What is the Active and Passive Voice?
The active voice occurs when the subject of a sentence performs the action expressed by the verb, such as in "The teacher explains the lesson."
Conversely, the passive voice occurs when the subject is acted upon by the verb, as in "The lesson is explained by the teacher."
Understanding the difference between these two voices is essential for clear and effective communication in English.
Understanding Active and Passive Voice
Active Voice: The subject performs the action. Example: The teacher explains the lesson.
Passive Voice: The action is performed on the subject. Example: The lesson is explained by the teacher.
In active voice, the focus is on the subject doing the action. In passive voice, the focus shifts to the action itself. The choice between active and passive voice can significantly impact the tone and clarity of your writing.
Common Mistakes:
Using passive voice unnecessarily, making sentences vague or wordy.
Confusing subject and object, leading to incorrect sentence structure.
Example of a mistake: The cake was eaten by the children. (Passive) Improved: The children ate the cake. (Active)
How to Convert Sentences from Active to Passive Voice
To convert an active sentence to passive, follow these steps:
Identify the object of the active sentence.
Make the object the subject of the passive sentence.
Use the appropriate form of the verb "to be."
Add the past participle of the main verb.
Optionally, include the original subject using "by."
Steps with Example:
Active: The chef cooks the meal.
Object becomes subject: The meal...
Appropriate form of "to be": The meal is...
Past participle of main verb: The meal is cooked...
Optional original subject: The meal is cooked by the chef.
Additional Examples:
The scientist discovered a new element. → A new element was discovered by the scientist.
The author wrote the book. → The book was written by the author.
Exercises for Practicing Active Voice
Practice forming and using active voice with these exercises:
The cat chased the mouse. (Rewrite: The dog chased the cat.)
The company launched a new product. (Rewrite: The team designed the product.)
The artist painted a beautiful portrait. (Rewrite: The student painted a picture.)
The manager signed the contract. (Rewrite: The director approved the agreement.)
The team won the championship. (Rewrite: The coach praised the players.)
Tips: Use active voice for clarity and directness, especially in business writing. It makes your statements more assertive and engaging.
Exercises for Practicing Passive Voice
Practice forming and using passive voice with these exercises:
The mouse was chased by the cat. (Rewrite: The cat was chased by the dog.)
A new product was launched by the company. (Rewrite: The product was designed by the team.)
A beautiful portrait was painted by the artist. (Rewrite: The picture was painted by the student.)
The contract was signed by the manager. (Rewrite: The agreement was approved by the director.)
The championship was won by the team. (Rewrite: The players were praised by the coach.)
Tips: Use passive voice to emphasize the action or when the subject is unknown or irrelevant. It is also useful in formal writing where the focus is on the action rather than the doer.
Mixed Exercises: Active and Passive Voice
Combine both voices in these exercises for comprehensive practice:
The manager approved the project. → The project was approved by the manager.
The gardener planted the flowers. → The flowers were planted by the gardener.
The chef prepared a delicious meal. → A delicious meal was prepared by the chef.
The engineer designed the bridge. → The bridge was designed by the engineer.
The journalist wrote the article. → The article was written by the journalist.
Common Mistakes:
Overusing passive voice, making the writing seem detached or impersonal.
Misplacing the agent in passive sentences, leading to confusion.
Example of a mistake: The homework was done by the student quickly. (Passive) Improved: The student quickly did the homework. (Active)