Voice and Narration

Table of Content

What is a Voice?

Examples of Narrations

FAQs

What is a Voice?

Voice refers to the form or format of a verb that indicates whether the subject of a sentence is performing the action (active voice) or receiving the action (passive voice).

Types of Voice

There are two main voices: active voice and passive voice.

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. The structure of a sentence in active voice is usually Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

For example: The scientists (subject) conducted (verb) the confidential experiment (object).

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action. The emphasis is on what or who is affected by the action. The structure of a sentence in passive voice is typically Object-Verb-Subject (OVS) or Object-Verb (OV).

For example, The confidential experiment (object) was conducted (verb) by the scientists (subject).

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Voice Rules

The table below explains how to change verbs from active voice to passive voice:

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
	Subject (Doer) + Verb + Object (Receiver)	Object (Receiver) + to be (am/is/are/was/were) + Verb + by Subject (Doer)
Simple Present	The chef cooks the meal.	The meal *is cooked by* the chef.
Simple Past	The students completed the assignment.	The *assignment was completed by* the students.
Simple Future	The company will launch a new product.	A *new product will be launched by* the company.
Present Continuous	The team is designing a website.	A *website is being designed by* the team.
Past Continuous	The workers were constructing the building.	The *building was being constructed by* the workers.
Future Continuous	The gardener will be planting flowers.	Flowers *will be planted by* the gardener.
Present Perfect	She has written a book.	A *book has been written by* her.
Past Perfect	They had already finished the project.	The *project had already been finished by* them.
Future Perfect	The team will have completed the task.	The *task will have been completed by* the team.
Present Perfect Continuous	He has been painting the fence.	The fence *has been being painted by* him.
Past Perfect Continuous	They had been working on the project.	The *project had been being worked on by* them.
Future Perfect Continuous	She will have been studying for five hours.	Studying *will have been being done by* her for five hours.

Examples of Voices

1. Active: The teacher teaches the students grammar.
Passive: Grammar is taught to the students by the teacher.

2. Active: The gardener planted beautiful flowers in the garden.
Passive: Beautiful flowers were planted in the garden by the gardener.

3. Active: The scientist discovered a new species of butterflies.
Passive: A new species of butterflies was discovered by the scientist.

4. Active: The artist painted a stunning masterpiece.
Passive: A stunning masterpiece was painted by the artist.

5. Active: The mechanic fixed the car's engine.
Passive: The car's engine was fixed by the mechanic.

6. Active: The company will launch a new product next month.
Passive: A new product will be launched by the company next month.

7. Active: The students are studying for the upcoming exam.
Passive: The upcoming exam is being studied for by the students.

8. Active: The architect designed a modern skyscraper.
Passive: A modern skyscraper was designed by the architect.

9. Active: The doctor prescribed medicine for the patient.
Passive: Medicine was prescribed for the patient by the doctor.

10. Active: The singer performed a soulful song at the concert.
Passive: A soulful song was performed at the concert by the singer.

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What are Narrations?

Narration in grammar refers to the way the words of a speaker are reported. They can be reported in two ways:

Direct Speech

Direct speech involves quoting the exact words spoken by a person. In direct speech, the original speaker's words are enclosed in quotation marks.

For example, He said, "I am leaving for the Oxford University soon."

Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, involves reporting what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. The structure of the sentence is changed, and often the verb tense may also change, however, the meaning should remain the same.

For example, He said that he was leaving for the Oxford University soon.

Narration Rules

This table shows the rules for changing the pronouns, verb tenses and sometimes the time expressions:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Present Simple Tense	Change verb tense to past
"I am happy," said Tom. (Direct)	Tom said that he was happy. (Indirect)
Present Continuous Tense	Change verb tense to past and adjust pronouns and time expressions
"I am reading a book," she said.	She said that she was reading a book.
Present Perfect Tense	Change "have" to "had" and adjust pronouns and time expressions
"I have visited that museum," said John	John said that he had visited that museum.
Past Simple Tense	No change
"I played football," said Sam.	Sam said that he played football.
Past Continuous Tense	Change verb tense to past and adjust pronouns and time expressions
"I was cooking dinner," she said.	She said that she was cooking dinner.
Past Perfect Tense	Change "had" to "had been" and adjust pronouns and time expressions
"I had finished my homework," said Lily.	Lily said that she had finished her homework.
Future Simple Tense	Change verb tense to would + base form
"I will help you," said Sarah.	Sarah said that she would help me.
Modal Verbs (can, must, etc.)	Change the modal verb to its past form (could, must)
"I can swim," said Alex.	Alex said that he could swim.
Imperative Sentences	Use the infinitive form of the verb
"Close the door," she said.	She asked me to close the door.
Reporting Verbs	Use appropriate reporting verbs
"I don't like pizza," said Jane.	Jane admitted that she didn't like pizza.

Examples of Narrations

1. Indirect Speech: Mary said, "I will attend the meeting tonight."
Direct Speech: Mary said that she would attend the meeting that night.

2. Indirect Speech: The teacher exclaimed, "What an excellent performance by the students!"
Direct Speech: The teacher exclaimed with admiration that the students had performed excellently.

3. Indirect Speech: "Don't forget to submit your assignments on time," warned the professor.
Direct Speech: The professor warned the students not to forget to submit their assignments on time.

4. Indirect Speech: "I have never been to Paris before," admitted Tom.
Direct Speech: Tom admitted that he had never been to Paris before.

5. Indirect Speech: "We are going to the beach this weekend," announced my sister.
Direct Speech: My sister announced that they were going to the beach that weekend.

FAQs

1. What are reporting verbs?

Answer: Reporting verbs are words used to convey the message or speech of someone else. Examples include "said," "told," "asked," etc.

2. What are the common reporting verbs used in indirect speech?

Answer: Reporting verbs such as 'said,' 'told,' 'asked,' 'explained,' 'commented', and 'ordered' are commonly used in indirect speech. These verbs help convey the speaker's message without quoting their exact words.

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