Master Interrogative Active and Passive Voice Rules: Easy Guide for Competitive Exams
Wh-Words in Passive Voice: Who vs Whom
Interrogative sentences are broadly divided into two types:
1. Yes/No Questions: Questions that can be answered with yes or no.
Active: Did you watch the movie, "Hanuman Ansh" yesterday?
Passive: Was the movie, "Hanuman Ansh", watched by you yesterday?
Explanation:
In English grammar, forming the passive voice involves a few key steps:
Identify the object of the active sentence:
In the active sentence, the object is "the movie, "Hanuman Ansh".
In the passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
The word "to be" must match the tense of the main verb in the active sentence.
Here, " watch" is in the simple past tense, so "was" is used.
The main verb "watch" becomes "watched".
In passive constructions, the agent (the doer of the action) can be included using "by". Here, "by you" is used.
This structure shifts the focus from the doer of the action to the action itself or the recipient of the action.
2. Wh-Questions: Questions that begin with Wh-words such as who, whom, whose, what, which, when, where, and why.
Yes /No starts with auxiliary verb (Be, Do, Have, Modals)
Wh-Word starts with question word.
Today, we are going to discuss Wh-questions, with a special focus on “Who” and “Whom” in Passive Voice.
Many students find it confusing to change Who into By whom and Whom into Who while transforming active voice into passive voice.
Don't worry! In this lesson, we will understand the rules step by step, using simple formulas and examples to make voice change easier for SSC and other competitive examinations.
Who and Whom in Voice Change
Converting questions that begin with "Who" and "Whom" into Passive Voice can feel tricky because these words shift roles between the subject and the object of a sentence.
Understanding the core mechanics behind these two relative pronouns makes converting any question seamless and accurate.
The Core Concept: Subject vs. Object
Before diving into the formulas, keep this simple rule in mind:
"Who" acts as the Subject ( the doer of the action) in Active Voice.
"Whom" acts as the Object ( the receiver of the action) in Active Voice.
When converting to passive voice, subjects and objects swap places:
Questions starting with "Who"
Since "Who" is the subject performing the action, it moves to the end of the preposition in Passive Voice, changing into " By whom".
Standard Formula:
- Active: Who + Verb + Object?
- Passive: By whom + Auxiliary Verb + Object + third form of the verb.
Tense-Wise Breakdown and Examples
Simple Present Tense
Formula: By whom + is/ am/are + Object + third form of the verb?
- Active: Who teaches you French?
- Passive: By whom are you taught French?
Formula: By whom + was/were + Object + third form of the verb?
- Active: Who broke the windowpane?
- Passive: By whom was the windowpane broken?
Formula: By whom + is/am/are/was/were + Object + being + third form of the verb.
- Active: Who is abusing your friend?
- Passive: By whom is your friend being abused?
Formula: By whom + has/have/ had + Object + been + third form of the verb?
- Active: Who has written this application?
- Passive: By whom has this application been written?
Modals (Can, Could, Will, Should)
Formula: By whom + Modal + Object + be + third form of the verb?
- Active: Who can solve this miscellaneous exercise?
- Passive: By whom can this miscellaneous exercise be solved?
Note: In casual or spoken English, starting with Who and ending with by is also common.
For example,
Who was this book written by?
"By whom...." structure is preferred.
Questions Starting with "Whom"
In Active Voice, "Whom" is the object of the verb.
When converting to Passive Voice, this object becomes the new subject and
turns into "Who".
Standard Formula
- Active: Whom + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Verb?
- Passive: Who + Auxiliary Verb + Third form of the verb + by + Subject?
Tense-Wise Breakdown &; Examples
Active: Whom do you select?
Passive: Who is selected by you?
Active: Whom did the team support?
Passive: Who was supported by the team?
Active: Whom were they searching for?
Passive: Who was being searched for by them?
Active: Whom should we discuss?
Passive: Who should be discussed by us.
- Active Sentence: Who wrote War and Peace?
- Passive Conversion: By whom was War and Peace written?
- Focus Rule: Who - By whom
- Active Sentence: Whom did you punish?
- Passive Conversion: Who was punished by you?
- Focus Rule: Whom - Who
- Active Sentence: Who has taken my favourite smartwatch?
- Passive Conversion: By whom has my favourite smartwatch been taken?
- Focus Rule: Who - By whom
- Active Sentence: Whom will they appreciate?
- Passive Conversion: Who will be appreciated by them?
- Focus Rule: Whom - Who
Practice Exercise ✍️
- Active: Who is flying a kite?
- Passive: By whom is a kite being flown?
Explanation:
Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object:
In the active sentence,
In passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Therefore "a kite" becomes the subject.
The original subject "Who" is introduced in the passive sentence with "by", resulting in "By whom".
This is structure emphasizes the action and the recipient of the action rather than the doer.
Use an Appropriate Form of "to be":
The verb "is flying" is changed to the appropriate form of "to be" plus the past participle of the main verb. In this case, "is being flown".
The original subject "Who" is introduced in the passive sentence with "by", resulting in "By whom".
This is structure emphasizes the action and the recipient of the action rather than the doer.
Active Voice:
Who designed the national emblem of India?
Passive Voice:
By whom was the national emblem of India designed?
Explanation: Identify the question word.
The sentence begins with "Who", which ask about the doer of the action. When changing this type of question into passive voice, "Who" changes to "By whom".
The verb "designed" is in the Simple Past Tense.
Active Voice Structure:
Who + Second Form of the Verb + Object?
Passive Voice Structure:
By whom + was /were + Object + Third Form of the Verb
Object in the active voice: The national emblem of India
It becomes the subject in the passive voice
Use the correct helping verb and past participle.
- The national emblem is singular, so we use "was".
- The past participle of "design" is "designed".
Retain the question mark (?)
Since the original sentence is an interrogative sentence, the passive sentence must also end with a question mark.
Step by step transformation:
Active Voice
Who designed the national emblem of India?
Apply the rules
Who - By whom
Active: Designed (second form of the verb)
Passive: was designed (was + third form of the verb)
Passive Voice
By whom was the national emblem of India designed?
Exam tips for SSC CGL, and other government exams (Most Important)
Remember this pattern:
Active Voice: Who + second form of the verb + object
- Active Voice: Who wrote this message?
- Passive Voice: By whom was this message written?
- Active Voice: Who invented the thermometer?
- Passive Voice: By whom was the thermometer invented?
- Active Voice: Who designed this corridor?
- Passive Voice: By whom was this corridor designed?
Point to Remember: Don't write "By whom did the national emblem of India designed?"
The passive voice requires: was/were + third form of the verb, not did + form of the verb.
"Let's Stop Guessing
and Start Understanding"!
If you are preparing for SSC CGL, SSC Stenographer, SSC CHSL,UPSC, & Other Government Exams, this comprehensive guide will help you understand rules instead of simply memorizing them.
Stop! Confusing while transforming Active Voice to Passive Voice:
Who vs Whom in Voice Change:
Rules, Formulas and Examples for SSC Exams
One of my followers recently told me, “I am confused about the use of Who and Whom while changing sentences from Active Voice to Passive Voice.”
I advised him to learn the basic formulas and understand how these question words change in the passive voice. I also assured him that I would write a detailed article to clear up his confusion.
In grammar, "rule" and "formula" are related, but they are not exactly the same.
Rule: Explains when and why a grammatical structure is used.
Formula: Gives a fixed pattern to follow when constructing or transforming a sentence.
So, in this article, we will learn how to change “Who” into “By whom” and “Whom” into “Who” in the Passive Voice, with simple explanations, tense-wise formulas, solved examples, and interactive practice questions.
For example,
- Who - By whom
- Whom - Who
- Active: Who washed these utensils?
- Passive: By whom were these utensils washed?
Formula:
Who + V² + object?
→ By whom + was/were + object + V³?
More examples:
- Active: Who broke these cups?
- Passive: By whom were these cups broken?
- Active: Who wrote these letters?
- Passive: By whom were these letters written?
- Active: Whom did you teach?
- Passive: Who was taught by you?
- Active: Whom did you call?
- Passive: Who was called by you?
To change an active sentence like "Whom did you call?" into passive voice, we need to make the object of the active sentence the subject of the passive sentence.
However, since this is a question, the structure changes slightly while maintaining the interrogative form. The passive voice of "Whom did you call?" would be "Who was called by you?"
Explanation:
In the active sentence, "Whom did you call?"
- "whom" is the object
- 'you' is the subject,
- "call" is the verb.
Change the Structure:
In a passive voice , the object (whom) becomes the subject of the sentence. The verb " call" changes to its past participle form "called".
Rearrange the Sentence:
The sentence becomes " Who was called by you?" Here, "who" takes the place of "whom" in passive voice as the subject of the sentence is indefinite.
Formula:
Subject + Verb + Object
Passive Voice (Question Form):
Question Word (Who/What) + auxiliary verb (was/were) + past participle of the main verb + by + subject
By following these steps and formula, you can convert questions from active to passive voice while maintaining their interrogative nature.
Important Exam Tip: Always put a question mark (?) at the end of an interrogative sentence in the passive voice, just as you do in the active voice.
Quick Memory Trick:
Choose the correct option:
Who played Minecraft all the time?
Passive Voice: By whom was Minecraft played all the time?
Explanation: In the simple past tense, the passive voice follows this structure:
Object + was/were + third form of the verb + by + subject
Point to remember: When changing an interrogative sentence beginning with
Who into passive voice, use "By whom".
By whom has the bone china cup broken?
Who had broken the bone china cup?
Who have broken the bone china cup?
Who has broken the bone china cup?
Who broke the bone china cup?
Answer: Who has broken the bone china cup?
Explanation: When changing a question beginning with “By whom” from passive to active voice, use “Who” as the subject.
Who has seen the latest news?
- Have my charger been seen by you?
- Has my charger been seen by you?
- Had my charger been seen by you?
Active Voice: Who has seen the latest news?
Passive Voice: By whom has the latest news been seen?
Explanation: When changing an interrogative sentence beginning with Who into passive voice, use By whom.
Structure:
Active: Who + has/have + V³ + object?
Passive: By whom + has/have + object + been + V³?
Who wrote the novel," A Noble Name"?
- By whom had the novel, "A Noble Name " written?
- By whom was the novel, "A Noble Name" written?
- By whom was the novel, "A Noble Name" wrote?
Ans: By whom was the novel," A Noble Name" written?
- Whom are you going to invite to the housewarming party?
- By whom is going to be invited to the housewarming party?
- Who is going to be invited to the housewarming party?
Ans: Who is going to be invited to the housewarming party?
Note: 'Who ' changes into 'By whom' and 'Whom' into 'Who'.
Active Voice vs Passive Voice
The easiest way to solve MCQs is to learn formula first and then practise solving exercises. This is one of the best ways to boost your confidence.
Don't cram the rules. Instead, understand them, learn the formulas, and apply them while solving questions. Regular practice will help you improve your accuracy and perform better in competitive exams.
Follow these steps:
- Understand the rule instead of memorising it blindly.
- Learn the formula and identify the sentence pattern.
- Practise 10 - 20 MCQs on the same topic.
- Analyse your mistakes and revise the relevant rule.
- Take time tests to improve your speed and accuracy.
Point to remember: Don't cram the rules. Understand the concept, learn the formula, and apply it through regular practice. The more you practise, the better you become!
Here is a set of 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) focused on changing interrogative sentences in active voice
to passive voice, specifically using "who" and "whom."
1. Who is calling you?
A) By whom are you being called?
B) Who is being called by you?
C) Who is calling you by whom?
Answer: A) By whom are you being called?
Explanation: In passive voice, the subject becomes the object, and "who" changes to "by whom."
2. Who wrote the book?
A) By whom was the book written?
B) Who was the book written by?
C) Whom was the book written by?
Answer: A) By whom was the book written?
Explanation: The active subject "who" changes to "by whom" in the passive voice.
3. Who will teach the class?
A) By whom will the class be taught?
B) Who will the class be taught by?
C) Whom will the class be taught by?
Answer: A) By whom will the class be taught?
Explanation: The future tense structure remains intact, with "who" changing to "by whom."
4. Who has painted this picture?
A) By whom this picture has been painted?
B) By whom has this picture been painted?
C) Who has this picture been painted by?
Answer: B) By whom has this picture been painted?
Explanation: The auxiliary verb "has" precedes the subject in the passive voice.
5. Who built the house?
A) Who was the house built by?
B) By whom the house was built?
C) By whom was the house built?
Answer: C) By whom was the house built?
Explanation: The question is correctly structured with "by whom" and the auxiliary "was."
6. Who will clean the room?
A) By whom will the room be cleaned?
B) Who will the room be cleaned by?
C) Whom will the room be cleaned by?
Answer: A) By whom will the room be cleaned?
Explanation: The future tense "will" remains before the subject in passive voice.
7. Who discovered America?
A) By whom was America discovered?
B) Who was America discovered by?
C) Whom America was discovered by?
Answer: A) By whom was America discovered?
Explanation: In passive voice, "discovered is preceded by "was" and "by whom."
8. Who can solve this problem?
A) By whom can this problem be solved?
B) Who can this problem be solved by?
C) Whom can this problem be solved by?
Answer: A) By whom can this problem be solved?
Explanation: "Can" is followed by the subject in passive voice, with "by whom."
9. Who is baking the cake?
A) By whom is the cake being baked?
B) Who is the cake being baked by?
C) Whom is the cake being baked by?
Answer: A) By whom is the cake being baked?
Explanation: Present continuous tense uses "is being" in passive voice.
10. Who did you meet at the party?
A) Whom were you met by at the party?
B) By whom were you met at the party?
C) By whom were they met at the party?
Answer: B) By whom were you met at the party?
Explanation: "Did" changes to "were," and "who" to "by whom."
11. Who should we invite?
A) By whom should we be invited?
B) By whom should this invitation be?
C) Whom should be invited by us?
Answer: C) Whom should be invited by us?
Explanation: "Should" remains, and the question is rephrased in passive voice.
12. Who is helping you?
A) By whom are you being helped?
B) Who are you being helped by?
C) Whom are you being helped by?
Answer: A) By whom are you being helped?
Explanation: "Who" changes to "by whom," maintaining present continuous tense.
13. Who composed this song?
A) By whom was this song composed?
B) Who was this song composed by?
C) Whom was this song composed by?
Answer: A) By whom was this song composed?
Explanation: The passive voice requires "by whom" followed by "was composed."
14. Who will organize the event?
A) By whom will the event be organized?
B) Who will the event be organized by?
C) Whom will the event be organized by?
Answer: A) By whom will the event be organized?
Explanation: The future tense in passive voice correctly uses "by whom."
15. Who has signed the document?
A) By whom has the document been signed?
B) Who has the document been signed by?
C) Whom has the document been signed by?
Answer: A) By whom has the document been signed?
Explanation: "Has" is followed by "by whom" in passive voice format.
16. Who is playing the piano?
A) By whom is the piano being played?
B) Who is the piano being played by?
C) Whom is the piano being played by?
Answer: A) By whom is the piano being played?
Explanation: Maintains present continuous tense with "by whom."
17. Who may attend the meeting?
A) By whom may the meeting be attended?
B) Who may the meeting be attended by?
C) Whom may the meeting be attended by?
Answer: A) By whom may the meeting be attended?
Explanation: The modal "may" is followed by the subject in passive voice.
18. Who has been watching the movie?
A) By whom has the movie been being watched?
B) By whom has the movie been watched?
C) Who has the movie been watched by?
Answer: B) By whom has the movie been watched?
Explanation: The present perfect tense is used in passive voice.
19. Who should clean the windows?
A) By whom should the windows be cleaned?
B) Who should the windows be cleaned by?
C) Whom should the windows be cleaned by?
Answer: A) By whom should the windows be cleaned?
Explanation: "Should" is retained, and "by whom" is correctly used in passive voice.
20. Who had won the prize?
A) By whom had the prize been won?
B) Who had the prize been won by?
C) Whom had the prize been won by?
Answer: A) By whom had the prize been won?
Explanation: The past perfect tense uses "had" followed by "by whom" in passive voice.
These questions and explanations help clarify how to transform active interrogative sentences using "who" into passive voice using "by whom."
Remember the more you practise,
the better you become! Don't cram
the rules; understand them, apply
them, and revise them regularly.
Consistent practice is the key to building confidence and scoring well in competitive exams.
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