What is the active and passive voice rule for prepositions?

By following the active and passive voice rule for prepositions, you will get the complete lesson based on concept purely. Here, you will be learning with definitions, rules, and solved exercises.

Active and Passive Voice Rule for Prepositions

Here’s how prepositions behave when switching between active and passive voice:

Prepositional Phrases Stay Together (Usually):

Prepositional phrases that modify the verb (adverbial prepositional phrases) generally remain together in both voices.

Active: She ran across the street.
Passive: The street was run across by her. (Note the addition of “by”)

Object of the Preposition Becomes the Passive Subject:

When the active voice sentence has a verb taking a prepositional phrase as its object, the object of the preposition becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and “by” is added before the original subject (agent).

Active: They agreed on a solution.
Passive: A solution was agreed on by them.

Prepositions with Verbs That Don’t Change:

Some verbs, like “look,” “depend,” “wait,” etc., can take prepositional phrases but don’t change form in the passive voice. In these cases, the prepositional phrase stays with the verb.

Active: We waited for the train.
Passive: The train was waited for by us.

Prepositions play a key role in both active and passive voice sentences, but their placement changes depending on the voice you use. This lesson will explore how prepositions move around when transforming sentences between active and passive voice.
Active vs. Passive Voice: A Quick Recap
Before diving into prepositions, let’s refresh our understanding of active and passive voice.
Active Voice: The subject performs the action of the verb. (e.g., The chef cooks the meal.)
Passive Voice: The subject receives the action of the verb. (e.g., The meal is cooked by the chef.)
In the passive voice, the “by whom” or “by what” information (often the original subject) is introduced with a preposition, typically “by.”

Important Points to Remember:

Not all sentences in the passive voice will have a clear agent (the “by whom” or “by what”). If the agent is unimportant or unknown, it might be omitted.
- Passive: The cake was eaten (by someone).
Some verbs don’t have a passive voice form. In such cases, rephrasing the sentence might be necessary.

Examples:

Active: I spoke to the manager about the issue. (prepositional phrase modifies the verb “spoke”)
Passive: The issue was spoken to the manager about by me. (object of preposition “to” becomes subject, “by” added)
Active: They rely on technology heavily. (“on” stays with the verb “rely”)
Passive: Technology is heavily relied on by them.

Practice Exercises:

Rewrite the following sentences in the passive voice:
- The children played with the toys in the garden.
- We received a message from our friend.
- The scientist conducted the experiment carefully.
Change the following passive voice sentences to active voice (if possible):
- The cookies were baked by Sarah.
- The meeting was attended by all the employees.
- The report was being written when the power went out.

By understanding these preposition rules, you can confidently convert sentences between active and passive voice while maintaining clear and accurate meaning.