Active & Passive Voice Exercise

1. I was smiled at by Maggie.

2. A pint of cream is added next.

3. The class was not passed by you.

4. My father taught me how to drive.

5. Smoking is prohibited in this theater. (What does this emphasize?)

6. The coolant pumps were destroyed by a surge of power. (Emphasis?)

Should you always avoid passive voice? Consider the following:

• 1. When out jogging yesterday, Carolyn Smith was hit by lighting.

  2. Lloyd Cantrell was killed in action. . . . (by a sniper).

  3. My cat was hit by a car.

  4. Headline using active voice: "Alcohol Companies Directly Marketing to Youth on Social Media" v. First line of article: "Youth are being targeted with alcohol-related advertisements on social media platforms, according to new research by a Texas A&M University professor." Texas A&M Today, January 14, 2016

In the sentences below need an agent (someone or something doing the action.)

1. The ability of the human brain to arrive at solutions of human problems has been undervalued because studies have not been done that would be considered to have scientific reliability. (Who is doing the undervaluing and not doing studies?) We have undervalued how the brain solves problems because we have not studied it in scientifically reliable ways.

2. It was found that data about resources allocated to the states were not obtained. This action is needed so that it can be determined how resources can be redirected when conditions change. Sufficient support must be provided to the agency so that data on fuel consumption may be gathered on a regular basis.

   • Who did not obtain the data?

   • Who did the finding?

   • Who needs the data?

The review committee found that the Department of Energy did not obtain data about resources that federal offices were allocating to the states. The agency needs these data so that it can determine how to direct resources when conditions change. We must support the energy secretary so that his office can regularly gather data on fuel consumption.