Voice

Voice 

Voice refers to the form of verb, which indicates whether the subject does the work or something has been done to it. Active voice deals it with the doer of the subject. Passive refers to a sentence acted upon.

Basic rules: 

The subject of active voice becomes object of the passive voice.

The object of the active voice becomes subject of the passive voice.

There is use of be verb and past participle.

1. He reads a book. Ans: A book is read by him. Present simple passive structure is obj+is/am/ are+ V3….

2. He is reading a book. A book is being read by him. Present continuous tense structure: obj+ is/am/are+ being+ V3…

3. He has read a book. A book has been read by him. Passive structure of present perfect: obj+ has/have+been+V3+…

4. He read a book. A book was read by him. Passive structure of past simple is: Obj+ was/ were+ V3…

5. He was reading a book. A book was being read by him. Passive structure of past continuous tense: obj+ was/ were+ being+V3..

6. He had read a book. A book had been read by him. Passive structure of past perfect is: obj+had been+V3..

7. Modal+ v1 is changed into model+ be+v3. I shall read a book. A book will be read by me.

8. Model+ have+ V3 is changed into modal+ have+ been+v3, I will have done it. It will have been done by me.

9. If sentences have the meaning of the order, request and advice, let +obj+ be +v3. Do this work. Let this work be done. It can be made with should be+V3. This work should be done. If sentence begins with please, you are requested to+V1+….

10. Sentences that begin with let can be made passive with let+ object+ be+ v3.  Let him buy a camera. Let a camera be bought by him. 

11. Yes/ no questions and Wh questions are made in the same pattern. The rules of the tenses should be followed properly. Do you see the bird? Is the bird seen by you? What do you want? What is wanted by you?

12. Passive with factitive object: The object of a transitive verb with complement. They made him king. He was made king by them. King was made him by them is a wrong passive. If a sentence has factitive object, the passive sentence must begins with factitive object.

13. The sentence with reflexive pronoun remains same in passive voice. He hurt himself. He was hurt himself. 

14. Quasi passive voice: quasi passive voice is active in form but passive in sense. Honey tastes sweet. Honey is sweet when it is tasted. 

The uses of the passive voice:

1. For describing  a process: First the orange are brought from the market.

2. For narrating an incident or events: The old man was knocked down by the bus.

3. For defining

4. For impersonal scientific writing:

5. For writing a notice:

6. For describing historical and social incidents:

7. For making announcement:

8. For classifying:

9. For making requests and invitation.

Reporting/ Narration

Reporting/ Narration

Harry said, “I am very busy”.

Said is  reporting verb and I am very busy is reported speech. 

Normally we use linker (that, to, if/whether, wh words) before reported speech.

The pronouns of reported speech are changed. 

SON

123 First person according to subject of reporting verb, second person according to object of reporting verb and third person no change.

Eg. Arnold said to me, I didn’t like your my comment on his writing.

Arnold told me that I he hadn’t liked my comment on his writing.

Change of tenses of reported speech

If reporting verb is in past tense

1. Present indefinite becomes past indefinite. It means root and present verbs change into past verb.

2. Present continuous changes into past continuous.

3. Present perfect becomes past perfect.

4. Present perfect continuous becomes past perfect continuous.

5. Past simple changes into past perfect.

6. Past continuous changes  into past perfect continuous.

7. Past perfect and past perfect continuous remains unchanged.

8. Shall and will changes into would. But shall changes into should if it talks about rules.

9. May changes into might, can into could, must into had to. Ought to no change must not into was/ were not to V1

Changes of time and place expression in past tense.

Now into then, ago into before, today into that day, tomorrow into the next day, yesterday into previous day, here into there, hence into thence, this into that, these into those, thus into that way, come into go(sometimes)

He says to me, “ I am good”.

He tells me that he is good.

Narration of assertive sentence:

1. In assertive ( svo) sentence, linker is that,

2. If the reporting verb is in present or future, the tense of reported speech is not changed. Eg. He says to me, “you are good.” He tells me that I am good.

3. In  case of habitual truth or eternal truth, there will not be the change of the tense. The teacher said, “ The sun rises from the east.” The teacher said that the sun rises from the east.

Report the following sentence into indirect speech.

1. The teacher said to the boy. “You have forgotten the lesson.”

The teacher told the boy that he had forgotten the lesson.

2. The boy said, “I shall go out and play.”

The boy said that he would go out and play.

3. He said, “I am happy to be here today.”

He said that he was happy to be there thatday.

4. They said, “We shall play the game again tomorrow.”

They said that they would play the game again the next day.

5. The boy said, “Two and two make four.”

6. The princess says, “I have lost my way.”

The princess says that she has lost her way.

7. They say, “We must keep our locality clean.”

They say that they must keep their locality clean.

Narration of interrogative sentences:

1. The reporting verb changes into ask, enquire, want to know question.

2. Yes/ no questions have if/whether, as a linker and Wh questions have same Wh words as linker.

3. The order of the sentences changes into assertive from the interrogative.

Eg. He said to me, “What are you doing?”

He asked me what I was doing.

Change following sentences into indirect speech:

Subject verb agreement

Subject verb agreement

The basic rule of subject verb agreements is singular subject singular verb plural subject plural verbs.

The singular verbs: is, has. V5 , does, was 

The plural verbs: are, have, V1,do, are were

Common verbs: all past verbs (V2) and modal 

1. An uncountable noun, though in the plural sense, takes singular verbs: my hair is gray.

2.  The +adjectives to denote group takes plural verbs: The poor are kind.

3. Two or more singular subjects connected by and take a verb in plural. When and is followed by a negative word as no or not, the verb agrees with word preceding no or not. Imran and Irfan are two brothers. Only boys and not the girl are guilty. The boy and not girls is guilty. 

4. Only one definite article the is used and joined by and takes singular verb. The scriptwriter and director is very famous.

5. Titles and names of plural form also take singular verb when they refer to one thing: Seven Dwarfs was a famous movie.

6. A phrase of measurement, though plural in forms takes a singular verbs. Two hours is long time to wait.

7.  We use singular verbs after a subject with every each any no some, but John Eastwood, the writer of Oxford Guide to English Grammar opines that each takes plural verb when it follows plural subject. Each boy is responsible. The pupils each have to take test. 

8. The subject with each and every joined by and, takes singular verb. Each boy and each girl is in discipline.

9. When two subjects are joined by or, nor, either…or, neither… nor takes verbs according to second subject. Either he or I am guilty. Either boy or girls are responsible. Note the placing of pronoun is 231.

10. A collective noun takes singular verb when it is thought of a whole, but takes plural verb when individuals are separately thought of. The jury has ordered to hang the man. The jury are divided in their opinion.

11. A number/ A group of/ A lot of takes plural verb when it is used at the beginning of the sentence. If there is ‘the’ in place of a we can use singular verb. The number of participants is remarkable in meeting. A number of boys were standing in the street. 

12. Some nouns, which are singular in the form but plural in meaning, take plural verb. Police people staff dozen etc. The police are running after the thief.

13. Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning take singular verb. The news is true.

14. When subject of a sentence is phrase, the verb must agree with main noun in subject group. The only excuse that he gave for his action was that he was tired.

15. When a plural noun is placed with a real singular subject one or each with help of the verb must be singular. One of the boys was ill.

16. When words are joined with: together with, or as well as, the verbs agree with first subject. The Prime minister with his ministers has arrived.

17. Many a/many an before a singular noun is form and verb is usually singular. However, a great many/ a good many/ too many is used instead of these words can take plural verbs.