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Active and Passive voice

Meri T, Tristan Z, Gwen L, Yomy M. , Ayannah B.


Warm-Up
Write in your journal what you know about passive and active voice.
Definition:
Active voice describes a sentence where
the subject performs the action stated by
the verb.
Passive voice is when the subject of the
sentence is being acted on.
In passive voice sentences, the subject is
acted upon by the verb.
Examples
Active Passive

Harry ate six shrimp at dinner. (active) At dinner, six shrimp were eaten by Harry.
(passive)

Beautiful giraffes roam the savannah. The savannah is roamed by beautiful giraffes.
(active) (passive)

Sue changed the flat tire. (active) The flat tire was changed by Sue. (passive)
How to recognize active and passive
sentences
Find the subject (the main character of the sentence).
Find the main verb (the action that the sentence identifies).
Examine the relationship between the subject and main verb.
Does the subject perform the action of the main verb? (If so, the sentence is
active.)
Does the subject sit there while something else named or unnamed
performs an action on it? (If so, the sentence is passive.)
Cant tell? If the main verb is a linking verb (is, was, are, seems (to be),
becomes etc.), then the verb functions like an equals sign; there is no action
involved it merely describes a state of being, therefore it is passive
What is the difference between active and
passive voice?
Active vs. passive is dictated by the verbs used. For
example, "Picasso painted a picture" uses an active
verb. "The picture was painted by Picasso" uses a
passive verb. You should generally avoid writing in
the passive voice as it is a more roundabout way of
writing and you should try to be direct.
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