Active and passive voice structure

\( \newcommand\) • • Passive to Active Convert these passive voice sentences into the active voice: • Alana’s toes were crushed by the garage door. • The passive voice has likely been heard of by you. • Rebeca’s favorite spot in the lecture hall had been taken by the time she got to class. • When the passive voice is overused, you often end up with flat writing. [practice-area rows=”4″][/practice-area] [reveal-answer q=”529218″]Show Answer[/reveal-answer] [hidden-answer a=”529218″] • The garage door crushed Alana’s toes. • You’ve likely heard of the passive voice. • Because there’s a descriptive phrase, there are a few options when revising this sentence: • Someone had taken Rebeca’s favorite spot in the lecture hall by the time she got to class. • By the time Rebeca got to class, someone had taken her favorite spot in the lecture hall. • When you overuse the passive voice, you often end up with flat writing. [/hidden-answer] Active or Passive Read the following sentences. Are they using the passive effectively? Or should they be rewritten as active sentences? • Maren was hit by several branches as she slid down the hill. • A lot of discussion about whether technology is hurting or helping our ability to communicate has been inspired by this increase in technology. • Listeners are encouraged by the lyrics to cast aside their fear and be themselves. [practice-area rows=”4″][/practice-area] [reveal-answer q=”670930″]Show Answer[/reveal-answer] [hidden-answer a=”670930″] • Ye...

\( \newcommand\) • • • Voice is a nebulous term in writing. It can refer to the general “feel” of the writing, or it can be used in a more technical sense. In this section, we will focus on the latter sense as we discuss active and passive voice. You’ve probably heard of the passive voice—perhaps in a comment from an English teacher or in the grammar checker of a word processor. In both of these instances, you were (likely) guided away from the passive voice. Why is this the case? Why is the passive voice so hated? After all, it’s been used twice on this page already (three times now). When the passive voice is used to frequently, it can make your writing seem flat and drab. However, there are some instances where the passive voice is a better choice than the active. So just what is the difference between these two voices? In the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen sings the song.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. Let’s look at a couple more examples of the passive voice: • I’ve been hit! ( or, I have been hit!) • Jasper was thrown from the car when it was struck from behind. You may have noticed something unique about the previous two sentences: the subject of the sentence is not the person (or thing) performing the action. The passive voice “hides” who does the action. De...

Generally, try to use the active voice whenever possible. Passive voice sentences often use more words, can be vague, and can lead to a tangle of prepositional phrases. Active vs. passive voice In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. In a sentence written in the passive voice, the subject receives the action. Active: The candidate believes that Congress must place a ceiling on the budget. Passive: It is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be placed on the budget by Congress. Active: Researchers earlier showed that high stress can cause heart attacks. Passive: It was earlier demonstrated that heart attacks can be caused by high stress. Active: The dog bit the man. Passive: The man was bitten by the dog. Converting sentences to active voice Here are some tips and strategies for converting sentences from the passive to the active voice. • Look for a “by” phrase (e.g., “by the dog” in the last example above). If you find one, the sentence may be in the passive voice. Rewrite the sentence so that the subject buried in the “by” clause is closer to the beginning of the sentence. • If the subject of the sentence is somewhat anonymous, see if you can use a general term, such as “researchers,” or “the study,” or “experts in this field.” When to use passive voice There are sometimes good reasons to use the passive voice. To emphasize the action rather than the actor After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by the long-rang...

Voice is a nebulous term in writing. It can refer to the general “feel” of the writing, or it can be used in a more technical sense.In this section, we will focus on the latter sense as we discuss active and passive voice. You’ve probably heard of the passive voice—perhaps in a comment from an English teacher or in thegrammar checker of a word processor. In both of these instances, you were (likely) guided away from the passive voice. Why is this the case? Why is the passive voice so hated? After all, it’s been used twice on this page already (three times now). When the passive voice is used to frequently, it can make your writing seem flat and drab.However, there are some instances where the passive voice is a better choice than the active. So just what is the difference between these two voices?In the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen singsthesong.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. Let’s look at a couple more examples of the passive voice: • I’ve been hit! ( or, Ihave been hit!) • Jasperwas thrown from the carwhen it was struck from behind. You may have noticed something unique about the previous two sentences: the subject of the sentence is not the person (or thing) performing the action. The passive voice “hides” who does the action. Despite these sentences being comp...

In active voice, the actor and the action are clearly identified. In passive voice, you do not know who or what is doing the action. active voice: active voice: The truck tows the car. passive voice: The car is towed. active voice: Bob fixed the door. passive voice: The door was fixed. Active voice is usually more direct. Passive voice can hide responsibility. For the most part, you should try to write in active voice. passive voice: A mistake was made.. active voice:: I made a mistake.. In the sciences, the passive voice is often preferred. The passive voice can be useful if you want to emphasize the action, not the person doing the action. passive voice: The solution was mixed.. active voice:: The scientist mixed the solution.. A verb is in passive voice when the receiver of the action is the subject of the sentence. Adding the actor at the end of a sentence will not change whether the verb is in active or passive voice. passive voice:: The map was lost by the guide. active voice:: The guide lost the map.. Verbs that are not action verbs are called stative verbs. Only action verbs have active or passive voice. Stative verbs are linking verbs and the verb “to be.” stative voice:: I am a college student. stative voice:: The woman felt sick.