Changing Questions Into Passive Voice

Questions can be changed into the passive. We will learn about changing questions into the passive in this chapter.

Read the following sentences.

Did she invite you? (Active Voice)
Were you invited by her? (Passive Voice)
Can anybody cure it? (Active Voice)
Can it be cured (by anybody)? (Passive Voice)
Who broke the window? (Active Voice)
By whom was the window broken? (Passive Voice)
What do you want? (Active Voice)
What is wanted by you? (Passive Voice)
Will you tell me a story? (Active Voice)
Will a story be told to me by you? (Passive Voice)
Have you finished work? (Active Voice)
Has the work been finished by you? (Passive Voice)
When will they announce the results? (Active Voice)
When will the results be announced (by them)? (Passive Voice)

Notes

The verbs do, does or did does not appear in the passive form.

The verbs has, have, had, will, shall, can, may etc., do not change their position at the beginning when the active voice is changed to the passive voice.

Have you invited him? (Active Voice)
Has he been invited by you? (Passive Voice)
Will you help me? (Active Voice)
Will I be helped by you? (Passive Voice)

The question words when, where, why, how or what does not move from their position at the beginning when active voice is changed to the passive voice. Note that who is changed into by whom and whom into who.

What did he say? (Active Voice)
What was said by him? (Passive Voice)
Whom did you invite? (Active Voice)
Who was invited by you? (Passive Voice)
Who broke the glass? (Active voice)
By whom was the glass broken? (Passive voice)