Active voice to passive voice in the Future Indefinite tense

In this lesson, we learn how to change a sentence from the active voice to the passive voice in the Future Indefinite tense. We will also learn when and when not to change active to passive voice in the Future Indefinite tense.

When do we use the active voice in the Future Indefinite tense?

The Future Indefinite tense is used to talk about actions that take place at a certain time in the future. In the active voice, the focus is on the doer of the action: the speaker who does the action.

Examples:

• She will cook pasta in the evening.
• Rohan will return the money next week.
• I will submit the papers tomorrow.
• Jon will invite her too.

Notice these sentences refers to actions that are planned or expected to happen in the future, and the writer focuses on the person who will perform the action.

When do we use the passive voice in the Future Indefinite tense?

We write the sentences in the passive voice of the Future Indefinite tense when we want to focus on the object that the action will be acted upon, not who will be doing the action.

Let’s change the sentence above in the active voice to the passive voice.

Active voice: Jerry will cook pasta in the evening.
Passive voice: Pasta will be cooked in the evening.

In the passive voice, we have focused on the receiver of the action: pasta. Who does the action (Jerry) is not as important as what he works on: the object ‘pasta’.

Active voice: Rohan will return your money next week.
Passive voice: Your money will be returned next week.

Active voice: I will submit the papers tomorrow.
Passive voice: The papers will be submitted tomorrow.

Active voice: Jon will invite her to the party.
Passive voice: She will be invited to the party.

Affirmative sentences

Active voice:	Subject + will + V1 + object
Passive voice:	Object + will + be + V3 + by subject

Examples:

Active: The government will ban liquor shops soon.
Passive: Liquor shops will be banned soon (by the government).

Active: My management will contact him tomorrow.
Passive: He will be contacted tomorrow (by my management).

Active: They will release the movie soon.
Passive: The movie will be released soon.

Active: Ron will pay everyone for their loss.
Passive: Everyone will be paid for their loss.

Negative sentences

Active voice:	Subject + will + not + V1 + object
Passive voice:	Object + will + not + be + V3 + by subject

Examples:

Active: They will not allow you to meet the kids.
Passive: You won’t be allowed to meet the kids.

Active: The government will ban liquor shops
Passive: Liquor shops will be banned soon.

Active: They won’t give you your money.
Passive: You won’t be given your money.

Active: She won’t contact us again.
Passive: We will not be contacted again.

Interrogative sentences

Active voice:	Will + subject + V1 + object?
Passive voice:	Will + object + be + V3 + (by subject)?

Examples:

Active: Will they call you soon?
Passive: Will you be called soon?

Active: Will they hire me for this post?
Passive: Will I be hired for this post?

Active: Will you fire her from the job?
Passive: Will she be fired from the job?

Active: Will you sell your bike?
Passive: Will your bike be sold?

Interrogative negative sentences

Active voice:	Will + subject + not + V1 + object?
Passive voice:	Will + object + not + be + V3 + (by subject)?

Examples:

Active: Will they not call you?
Passive: Will you not be called?

Active: Will they not hire me for this post?
Passive: Will I not be hired for this post?

Active: Will you not fire her from the job?
Passive: Will she not be fired from the job?

Active: Will you not sell your bike?
Passive: Will your not bike be sold?

WH question words

Active voice:	WH questions + will + subject + V1 + object?
Passive voice:	WH questions + will + object + be + V3 + (by subject)?

Examples:

Active: What will they give me?
Passive: What will I be given?

Active: What will you do in the meeting?
Passive: What will be done in the meeting?

Active: Why will she sell the house to him?
Passive: Why will the house be sold to him?

Active: Why will they help me after all of this?
Passive: Why will I be helped after all of this?

Active: Where will they send us?
Passive: Where will we be sent?

Active: Where will they open their business?
Passive: Where will their business be opened?

Active: When will he return our money?
Passive: When will our money be returned?

Active: When will you call me?
Passive: When will I be called?

Active: How will she help me in this case?
Passive: How will I be helped in this case?

Active: How will he do it?
Passive: How will it be done?

You must have noticed that we have not inserted the doer of the action (the original subject) in the passive voice. We generally add the subject in the passive voice as it’s not what we focus on here. But you can always do that if you want to (though you shouldn’t).

Practice!

The sentences below are in the active voice; change them into the passive voice:

1. They won’t hire me.
2. She will launch the book tomorrow.
3. He won’t do anything about the case.
4. They will cancel the match.
5. Will Riya invite us to her birthday party?
6. How will you approach her to join the team?
7. Where will you open your new shop?
8. Will you teach me English.
9. I won’t eat this.
10. We will call Arun to organize the function.

Answers (passive voice):

1. I won’t be hired.
2. The book will be launched tomorrow.
3. Nothing about the case will be done.
4. The match will be cancelled.
5. Will we be invited to her birthday party?
6. How will she be approached to join the team.
7. Where will the new shop be opened?
8. Will I be taught English?
9. This won’t be eaten.
10. Arun will be called to organize the function.

Feel free to correct any typing mistakes you come across. Contact me at [email protected] for one-on-one classes.