Learn English – Active voice, “Do not smoke” to passive voice

active-voicepassive-voice

The following sentence is in the active voice: "Do not smoke."

What is its equivalent in the passive voice?

1- Let the smoke not be done.

or

2- Smoking is prohibited.

Best Answer

"Smoking is prohibited" is a very common formulation, e.g.

  • "Lihue Airport is a no smoking facility. Smoking is prohibited from "cabin to curb” at the airport." (Lihue Airport)
  • Smoking is prohibited in public places in X.
  • Places where smoking is prohibited include: (...).

Note that this is not a passive version of "Do not smoke", since this sentence cannot be transformed into the passive voice. It is an imperative form that has neither an explicit subject, nor an explicit direct object.

Update:

The form "Do not be smoked" (from a comment by Colin Fine) is unusual and would not be addressed to a smoker but to something that would undergo the act of smoking.

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