3. Voice with Modals
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Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would, has to, and their relatives) form the passive by inserting "be + V3" immediately after the modal, exactly as they would insert the base verb in the active voice. The modal itself never changes. This is one of the cleanest, most rule-governed corners of voice conversion — once you know the pattern modal + be + V3, it applies uniformly across every modal. This section now also gives, for every modal, a second worked example and a negative passive ("must not be," "should not be"), because negation interacts with modal passives in a way that generates its own small crop of exam traps.
3.1 Can
Active: Students can submit the application online. Passive: The application can be submitted online by students.
Active (second example): The branch can process a demand draft within the hour. Passive: A demand draft can be processed within the hour by the branch.
Active (negative): Visitors cannot enter the ICU without a pass. Passive: The ICU cannot be entered without a pass by visitors. (more naturally: The ICU cannot be entered without a pass.)
3.2 Could
Active: The old projector could display only black-and-white slides. Passive: Only black-and-white slides could be displayed by the old projector.
Active (second example): The junior clerk could not locate the missing file. Passive: The missing file could not be located by the junior clerk.
Active (negative): The referee could not overturn the on-field decision. Passive: The on-field decision could not be overturned by the referee.
3.3 May
Active: The chairperson may postpone tomorrow's meeting. Passive: Tomorrow's meeting may be postponed by the chairperson.
Active (second example): The bank may waive the processing fee for premium account holders. Passive: The processing fee may be waived by the bank for premium account holders.
Active (negative): The examiner may not entertain any request submitted after the deadline. Passive: Any request submitted after the deadline may not be entertained by the examiner.
3.4 Might
Active: Heavy rain might delay the flight. Passive: The flight might be delayed by heavy rain.
Active (second example): The board might reject the merger proposal outright. Passive: The merger proposal might be rejected outright by the board.
Active (negative): The committee might not approve the revised budget this quarter. Passive: The revised budget might not be approved by the committee this quarter.
3.5 Must
Active: Candidates must carry a valid photo identity card to the exam hall. Passive: A valid photo identity card must be carried to the exam hall by candidates.
Active (second example): The pharmacist must verify every prescription before dispensing the medicine. Passive: Every prescription must be verified by the pharmacist before the medicine is dispensed.
Active (negative): Employees must not share their login credentials with anyone. Passive: Login credentials must not be shared with anyone by employees. (more naturally: Login credentials must not be shared with anyone.)
3.6 Should
Active: The manager should verify every invoice before approval. Passive: Every invoice should be verified by the manager before approval.
Active (second example): The coach should rotate the bowlers more evenly across the innings. Passive: The bowlers should be rotated more evenly across the innings by the coach.
Active (negative): The registrar should not release the mark-sheets before the review is complete. Passive: The mark-sheets should not be released before the review is complete.
3.7 Will (modal of future/willingness/prediction)
Active: The new policy will affect thousands of small vendors. Passive: Thousands of small vendors will be affected by the new policy.
Active (second example): The airline will refund the full fare in case of cancellation. Passive: The full fare will be refunded by the airline in case of cancellation.
Active (negative): The tribunal will not entertain any appeal filed after ninety days. Passive: No appeal filed after ninety days will be entertained by the tribunal.
3.8 Would
Active: The old clerk would finish the ledger entries before lunch every day. Passive: The ledger entries would be finished before lunch every day (by the old clerk).
Active (second example): The instructor would demonstrate each stroke before letting the trainees try. Passive: Each stroke would be demonstrated by the instructor before the trainees were let try.
Active (negative): The old warden would not tolerate any noise after ten at night. Passive: No noise after ten at night would be tolerated by the old warden.
3.9 Has to / Have to (semi-modal of obligation)
Active: Every employee has to complete the compliance training by Friday. Passive: The compliance training has to be completed by every employee by Friday.
Active (second example): The applicant has to attach two self-attested photographs with the form. Passive: Two self-attested photographs have to be attached with the form by the applicant.
Active (negative): Passengers do not have to reconfirm an e-ticket before boarding. Passive: An e-ticket does not have to be reconfirmed before boarding.
Note on modal perfect passives: Modals also combine with the perfect infinitive to describe past obligation, possibility, or speculation — the pattern extends to modal + have + been + V3, and negation slots in immediately after the modal: modal + not + have + been + V3.
Active: The company should have informed the shareholders earlier. Passive: The shareholders should have been informed earlier (by the company).
Active (negative, modal perfect): The contractor should not have used substandard cement in the foundation. Passive: Substandard cement should not have been used in the foundation (by the contractor).
This "modal + have been + V3" pattern is tested less frequently than the simple "modal + be + V3" pattern but appears often enough in Bank PO-level papers that it is worth drilling separately — see Practice Section, Section 8.