What is Active Voice?
In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. It is direct, clear, and often preferred in writing.
Examples of Active Voice:
- The cat chased the mouse.
- She wrote a novel.
- We will complete the project.
What is Passive Voice?
In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. It is often used to emphasize the action or the recipient.
Examples of Passive Voice:
- The mouse was chased by the cat.
- A novel was written by her.
- The project will be completed by us.
How to Change from Active to Passive Voice
- Identify the object of the active sentence and make it the subject of the passive sentence.
- Use the appropriate form of the verb to be + the past participle of the main verb.
- Include the original subject after the word "by" (optional).
Examples:
Active: The teacher explains the lesson.
Passive: The lesson is explained by the teacher.
Active: They built the house last year.
Passive: The house was built last year.
Active: She will invite him to the party.
Passive: He will be invited to the party.
When to Use Passive Voice
- When the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant:
The letter was delivered this morning.
- When focusing on the action rather than the doer:
The bridge was constructed in 2000.
- For formal or scientific writing:
The experiment was conducted by the team.
Common Mistakes
- Using passive voice unnecessarily, which can make sentences wordy or unclear.
- Forgetting to match the tense of the verb in the passive sentence with the active sentence.
Practice Exercises
- Change to Passive Voice:
Active: The chef prepared a delicious meal.
Passive: ____________________________
Answer: A delicious meal was prepared by the chef.
- Change to Active Voice:
Passive: The book was read by the children.
Active: ____________________________
Answer: The children read the book.
- Identify whether the following sentence is active or passive:
The room was cleaned by the staff.
Answer: Passive