Examples of Active and Passive Voice in
English
"Voice" is
a grammatical category that
applies to verbs. Voice in English expresses the relationship of the subject to
the action. Voice has two values:
- active: the
subject does the action
- passive: the
subject receives the action
The active voice describes a sentence where the subject performs the
action stated by the verb. It follows a clear subject + verb + object construct
that's easy to read. In fact, sentences constructed in the active voice add impact to your writing.
With passive voice, the subject is
acted upon by the verb. It makes for a murky, roundabout sentence; you can be
more straightforward with active voice. As such, there are many ways to change the passive voice to the active voice in
your sentences.
Verbs are either active or
passive in voice. In the active voice, the subject and verb relationship is
straightforward: the subject is a do-er. In the passive voice, the subject of
the sentence is not a do-er. It is shown with by + do-er or is not shown in the
sentence.
Passive voice is used when the action is the focus, not the subject. It is not important (or not known) who does the action.
Passive voice is used when the action is the focus, not the subject. It is not important (or not known) who does the action.
- The window is broken. (It is not known who broke
the window, or it is not important to know who broke the window.)
- The class has been canceled. (The focus is on the
class being canceled. It is not important to know who canceled it.)
- The passive voice is often used. (The focus is on
the passive voice. It is not important to explain who the writer is.)
Passive voice should be avoided
when you want more clarity in writing. However, in some cases, you need to use
passive voice to stress the action, not the actor. Also, passive voice can be
considered more polite, as it sounds less aggressive or dramatic.
·
That building was
built in 1990.
·
The car was invented
about a hundred years ago.
You can easily rewrite
an active sentence to a passive sentence. The object in the active sentence
becomes a subject in the passive sentence. The verb is changed to a “be” verb +
past participle. The subject of the active sentence follows by or is omitted.
Sam wrote a letter to Jamie. A letter was written to Jamie by Sam.
Sam wrote a letter to Jamie. A letter was written to Jamie by Sam.
The government built a new
bridge. A new bridge was built by the government.
Form of Passive
Example: A letter was written.
When rewriting active sentences in
passive voice, note the following:
§ the object of the active sentence becomes the
subject of the passive sentence
§ the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
§ the subject of the active sentence becomes
the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)
When the subject of a sentence performs the
verb’s action, we say that the sentence is in the active
voice. Sentences in the active voice have a strong, direct, and
clear tone.
The active voice is made with subject + main verb + object.
·
Bees make
honey.
·
James Cameron
directed Titanic.
·
Alex is
repairing Bill's bicycle.
The passive voice is made with subject + to be + past participle + by + object.
Note that the active voice object becomes the passive
voice subject. In the passive, the main verb is always the past
participle.
Positive
·
Honey is made
by bees.
·
Titanic was
directed by James Cameron.
·
Bill's bicycle
is being repaired by Alex.
Negative
We make the negative passive with subject +
negative of to be + past participle + by + object.
·
Honey is not
made by wasps.
·
Titanic wasn’t
directed by George Lucas.
·
Bill's bicycle
is not being repaired by Alex.
Question
·
Is honey made
by bees?
·
Was Titanic
directed by James Cameron?
·
Is Bill's
bicycle being repaired by Alex?
Take note: describing a process
We can use the passive voice to
describe processes in which the action is more important than
the person performing it.
·
The metal
sheeting was heated and bent into shape before
being cooled, polished, and finally painted.
Spoken English
When using the passive voice, get is
sometimes used in place of the verb to be. This is especially
common in informal, spoken English.
·
I got fired
for being late!
·
These
letters get delivered first.
·
Your bike will
get stolen if you don’t lock it up.
When to use
active and passive voice
Using the active
voice conveys a strong, clear tone and the passive voice is subtler and weaker.
Here’s some good advice: don’t use the passive voice just because you think it
sounds a bit fancier than the active voice.
How to change a sentence in
passive voice to active voice
Here is an
example of a business communication that could be strengthened by abandoning
the passive voice.
An error has occurred with your account, but every
attempt was made to remedy it.
That sentence is
not incorrect, but it does sound a bit stiff and dishonest. It sounds less
trustworthy than it could—almost evasive. Who wants to do business with a
company that avoids taking full responsibility by slipping into formal passive
voice territory? Face the responsibility head on instead. Own it.
We made an error with your account, but we have made
every attempt to remedy it.
To make that
sentence active rather than passive, I identified the subject: we. It was “our company” that was responsible.
Use of the passive
When
and why do we use passive voice?
There are several
times when the passive voice is useful, and usually the decision has to do with
the "doer" (agent) or the "receiver" of the action. For
example, we use the passive when:
1. we want to
emphasize the receiver of the action:
- President
Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald.
cf: Lee Harvey Oswald killed President Kennedy.
2. we don't know
who did the action (the agent):
- My
wallet has been stolen.
cf: Somebody has stolen my wallet.
3. we think the
agent is not important or interesting:
- Our
house is being painted.
cf: XYZ Company is painting our house.
4. the agent is
obvious:
- I
am paid weekly.
cf: My company pays me weekly.
5. we are making
general statements or announcements:
- Passengers
are reminded to fasten their seatbelts.
cf: The Captain reminds passengers to fasten their seatbelts.
6. the agent is
everyone:
- The
emergency services can be called by dialling 999.
cf: The public can call the emergency services by dialling 999.
7. we are writing
formal or scientific texts:
- Potassium
was added and mixed in. The solution was heated to 80°C and then allowed
to cool.
cf: The technician added potassium and mixed it in. The technician heated the solution to 80°C and then allowed it to cool.
8. we want to
avoid responsibility for our own actions (typically found in government
reports):
- Mistakes
were made and unfortunately never rectified.
cf: The Prime Minister made mistakes and unfortunately never rectified them.
Active Versus Passive Voice
Active voice is used for most non-scientific
writing. Using active voice for the majority of your sentences makes your
meaning clear for readers, and keeps the sentences from becoming too
complicated or wordy. Even in scientific writing, too much use of passive voice
can cloud the meaning of your sentences.
Sentences
in active voice are also more concise than those in passive voice because fewer
words are required to express action in active voice than in passive.
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