Published On:Friday, 9 December 2011
Posted by Muhammad Atif Saeed
Active Voice and Passive Voice
Active Voice and Passive Voice
The term voice refers to the form of a verb indicating whether the subject performs an action ( active voice) or receives the action ( passive voice).- Marcy smashed the ball over the net. (active voice)
The ball was smashed over the net by Marcy. (passive voice)
Use the passive voice when you don't know who is taking the action (actor), when you don't want to name the actor, or when you want to emphasize the person or thing acted upon rather than the one taking the action. The passive voice is often appropriate in scientific writing.
When we returned, the car had been towed.
I regret that a mistake was made.
Gold was discovered in California.
His mother was rushed to the hospital.
A change in structure was found in the experimental group.
Quiz: Active Voice and Passive Voice
1. Choose the TRUE statement.
a. Passive voice emphasizes the person or thing receiving the action.
b. Passive voice conveys more action than active voice.
c. Passive voice emphasizes the person or thing taking the action.
2. Complete this sentence: You should use the active voice in writing because ________
a. active voice is more impressive to the reader than passive voice.
b. active voice results in more energetic, concise writing.
c. active voice is appropriate for writing about abstract ideas.
3. In which situation should PASSIVE voice be used?
a. when you don't know who is taking the action
b. when you are writing a scientific paper
c. Both a and b
4. Choose the example of a sentence written in ACTIVE voice.
a. The new dishes had been washed, dried, and put away.
b. She washed, dried, and put away the new dishes.
c. The new dishes had been washed, dried, and put away by the maid.
5. Choose the example of a sentence written in PASSIVE voice.
a. The researcher noted an increase in bacteria.
b. The researcher noted how much the bacteria increased.
c. The increase in bacteria was noted by the researcher.
