Active and Passive Voice: TN Board 10th English (SSLC) PYQs
Welcome to the first and most critical grammar topic for your TN Board 10th Standard (SSLC) English Exam! In Part II (Section B - Grammar), Active and Passive Voice carries a compulsory 2 marks. SSLC public exams frequently evaluate your command over imperative commands, simple past statements, modal transformations, and question conversions. Master our complete SSLC grammar cheat sheet below, practice the top 20 Previous Year Questions (PYQs) from the past 10 years of SSLC board papers, and test your readiness with our interactive Self-Test!
🔥 Exam Tip & The Advanced SSLC Voice Cheat Sheet:
- 1. The 3-Step Formula: Swap the Subject and Object → Insert the appropriate 'Be' verb according to the tense and the new subject → Always change the main verb to its V3 (Past Participle) form.
- 2. 'Be' Verb Reference Chart:
👉 Simple Present (am / is / are) | Simple Past (was / were) | Simple Future (will be / shall be)
👉 Continuous Tenses → add being (is being, was being)
👉 Perfect Tenses → add been (has been, have been, had been)
👉 Modals (can, must, may, should) → modal + be + V3- 3. Imperatives (Orders, Requests, Advice):
👉 Order / Command: Let + Object + be + V3 (e.g., Open the door → Let the door be opened).
👉 Request: You are requested to + V1 (e.g., Please sit down → You are requested to sit down).
👉 Advice: You are advised to + V1 (e.g., Work hard → You are advised to work hard).- 4. Question Transformations (Interrogatives):
👉 Do / Does → Am / Is / Are (e.g., Do you like tea? → Is tea liked by you?)
👉 Did → Was / Were (e.g., Did he paint this? → Was this painted by him?)
👉 Who → By whom (e.g., Who did this? → By whom was this done?)
Top 20 Board Exam Questions: Active & Passive Voice
Part 1: Simple & Continuous Tenses
Transform the voice of the following statements based on SSLC public examination patterns.
- Question: The gardener waters the plants every evening. (Simple Present)
Answer: The plants are watered by the gardener every evening. - Question: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. (Simple Past - SSLC March 2019)
Answer: The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. - Question: The students are cleaning the classroom. (Present Continuous)
Answer: The classroom is being cleaned by the students. - Question: The chef was preparing a delicious meal for the guests. (Past Continuous)
Answer: A delicious meal was being prepared by the chef for the guests. - Question: They will declare the annual exam results next Monday. (Simple Future)
Answer: The annual exam results will be declared by them next Monday.
Part 2: Perfect Tenses & Modal Auxiliaries
Apply the 'been' rule for perfect tenses and the 'be' rule for modal auxiliaries.
- Question: The postman has delivered all the letters. (SSLC September 2020)
Answer: All the letters have been delivered by the postman. - Question: The storm had destroyed many huts before rescue teams arrived. (Past Perfect)
Answer: Many huts had been destroyed by the storm before rescue teams arrived. - Question: You can solve this mathematical puzzle easily. (Modal Auxiliary)
Answer: This mathematical puzzle can be solved by you easily. - Question: We must follow all traffic rules strictly. (SSLC May 2022)
Answer: All traffic rules must be followed strictly by us. - Question: The headmaster has granted permission for the school picnic.
Answer: Permission for the school picnic has been granted by the headmaster.
Part 3: Imperative Sentences (Commands, Advice & Requests)
Notice the shift to 'Let' or 'You are requested/advised/ordered to'.
- Question: Close all the windows immediately. (Command - SSLC March 2020)
Answer: Let all the windows be closed immediately. - Question: Please don't walk on the grass. (Negative Request)
Answer: You are requested not to walk on the grass. - Question: Help the needy and the poor. (Moral Advice / Suggestion)
Answer: The needy and the poor should be helped. (Or: Let the needy and the poor be helped.) - Question: Do not pluck flowers from the garden. (Prohibition)
Answer: Let not flowers be plucked from the garden. (Or: You are instructed not to pluck flowers from the garden.) - Question: Switch off the lights before leaving the room. (SSLC April 2023)
Answer: Let the lights be switched off before leaving the room.
Part 4: Interrogatives & Reverse Voice (Passive to Active)
Master questions starting with auxiliary verbs, 'Who', and reverse sentence reconstructions.
- Question: Who designed this beautiful website? (SSLC March 2022)
Answer: By whom was this beautiful website designed? - Question: Did you invite all your classmates to the party?
Answer: Were all your classmates invited by you to the party? - Question: Can anyone solve this difficult problem?
Answer: Can this difficult problem be solved by anyone? - Question: The national anthem was sung by the school choir. (Change into Active Voice)
Answer: The school choir sang the national anthem. - Question: A new hospital will be inaugurated by the Health Minister tomorrow. (Change into Active Voice)
Answer: The Health Minister will inaugurate a new hospital tomorrow.
📝 Test Yourself: Voice Transformation Challenge!
Have you mastered 10th standard SSLC voice transformation? Test your knowledge with these 5 board-level questions. Click on "Show Answer" to check your accuracy!
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Question: Change into Passive Voice: The teacher gave him a prize.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: He was given a prize by the teacher.
(Or) A prize was given to him by the teacher.
(Rule: For sentences with two objects - Indirect Object 'him' and Direct Object 'a prize' - both conversions are grammatically valid in TN Board.) -
Question: Change into Passive Voice: Please bring me a glass of fresh water.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: You are requested to bring me a glass of fresh water.
(Rule: For sentences with 'Please', remove 'Please' and begin with 'You are requested to'.) -
Question: Change into Passive Voice: Why did you break the glass vase?
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: Why was the glass vase broken by you?
(Rule: Keep the Wh- word at the beginning, followed by the auxiliary 'was', the subject 'the glass vase', and the V3 'broken'.) -
Question: Change into Active Voice: The letter has been posted by Ravi.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: Ravi has posted the letter.
(Rule: Reverse transformation - remove 'been' and change the structure back to Subject + has + V3 + Object.) -
Question: Change into Passive Voice: Don't tease the stray animals.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: Let not the stray animals be teased.
(Or: You are advised not to tease the stray animals.)
The secret to scoring full marks in 10th SSLC Voice Transformation is identifying whether the sentence is a statement, command, or question before picking your formula. Always double-check that your main verb is in the V3 past participle form! Bookmark this page, practice thoroughly, and score out-of-out in your TN Board 10th English examination!