Unit 3 in 30 seconds: Transformation means rewriting a sentence in a new form WITHOUT changing its meaning. Core topics: (1) Active to Passive voice in all 12 tenses (remember: 3rd form of verb + be-verb), (2) Direct to Indirect speech (backshift of tense for statements, questions, commands, exclamations), (3) Simple to Complex/Compound sentence conversion (using conjunctions and linkers), (4) Declarative to Negative and Interrogative. Master the formula tables below — exam me direct inhi se questions aate hain.
1. Active Voice to Passive Voice
In Active voice, the subject DOES the action (Ram writes a letter). In Passive voice, the subject RECEIVES the action (A letter is written by Ram). Transformation rule: Object of active becomes subject of passive + correct form of "be" + V3 (past participle) + by + subject of active.
Golden Formula — Passive = new subject + be-verb (according to tense) + V3 + (by + agent)
2. Active to Passive — All 12 Tenses
Active sentence: She writes a letter (V1 = write, V2 = wrote, V3 = written). See how it changes in every tense:
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | She writes a letter. | A letter is written by her. |
| Present Continuous | She is writing a letter. | A letter is being written by her. |
| Present Perfect | She has written a letter. | A letter has been written by her. |
| Simple Past | She wrote a letter. | A letter was written by her. |
| Past Continuous | She was writing a letter. | A letter was being written by her. |
| Past Perfect | She had written a letter. | A letter had been written by her. |
| Simple Future | She will write a letter. | A letter will be written by her. |
| Future Continuous | She will be writing a letter. | No passive form (not used) |
| Future Perfect | She will have written a letter. | A letter will have been written by her. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | She has been writing a letter. | No passive form (not used) |
| Past Perfect Continuous | She had been writing a letter. | No passive form (not used) |
| Future Perfect Continuous | She will have been writing a letter. | No passive form (not used) |
Exam Tip: Perfect Continuous tenses (Present/Past/Future) and Future Continuous have NO passive voice. Exam me yahi trap question aata hai — "Choose the correct passive" options me in tenses ke galat passive diye hote hain. Bas 8 tenses ka passive banta hai, yaad rakho.
3. Quick Be-Verb Chart
| Tense Group | Be-verb used in Passive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | is / am / are | The work is done. |
| Simple Past | was / were | The work was done. |
| Simple Future | will be / shall be | The work will be done. |
| Continuous | is/am/are + being, was/were + being | The work is being done. |
| Perfect | has/have + been, had + been, will have + been | The work has been done. |
Active me subject kaam karta hai, passive me subject pe kaam hota hai. Formula simple hai: object ko aage lao + be-verb (tense ke hisaab se) + verb ki 3rd form. Jaise "Mohan is playing cricket" → "Cricket is being played by Mohan". "By Mohan" waala part exam me kaafi baar omit bhi kar sakte ho jab agent important na ho — jaise "The thief was arrested" (by police likhna zaroori nahi). Bas V3 yaad rakho: write-wrote-written, do-did-done, eat-ate-eaten, go-went-gone.
4. Passive of Imperative and Modal Sentences
Imperative (commands): Open the door. → Let the door be opened. Or: The door should be opened.
Modals (can, should, must, may): She can solve this sum. → This sum can be solved by her. (Modal + be + V3)
Negative: He did not break the glass. → The glass was not broken by him.
Modal Formula — modal + be + V3: "must be followed", "should be completed", "can be seen"
5. Direct to Indirect Speech — Statements
Direct speech quotes the exact words (He said, "I am tired"). Indirect speech reports the meaning (He said that he was tired). When the reporting verb is in the past tense, shift the reported tense ONE STEP BACK:
| Direct Speech Tense | Indirect Speech Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Simple Past | "I play" → he said that he played |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | "I am playing" → he said that he was playing |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | "I have played" → he said that he had played |
| Simple Past | Past Perfect | "I played" → he said that he had played |
| will / shall | would / should | "I will play" → he said that he would play |
| can / may | could / might | "I can play" → he said that he could play |
Other changes: said to → told; remove inverted commas, add "that"; pronouns change (I → he/she, we → they, my → his/her); time/place words shift — now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the previous day, here → there, this → that.
Exam Tip: Agar reporting verb Present/Future me hai (says, will say), to tense change NAHI hota: He says, "I am busy" → He says that he is busy. Aur universal truth wali line me bhi tense same rehta hai: The teacher said, "The earth moves round the sun" → The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.
Indirect me do cheezein dhyaan rakho: pehla, tense ek kadam peeche — present past me, past past-perfect me, will would me. Dusra, I/you/we badal jaate hain — speaker kaun hai ye dekhna padta hai. Jaise Ram ne Shyam se kaha "I am happy" → Ram told Shyam that he was happy. Aur "that" lagana mat bhoolo. Universal truth (paani 100 degree pe ubalta hai) me tense nahi badalta — ye exam ka favourite trap hai.
6. Indirect Speech — Questions
Yes/No questions (starting with do/does/did/is/are/can): use if/whether, no question mark, word order becomes statement order (subject before verb).
He said to me, "Are you coming?" → He asked me if I was coming.
Wh-questions (what/where/when/why/how): keep the wh-word, no if/whether needed.
She said, "Where do you live?" → She asked me where I lived.
Question Rule — said to → asked; if/whether for yes-no questions; wh-word stays for wh-questions; tense backshifts the same as statements
7. Indirect Speech — Commands and Exclamations
Commands/Requests: said to → ordered / requested / advised / told; use to + V1 (infinitive).
The teacher said, "Sit down." → The teacher ordered them to sit down.
Mother said, "Please help me." → Mother requested me to help her.
Negative command: "Don't go" → told me not to go.
Exclamations: use exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise; convert to statement.
He said, "What a beautiful garden!" → He exclaimed with joy that it was a very beautiful garden.
She said, "Alas! I am ruined." → She exclaimed with sorrow that she was ruined.
Command me "said to" ki jagah ordered/requested/advised lagao aur sentence ko "to + verb" me badal do — "Close the door" → "told me to close the door". "Please" dikhe to requested, doctor/teacher ki advice dikhe to advised. Exclamation me "Alas" dikhe to sorrow, "Hurrah/Wow" dikhe to joy, "What/How" waale sentence ko simple statement bana do.
8. Simple, Complex and Compound Sentences
| Type | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | One subject + one verb (single clause) | He worked hard. |
| Complex | Main clause + subordinate clause (joined by because, although, when, if, who, which, that) | He worked hard because he wanted to pass. |
| Compound | Two main clauses joined by and, but, or, so, yet, for, nor | He worked hard, and he passed. |
Simple → Complex: use a subordinate conjunction — "Being tired, he slept" → "He slept because he was tired."
Simple → Compound: use a coordinating conjunction — "In spite of being tired, he worked" → "He was tired, but he worked."
Complex → Simple: reduce the subordinate clause to a phrase — "When he saw the police, he ran" → "Seeing the police, he ran."
Exam Tip: Pehchano clause kitne hain: 1 clause = simple, 2 main clauses (and/but/or/so) = compound, 1 main + 1 subordinate (because/although/when/if/who) = complex. Exam me "identify the sentence type" me sabse zyada confusion complex vs compound me hota hai — conjunction dekho, type pakdo.
9. Declarative to Negative and Interrogative
Affirmative → Negative (meaning SAME rakho — opposite meaning mat banao):
He is rich. → He is not poor. (not + opposite word)
She always comes late. → She never comes in time.
Everybody loves him. → Nobody dislikes him. / There is nobody who does not love him.
Declarative → Interrogative (rhetorical, meaning same):
He is a good boy. → Is he not a good boy?
Nobody can do this. → Who can do this?
She sings well. → Does she not sing well?
Meaning-Same Rule — negative banao to "not + opposite" use karo (rich → not poor), interrogative banao to rhetorical question (nobody → who)
Negative transformation me sabse badi galti meaning ulta kar dena hai. "He is honest" ka negative "He is not honest" NAHI hai (ye to opposite meaning ho gaya) — sahi hai "He is not dishonest". Hamesha "not + opposite word" ka formula lagao. Interrogative me simple sentence ko question banao lekin answer obvious ho — "Everyone knows this" → "Who does not know this?"