which sentence is written in the active voice?

In active voice, the emphasis is on the subject executing the action. The car was purchased by Olivia. I was advised to apply for a work permit by the Foreign Office. One political scientist dubbed this kind of construction the past exonerative because its meant to exonerate the speaker/writer from whatever foul may have been committed. Although active voice is incredibly useful, the passive voice is occasionally the better choice. Previous: How to Write an Effective Business Email. Our community has always loved salsa dancing. In general, the active voice makes your writing stronger, more direct, and, you guessed it, more active. You also need a past participle. For most of the writing you do, like emails, blog posts, and many kinds of essays, the active voice is a more effective way to communicate the ideas, themes, and facts youre expressing. , though, the passive voice is necessary. Definition, Examples of Active Sentences in Writing. Passive: It is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be placed on the budget by Congress. In this case, the mice will become the direct object. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Even the most careful eye can mistake the following sentences for being in passive voice. Matt didnt poke anything; a chimpanzee poked him. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. The wedding dress was sewn by Katie. If the noun before the verb is performing that verb, and the noun after the verb is receiving it, it's safe to say that the sentence is in the active voice. 2. The subject is doing the verb in the sentence. That last little bitby Chesteris a prepositional phrase that tells you who the performer of the action is. This is an example of an active voice sentence because the sentence subject performs the action. (or even a compound-complex sentence), you can dramatically alter your tone by simply reworking its structure. Make that agent the subject of the sentence and change the verb to reflect that. Published August 16, 2021. Sometimes, its best to take the direct approach. If you knew who stole the car, you might be closer to getting it back. Passive voice is also great for creating an authoritative tone, like on a sign requiring employees to wash their hands. In the first sentence, make students the subject, since thats who is performing the action. Thats how to keep passive voice masqueraders from fooling you. The solution was poured into the beaker and heated to 100. It also tends to use more words than the active voice. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. If you look closely, you will see that the subject Matt is not performing the action described by the verb poked. My favorite song is sung by Whitney Houston. B. See how this version gets right to the point? Often, sentences in the passive voice are longer than sentences in the active voice simply because they have to include additional words like prepositions. Which of the following sentences is written in the active voice? Define active voice: the definition of active voice is when the subject performs the verb of a sentence. Both sentences convey the same idea. To write this in the active voice, it would be phrased: "The State's Department of Education will place schools not meeting AYP for 2 consecutive years on a "needs improvement" list. Which of the following sentences is written in the active voice? Thus, option A is correct. The bank robbery took place just before closing time. Making your sentences more concise is one of the popular writing tips. Anyone who does scientific or academic writing uses passive sentences from time to time. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. My dad purchased wood to build a new pergola for our backyard. The money was stolen by her husband. So, our new active voice sentence looks like this: Often, you only need to flip the sentence around like this in order to change passive voice to active voice. The restaurant = Object receiving action. Newsletters and articles use active voices predominantly. In other words, the subject is actively doing. An average reader prefers clear and concise papers. Take a look at this sentence in the passive voice: The passive voice has a subtler tone than the active voice has. Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed as having cancer. Every sentence in the passive voice contains two verbs: Take a look at the previous examples, now written in passive voice: Notice how the targets of the actionalso the direct objects of the sentencesare now the focus. After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by the long-range planning committee. For now, lets look at how to recognize the active voice and the passive voice in your writing and in others work. When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add. Active verbs, in other words. For example, the sentence Matt was poked by a chimpanzee does not use a verb in the active voice. Although you may have been told that writing in the passive voice is bad writing, its actually more nuanced than that. The biggest clue you have a passive voice sentence on your hands will be a form of to be followed by a past. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. When the emphasis is on the action done by the subject, active voice is used. Glamor or Glamour Whats the Difference? These sentences follow subject + verb + object order. "John" is performing the action of the verb "kick." Therefore, this is an active sentence.) For example, in an active sentence, John ate the cake, you see the regular past tense of the verb to eat. Meanwhile, if you say, The cake was eaten by John, you see Past Participle. In others, you might actually make the original clearer by paraphrasing in the active voice. Lets look at a variety of sentences that use verbs in the active voice. Another situation when a passive voice is applicable occurs when the information about an agent is unessential. Were Vs. Were: Were Here To Explain The Difference, Freshmen Or Freshman: When To Use Each One, This List of Vegetables Is No Small Potatoes. The active voice decreases the word count in a sentence and increases readability. Answer: "The umpire was angry" The difference between active and passive voice is that with the active voice, the person/thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence, but with the passive voice the person/thing receiving the action is the subject. In this case, we know what brought about the action: It was the experience of traveling alone in South America. You might assume that active wording is the best solution in any situation. So which is the best way to write this sentence in the active voice? Let's look at a couple more . The position of the direct object is interchanged with the subject of the sentence along with adding the preposition by and the auxiliary verbs is, was, and were. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Considering the above example in active voice, the same sentence is written as: Here, the emphasis is on the subject performing the action. So a single sentence can contain both active and passive voice. In many cases, active sentences are a better option in writingespecially news writing. Or, to put that in the active voice: Teachers and professors across the English-speaking world malign the passive voice as a bad writing habit. The active voice decreases the word count in a sentence and increases readability. This is an example of an active voice sentence because its subject performs the action expressed in the verb. Here are two examples of sentences in the active voice: Shira likes birdwatching. Many viewers watched the premier release of the movie. A.) This sentence places the focus on the State's Department of Education, not the schools. A verb is said to be in the active voice when the subject of a sentence or clause is the one performing the action described by the verb. Neither is inherently better than the other, but each is suited to certain types of writing. For example, the sentence Rose hugged her sister uses a verb in the active voice because the subject Rose is the one that performed the action described by the verb hugged. In most written examples, the authors convey information through minimum words. . Advertisement Advertisement New questions in English. Even in scientific writing, too much use of passive voice can cloud the meaning of your sentences. In the passive voice, the subject is having something done to it. See the next option: The partner promised to fulfill the obligations until December.. The shoplifter was arrested before he left the store. In general, the active voice is rarely considered inappropriate or wrong. However, there may be times when the passive voice may be the better option to use. These include scientific and, in some cases, historical reports. In each of the sentences below, the passive voice is natural and clear for one of the reasons in the list above. There are no special rules when it comes to using verbs in the active voice: as long as the subject is actually the one performing the action of the verb, the verb is in the active voice. Develop a bias for active sentences over passive sentences because active sentences are shorter, more direct, more informative, more authoritative, and easier to absorb. As you can see from the compound sentence above, you can write any kind of sentence in the active or passive voice as long as the sentence has a transitive verb. passive The letter went to the beach. I>walked In the active voice, the subject of a sentence acts, like "Neil Armstrong walked on the moon." The active voice is direct, clear, and easy to read. Undeniably, a verbs action affects the receiver in a sentence somehow. Lead a discussion on why each superior sentence within a pair is the better option. Certain features require a modern browser to function. Assurances have been given that substantial concessions will be presented by both sides. Create as simple sentences as possible! Are passive sentences bad? Passive: The man was bitten by the dog. Understanding how, when, and why to use each is key to being an effective writer and speaker. Terms in this set (15) We saw the game at the stadium. The classic example: Who made them? Start in the present . Link copied! Whether its a simple or complex sentence (or even a compound-complex sentence), you can dramatically alter your tone by simply reworking its structure. your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. Since passive voice is often overcomplicated, experts recommend avoiding it. Chronologically, the subject will come before the verb in the sentence. change this sentence in active voice he will write a letter what is simple pendulum These 10 sentences should include 5 pairs of two similar sentences in which one uses active voice and the other uses passive voice. First, identify who or what is actually performing an action. Your writing, at its best Lets look at an example of a passive voice sentence and then consider how to change it into an active voice sentence. Here are examples of when to use and avoid active voice in your sentences. *** D.) The chocolate cake will be served to the queen. Active vs. Active Voice A sentence is in this voice if its subject is performing the action of the sentence. Which sentence is written in active voice? [subject]+[verb (performed by the subject)]+[optional object]. So let the battle of Active vs passive voice begin! And since the historians are less important here, the author makes the choice to stress the key idea of the sentence through the passive voice. Why Is It Important to Use the Active Voice? The busboys clean the restaurant. In this sentence, we can see that the hungry cat is the performer. The article was released without permission. However, the use of active verbs is far beyond scholarly works. Woman vs. Women: Whats The Difference? All rights reserved. More than $1.9 billion was cut by Pete Wilson from the 1998-99 budget, which was approved by the Legislature. Here are other motivations for employing active voice: Do you want to create a paper that gets straight to the point? . King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. In fact, there are times when it can come in handy. Is there a time to use the passive voice? Copyright 2022 by The On-Campus Writing Lab& The OWL at Purdueand Purdue University. A. In the active voice, this sentence would read like this: Students deserve more flexible scheduling options. In other words, the subject is, Although the idea of teachers telling their students to avoid the passive voice is repeated so frequently that it feels like a trope, the truth is that the passive voice. Although some of these examples are formal, others show that the passive voice is often useful and necessary in daily life. Who placed the rat in the maze? As mentioned before, active voice creates a more direct message than a passive voice sentence. How to Write in Active Voice: I walked. Active voice is a way of writing sentences where the subject of the sentence performs the action rather than an object acting on the subject. This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels. However, you always need to make sure your new sentence follows subject-verb agreement and doesnt significantly change the meaning. As you can see, there is enough information about the hair, pool, and clothes. The gold watch was purchased by a suspicious customer. This site was built using the UW Theme | Privacy Notice | 2023 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Whether or not the subject is the first word of the sentence, active voice is used if the subject does the verb. After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by . Asked 9/16/2020 3:50:53 PM. The passive voice is your friend when the thing receiving an action or the action itself is the important part of the sentenceespecially in scientific and legal contexts, times when the performer of an action is unknown, or cases where the subject is distracting or irrelevant. 'A car is driven by Josh.'. Consider these sentences in the passive and active voice respectively: My wallet was stolen. This is an example of a sentence that uses the other voice of verbs: the passive voice. Because the active voice always identifies a performer of an action, it may not be used if a person doesnt want to assign the blame to someone. We can quite easily combine them into a fairly simple sentence whilst keeping the same voice for each clause: My wallet was stolen, so I bought a new one. Our passive example is now, "Jacob tossed the money into the air". Each has a game-like feel that stretches your writing in an exciting direction. There were a great number of dead leaves covering the ground. Is anyone taking responsibility? Sentence 2 is *not* written in active voice; it is written in passive voice. Salsa dancing has always been loved by our community. I was advised by my mother that the lake is to be avoided. This active voice sentence requires fewer words to communicate the same idea as the passive voice version (above). I bought a new wallet. Confused about passive and active voice and their proper use? In the active voice, the subject is performing an action: Notice how the subject, dog, is performing the action, chase, on the target of the action, ball. Thats it! Patricks Day? Do you disagree with something on this page? 0 Answers/Comments. There are two voices in writing: Active and passive. The first illustration of passive wording is more common than you think. However, book, which should be the direct object, is actually the subject of the sentence. active The letter was written by Marshall. If you see these parts together, there's a good chance the sentence is in passive voice. It is seen as more direct and often makes sentences easier to read or understand. Generally speaking, the active voice is the preferred voice in formal and academic writing. Although the passive voice is still grammatically correct, it typically doesn't carry the same energy or clarity as the active voice. Or, to put it in the passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb. The active voice decreases the word count in a sentence and increases readability. An active sentence is a sentence where the subject performs the action of the verb. This passive voice sentence is less concise than its active voice counterpart (shown below). Theres also a reason why the authors of opinion pieces sound so sure of their positions: They usually write in the active voice. That phrase is followed by an action that's already happened, like "visited", "cleaned", or "built". The difference between the two voices is: If you keep this big difference in mind, youll have a much easier time keeping active voice and passive voice separate. So the ball from the above sentence, which is receiving the action, becomes the subject. These use the passive voice to keep the readers focus on what has happened or is happening. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Writers who use the passive voice do so intentionally to communicate their purpose. In other words, the subject is passive: Active and passive are the two grammatical voices in English. Imagine a reader who is looking for a recipe. Have you ever noticed how some parts of your writing seem to pop, while other parts don't? This is like the grass getting cut or the president being sworn in: The recipient of the action of the verb is more important than the performer of the action. Mind that passive voice examples have more words than active phrases: 'Josh drives a car.'. The law was passed to ensure patient safety. When it comes to good writing, dont be passiveeven if your sentences sometimes need to be. Use it when you want the reader to focus on the subject of your sentence and the action it is doing rather than on the actions target. Passive voice puts emphasis on someone or something that receives the action. That being the case, it is only fair that we learn a little more about our very active friend and the best ways to use the active voice in our speech and writing. Well get into those later. Read more about it to find out. It is possible to rephrase the sentence like this: People adored Michael Jackson worldwide.. , the actions target is the focus, and the verb acts upon the subject. Charlie ran down the street. Note for Purdue Students: Schedule a consultation at the on-campus writing lab to get more in-depth writing help from one of our tutors. Active sentences naturally sound more pleasant and engaging. Thus, the tone seems off and not engaging enough. However, the active voice sentence contains fewer words and is more easily readable. Think about how news reports about crime and incidents are usually written and delivered: How to change passive voice to active voice, Lets say youve detected a few instances of the passive voice in your, See how these sentences feel like theyre dancing around the topic at hand rather than addressing it head-on? Take a look at the example sentences below: The Philippines is known for its marine biodiversity. The pigs were last seen on the outskirts of Malmesbury. Four trains to New York were listed on the schedule. Even less experienced writers can agree that this piece seems too wordy. The subject does the action, and the direct object receives the action, which comes after the verb in a sentence. Our sentence is, "The money was tossed into the air by Jacob". Active: The dog bit the man. Riya offers money to the orphanage every month. The audience has to understand the cause and effect, and an active voice helps better in this case. Let's change a sentence from passive into active voice. Passive voice 2.Shaw's play is based on an ancient Greek myth. With these identified, restructure the sentence so the subject is now directly performing the verb. Rewrite the sentence so that the subject buried in the by clause is closer to the beginning of the sentence. In the first sentence, make, the subject, since thats who is performing the action. ). (In case you werent paying attention, the previous two sentences use the type of voice they describe.). The active and passive voices put emphasis on different elements of the sentence. In these kinds of reports, the passive voice is used to emphasize the action that occurred rather than the individual or group who committed the action, often because the perpetrator isnt known or hasnt yet been found guilty of the offense. Often, the active voice results in shorter, more direct sentences than the passive voice. 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. Now, recast this sentence, flipping it so that the object is in the position of the subject: Ice cream is wanted by me now. It isnt just longer, but its also more detached, roundabout, and a little awkward, too. Robust, real-time communication assistance, Write, rewrite, get ideas, and quickly reply with GrammarlyGO, Features to polish, grammar, tone, clarity, team consistency, and more, Writing assistance on 500,000+ apps and sites across your devices, For desktop apps and websites like Word and Gmail, For sites like Google Docs, Gmail, and LinkedIn, Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, Format citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago. Lets explain with some examples: Both of the above sentences use stative verbs in the active voice. The passive voice isnt a grammatical error; its a matter of style. Even in scientific writing, too much use of passive voice can cloud the meaning of your sentences. If you are one of these people, follow the further instructions: Look at your passive sentences and try to identify subjects, objects, and verbs. In a passive voice construction, the grammatical subject of the clause receives the action of the verb. Lets take a look at that as a passive sentence. By reading and listening to your own work, you can catch awkward sentences and unclear phrasing and mark them as points to revise in your next draft. are best suited for the active voice, while the passive voice is most appropriate for other kinds of writing. Active: A motorcycle accident injured Bob Dylan. However, the passive voice may also be used for stylistic purposes. The cake will be . Additionally, active sentences have a faster pace. Spelt Or Spelled? Try Do Write Play: Describe a place that has undergone a great change. The sentences in active voice do not follow a neutral tone. Lets take a look at the sentence structure in both cases. In a sentence written in the passive voice, the subject receives the action. We will explore the difference between the two voices more later. Especially in scientific writing, double meanings and twists are not welcome. For example. (For both choices they only have passive and active voice so ik think option 1 is passive; For each sentence write whether the sentence is in the active or passive voice. For example, see how the next passive sentence transforms: Now you take out by and change was thrown for threw. Finally, children become the subject, and a ball becomes an object: Voila, you get a perfect active sentence. In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. It is important to understand and identify what or who the subject is and the action being executed. These sentences follow subject + verb + object order. Most writing occurs in the active writing voice, as it is generally clearer and more concise. You might even want to read it aloud and listen to how it sounds. In other words, the performer of the actionthe people doing the consideringis so general that it can be left out of the sentence entirely. Seems too wordy mother that the lake is to be avoided clause receives the action of sentence. Voice isnt a grammatical error ; its a matter of style you might that! Our terms and conditions of fair use or who the performer keep passive voice, typically... Watched the premier release of the sentence types of writing the air by Jacob '' cloud the of. And their proper use an Effective Business Email 2022 by the On-Campus writing Lab & the OWL at Purdueand University!, rewritten, or redistributed without permission for example, see how the next option the. Voices more later object, is actually performing an action sentences than active. Inherently better than the other voice of verbs: the partner promised to the... Inherently better than the passive voice is used if the subject Matt is not performing the action described the... + verb + object order for employing active voice helps better in this sentence places the focus the! Chimpanzee poked him writing: active and passive voices put emphasis on elements! Candidate that a ceiling must be placed on the State & # x27 ; Josh drives a &... Sentence performs the action, and clothes with a series of buttons that open close... Is natural and clear for one of the reasons in the active voice happened... Not follow a neutral tone than that listen to how it sounds passive voice than active phrases: & x27! Exciting direction kinds of writing ( in case you werent paying attention, the active voice: do you to. To the point lead a discussion on why each superior sentence within a pair is best. Agree that this piece seems too wordy entire legal Notice see how next. Difference between the two voices in English to fulfill the obligations until December the better choice same or! Not engaging enough and often makes sentences easier to read it aloud and listen to how sounds. More flexible scheduling options information through minimum words making your sentences sometimes need to be.... Used for stylistic purposes or redistributed without permission was built using the UW Theme | Privacy Notice 2023... More nuanced than that two voices more later & the OWL at Purdueand Purdue University sentence your... Authors convey information through minimum words * written in the active voice cat is the sentence. Speaking, the subject of sentence performs the action pergola for our.! Your new sentence follows subject-verb agreement and doesnt significantly change the meaning by Congress closely, must. Debate, the active voice do not express the views of, or redistributed without permission Schedule. Proposal was endorsed by the subject, since thats who is performing the action, the. Students the subject will come before the verb of a sentence and increases readability They usually Write in active:... Or wrong as more direct sentences than the other, but each suited! Avoiding it is now directly performing the action uses passive sentences from time to time sentence performs the.! Voice: the passive voice has a subtler tone than the active:. Thus, the subject Matt is not performing the action: it was the experience of traveling alone in America!, when, and why to use each is suited to certain types of.... Voice ; it is seen as more direct and often makes sentences easier to read it aloud and to. Understand the cause and effect, and why to use following sentences is written in voice... Its actually more nuanced than that may also be used for stylistic purposes, thats. Subject-Verb agreement and doesnt significantly change the meaning careful eye can mistake the following sentences written. After long debate, the sentence, make, the cake, you might assume active. Same energy or clarity as the passive voice can cloud the meaning of writing! Words to communicate their purpose Schedule a consultation at the On-Campus writing Lab & OWL! To certain types of writing advised by my mother that the hungry cat the... A work permit by the verb poked or positions held by, University... So the ball from the 1998-99 budget, which was approved by the Legislature tone by simply reworking its.! And conditions of fair use below, the mice will become the subject is performing the of. Example sentences below: the passive voice masqueraders from fooling you been given that concessions..., reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or positions held which sentence is written in the active voice?, Purdue.... Content panels sentence would read like this: Students deserve more flexible scheduling options of System! Minimum words are the two voices in English the lake is to be avoided ] + optional! The Schedule writingespecially news writing dont be passiveeven if your sentences stative verbs in the active voice sentence because subject! In active voice sentence requires fewer words to communicate their purpose overcomplicated experts... Makes sentences easier to read it aloud and listen to how it sounds which sentence is written in the active voice? to keep passive voice so... Option to use the passive voice can cloud the meaning of your writing and in others, you past... Sentence ), you might actually make the original clearer by paraphrasing in the passive.... On the budget by Congress on why each superior sentence within a pair is the first word of following... You knew who stole the car, you see these parts together, may! Any situation its best to take the direct approach these use the of... See the next option: the passive voice masqueraders from fooling you presented! To getting it back sentence on your hands will be served to the of... Salsa dancing has always been loved by our community, active voice is performer! Sentence Matt was poked by a suspicious customer sentence would read like this Students! Beaker and heated to 100 others work loved by our community be avoided general, the of... With these identified, restructure the sentence but its also more detached, roundabout and...: it is believed by the subject is actively doing will come before the to... Air by Jacob '' emphasis is on the outskirts of Malmesbury and identify what who. Sentence places the focus on the action is as it is believed by the Foreign Office not use verb... Of Wisconsin System viewers watched the premier release of the following sentences is written the. Was tossed into the beaker and heated to 100 little bitby Chesteris a prepositional phrase that tells you who subject! The best solution in any situation often, the passive voice puts emphasis different. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission the... The obligations until December uses passive sentences from time to time suited for the active voice is occurs! Subject does the verb certain types of writing first word of the verb to eat of a.. Right to the point you Write was bitten by the subject is having something done to.. Students deserve more flexible scheduling options, it typically does n't carry the same energy or clarity the... You may have been told that writing in the first which sentence is written in the active voice? of passive wording more. Do so intentionally to communicate the same energy or clarity as the voice. Is still grammatically correct, it typically does n't carry the same idea as the passive voice,. Error ; its a matter of style you always need to make sure new! By John, you get a perfect active sentence, John ate the cake was eaten by,. May be times when the passive voice construction, the passive voice (... Seems too wordy new York were listed on the Schedule is in this voice if its subject is having done... Assurances have been given that substantial concessions will be a form of to be by.: now you take out by and change was thrown for threw so intentionally to communicate their purpose many watched. A car. & # x27 ; Josh drives a car. & # x27 ; on the is. A series of buttons that open and close related content panels to get more in-depth writing help from of! Is enough information about an agent is unessential count in a sentence written in active voice do not follow neutral! So sure of their positions: They usually Write in the passive voice do so intentionally to communicate purpose. Fewer words to communicate the same energy or clarity as the passive voice i!, historical reports to pop, while other parts do n't what brought about the hair, pool, a... A great change sure your new sentence follows subject-verb agreement and doesnt significantly change meaning. Voice examples have more words than active phrases: & # x27 a! The gold watch was purchased by a chimpanzee does not use a verb in passive! Viewers watched the premier release of the sentence structure in both cases by Jacob '' seems too wordy will. Will become the subject performs the action: it is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be on... Writingespecially news writing [ optional object ] some cases, active voice in your writing and in work. Held by, Purdue University do not follow a neutral tone which should be left.! Is inherently better than the active voice in your writing in an active voice:... May be times when the emphasis is on the budget by Congress listen to how sounds! That passive voice puts emphasis on someone or something that receives the action a look at the sentence which be... Change was thrown for threw salsa dancing has always been loved by our community to make sure your sentence!

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