Forming the passive voice

Kai! How una dey? Today, we go look at something very important in English grammar: Active Voice and Passive Voice. No vex, e no hard at all!

Understanding these two voices go help una write better for WASSCE, NECO, UTME, and even NABTEB. Make we start with how to form the Passive Voice.

Wetin be Active Voice?

First, make we remember Active Voice. When a sentence is in the Active Voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. The subject is the 'doer'.

Active: Chidi eats pounded yam. (Chidi is the doer)

Active: The mechanic repaired the danfo. (The mechanic is the doer)

Active: Aisha will sing the national anthem. (Aisha is the doer)

Na wa o! Now, wetin be Passive Voice?

When a sentence is in the Passive Voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. The action is done *to* the subject. The focus shifts from the 'doer' to the 'receiver' of the action.

Forming the Passive Voice is simple!

To change a sentence from Active Voice to Passive Voice, you follow some steps:

Identify the object of the active sentence. This object becomes the new subject of your passive sentence.

Use a form of the verb 'to be' (e.g., is, am, are, was, were, been, being). The tense of 'to be' must match the tense of the main verb in the active sentence.

Use the past participle form of the main verb (this is the third form of the verb, like 'eaten', 'repaired', 'sung').

Optionally, you can add 'by' followed by the original subject (the doer). If the doer is not important or unknown, you can leave it out.

Let's see some examples:

Active: Chidi eats pounded yam. (Object: pounded yam)

Passive: Pounded yam is eaten by Chidi.

Active: The mechanic repaired the danfo. (Object: the danfo)

Passive: The danfo was repaired by the mechanic.

Active: Aisha will sing the national anthem. (Object: the national anthem)

Passive: The national anthem will be sung by Aisha.

See as e simple? Just remember to use 'to be' + past participle. Practice dey make perfect, so keep trying!