class, broken down step by step below.
Formula of Present Indefinite to Passive Voice
Active voice formula:
Subject + 1st form of verb + Object.
Passive voice formula:
Object + is/are/am + 3rd form of verb + by + subject.
Steps to Convert Present Indefinite to Passive Voice
Take this active sentence: I write a letter.
Step 1 — Swap subject and object.
The object (“a letter”) moves to the front and becomes the new subject; the old subject (“I”) moves to the end. This is the core rule behind every active-to-passive conversion.
Step 2 — Add the helping verb.
Place is, are, or am right after the new subject, matching it in number and person.
Step 3 — Change the verb to its 3rd form.
“Write” becomes “written.” Add “by” before the original subject.
Result: A letter is written by me.
Also Read: How to Convert Imperative Sentences to Passive Voice
Positive Sentences: Solved Examples
1. He eats sugar-free bread. (A.V) → Sugar-free bread is eaten by him. (P.V)
2. He plays cricket. (A.V) → Cricket is played by him. (P.V)
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| 3. He takes tea. | Tea is taken by him. |
| 4. They wear a cricket kit. | The cricket kit is worn by them. |
| 5. She cleans her room. | Her room is cleaned by her. |
| 6. We pluck the flowers daily. | The flowers are plucked by us daily. |
| 7. A plumber repairs all the taps. | All the taps are repaired by a plumber. |
| 8. The children make a loud noise. | A loud noise is made by the children. |
| 9. She drives a car carefully. | A car is driven by her carefully. |
| 10. Asma beats her younger sister. | Her younger sister is beaten by Asma. |
| 11. Usman uses a laptop. | A laptop is used by Usman. |
| 12. Some children like to drink milk. | Milk is liked by some children. |
| 13. The old people tell interesting stories. | Interesting stories are told by the old people. |
| 14. Amina switches on the computer. | The computer is switched on by Amina. |
| 15. The teacher punishes the students regularly. | The students are punished by the teacher regularly. |
| 16. We do our homework. | Our homework is done by us. |
| 17. An unknown person opens the door. | The door is opened by an unknown person. |
| 18. The students ask productive questions. | Productive questions are asked by the students. |
| 19. He writes articles on different topics. | Articles on different topics are written by him. |
| 20. You give a lecture on Biology. | A lecture on Biology is given by you. |
Want more practice sentences instead of scrolling through a long list? Type your own sentence into our free active and passive voice converter and get the passive version instantly.
Also Read: How to Convert Past Indefinite Tense to Passive Voice
Negative Sentences: Solved Examples
They do not like hockey. (A.V)
Step 1 — Drop the “not” and treat it as a positive sentence: They like hockey.
Step 2 — Convert to passive: Hockey is liked by them.
Step 3 — Add “not” right after the helping verb: Hockey is not liked by them.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| 1. We do not do our homework. | Our homework is not done by us. |
| 2. He does not eat bread. | Bread is not eaten by him. |
| 3. He does not play cricket. | Cricket is not played by him. |
| 4. She does not clean her room. | Her room is not cleaned by her. |
| 5. A plumber does not repair the taps. | The taps are not repaired by a plumber. |
| 6. The peon does not open the door. | The door is not opened by the peon. |
| 7. The students do not ask productive questions. | Productive questions are not asked by the students. |
| 8. She does not solve grammar sentences. | Grammar sentences are not solved by her. |
| 9. The engineers do not design a new car. | A new car is not designed by the engineers. |
| 10. Imran Nazir does not make a big hundred. | A big hundred is not made by Imran Nazir. |
| 11. Ronaldo does not score five goals in one match. | Five goals are not scored by Ronaldo in one match. |
| 12. I do not exercise daily. | Exercise is not done by me daily. |
| 13. He does not chase me. | I am not chased by him. |
| 14. She does not choose the red shoes. | The red shoes are not chosen by her. |
| 15. He does not save money. | Money is not saved by him. |
Tip: identify the subject and object first, before you touch the negative — it’s easier to convert to passive, then add “not” back in, rather than doing both at once.
You should also check your understanding by practicing it with live quiz.
Interrogative Sentences: Solved Examples
Does Smith learn a lesson? (A.V)
Step 1 — Turn the question into a statement: Smith learns a lesson.
Step 2 — Convert to passive: The lesson is learned by Smith.
Step 3 — Move the helping verb to the front: Is the lesson learned by Smith?
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| 1. Does he play cricket? | Is cricket played by him? |
| 2. Do they wear a cricket kit? | Is a cricket kit worn by them? |
| 3. Does she clean her room? | Is her room cleaned by her? |
| 4. Do we pluck the flowers daily? | Are the flowers plucked by us daily? |
| 5. Does a plumber repair all the taps? | Are all the taps repaired by a plumber? |
| 6. Do we do our homework? | Is our homework done by us? |
| 7. Does an unknown person open the door? | Is the door opened by an unknown person? |
| 8. Do the students ask productive questions? | Are productive questions asked by the students? |
| 9. Does she solve grammar sentences? | Are grammar sentences solved by her? |
| 10. Does Imran Nazir make a big hundred? | Is a big hundred made by Imran Nazir? |
| 11. Do the engineers design a new car? | Is a new car designed by the engineers? |
| 12. Do the students make class charts? | Are class charts made by the students? |
| 13. Do I exercise daily? | Is exercise done by me daily? |
| 14. Does he catch a small bird? | Is a small bird caught by him? |
| 15. Do you give a lecture on Biology? | Is a lecture on Biology given by you? |
Interro-Negative Sentences: Solved Examples
Does she not cook food? (A.V)
Step 1 — Simplify to a negative statement: She does not cook food.
Step 2 — Simplify further to a positive statement: She cooks food.
Step 3 — Convert to passive: Food is cooked by her.
Step 4 — Add “not” after the helping verb: Food is not cooked by her.
Step 5 — Move the helping verb to the front: Is food not cooked by her?
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| 1. Does he not eat bread? | Is bread not eaten by him? |
| 2. Does he not play cricket? | Is cricket not played by him? |
| 3. Do they not wear the cricket kit? | Is the cricket kit not worn by them? |
| 4. Does she not clean her room? | Is her room not cleaned by her? |
| 5. Does a plumber not repair the taps? | Are the taps not repaired by a plumber? |
| 6. Do we not do our homework? | Is our homework not done by us? |
| 7. Does the peon not open the door? | Is the door not opened by the peon? |
| 8. Do the students not ask productive questions? | Are productive questions not asked by the students? |
| 9. Does she not solve grammar sentences? | Are grammar sentences not solved by her? |
| 10. Does Imran Nazir not make a big hundred? | Is a big hundred not made by Imran Nazir? |
| 11. Do the engineers not design a new car? | Is a new car not designed by the engineers? |
| 12. Do I not exercise daily? | Is exercise not done by me daily? |
| 13. Does he not chase me? | Am I not chased by him? |
| 14. Does he not save money? | Is money not saved by him? |
| 15. Do you not give a lecture on Biology? | Is a lecture on Biology not given by you? |
Common Mistakes Students Make
These are the errors I see most often when marking present indefinite passive voice exercises:
- Forgetting subject-verb agreement in the helping verb. “The flowers is plucked” should be “The flowers are plucked” — the helping verb must match the new subject, not the old one.
- Leaving the verb in its base form. “The letter is write by me” is wrong — the verb must move to its 3rd form: “The letter is written by me.”
- Placing “not” in the wrong spot. In negative and interro-negative sentences, “not” always goes right after the helping verb (is/are/am), never after “by”: “The tap is not repaired by him,” not “The tap is repaired not by him.”
- Dropping “by + subject” entirely. It’s optional when the doer is unimportant or unknown (“The window was broken”), but in exam answers, include it unless the question specifically asks you to omit it.
- Mixing up questions with statements. When converting a question, the helping verb moves to the very front of the sentence — students often leave it in the middle, which reads as a statement, not a question.
FAQs
1. What is the passive of “I love you”?
You are loved by me.
2. What is the passive voice of I like bananas?
The bananas are loved by me.
3. What is the passive voice of my mother loves me?
I am loved by my mother.
4. What is the passive voice of “We respect him”?
He is respected by us.
5. Why is my passive sentence marked wrong even though the meaning is correct?
Usually it’s a subject-verb agreement or verb-form slip — see the Common Mistakes section above. Exam markers check the exact grammar, not just whether the meaning comes through.
You Should Also Learn
- Past Indefinite to Passive Voice
- Future Indefinite to Passive Voice
- Present Continuous to Passive Voice
- Past Continuous to Passive Voice
- Present Perfect to Passive Voice
- Past Perfect to Passive Voice
- Future Perfect to Passive Voice
- Imperative Sentences to Passive Voice
- Active Voice to Passive Voice – All Tenses, Definition, Exercises
- Active Voice vs Passive Voice: Learn the Difference with Examples
- Active Voice and Passive Voice: When to Avoid It and When to Use It
- 15 Differences Between Active and Passive Voice
- Passive to Active Voice Converter | Solved Sentences
- How to Identify Active and Passive Voice
- Active Passive Voice for Class 6
I am very greatful to the one who wrote and published it because everything in this book in well and detailed. And I pray that Allah will give him a lot of happiness in life.
We shall have killed the snake
The snake will have been killed by us.
Thanks a lot dear. You can ask any queries. Keep learning.
Passive voice full meaning
The passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence receives the action of the verb, rather than performing the action itself. In other words, the focus is on the recipient or the object of the action rather than the doer.
He files kite
Kite is flown by him.