Here, you will learn all rules of active and passive voice. The are 04 important rules of active and Passive Voice. Most learn Restriction of using Active and Passive Voice in the next article. When you learn Active and Passive Rules and its Restrictions then only you can have understanding and use of Active and Passive Voice.

We have learnt What is Active and Passive Voice? and Sentence Structure of Active and Passive voice of all tenses and time along with other important points in the previous step i.e (Step-74). You are suggested to learn/revise the above topics If you have not learnt yet. If you have already learnt then lets learn now:

All rules of Passive voice to use

Here are all the important rules of Passive and Active Voice to use.

Rule-1

(a) When the object of a transitive verb becomes more important than its subject, we use a passive sentence, e.g., we say.

1. The meeting has been cancelled. (Passive)

We are more interested to know what happened to the meeting. It doesn’t matter who has cancelled it.  

Rule-2

(b)  Sometimes the performer or the agent is not known or is difficult to identify. At that time the passive becomes quite useful, e.g., we say.

1. Earth’s atmosphere is continually being damaged.

We know that some foolish people damage the atmosphere. But we are not sure who they are. So, we use the passive.

Rule-3

(C). There is an important difference between the active and the passive. It depends on what we want to focus on e.g.,

1. (a) Have you fed the dog?
   • (b) Has the dog been fed?

In sentence(a) I ask you if you have fed the dog. But In (b) it does not matter who fed the dog. I only want to know whether the dog has been fed.

Rule-4

(d) In notices, scientific writings, reports of meetings, reports of experiments etc. the passive is used quite often.

1. Children under 12 are not allowed.
2. Penicillin was invented by Fleming.
3. A pinch of salt was added to the liquid.

In all the above cases the agent is insignificant.

Apart from above 04 rules of Active and Passive Voice. There are 07 rules on restriction on use of passive voice and 04 rules on restriction on use of Active Voice.