Active and Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice  

Voice is a form of a verb that shows whether the subject is performing the action.  A verb is active if its subject performs the action. A verb is passive if its action is performed upon the subject. A passive verb is made from a form of be plus the past participle of a transitive verb.

Using Active and Passive Voice Use the active voice whenever possible. Use the passive voice to emphasize the receiver of an action rather than the performer of an action. Also use the passive to point out the receiver of an action whenever the performer is not important or not easily identified.

The Forms of Passive Verbs      A passive verb is made from a form of be plus the past participle of a transitive verb.

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Using Voice Correctly Use the active voice whenever possible. Use the passive voice to emphasize the receiver of an action rather than the performer of an action. Also use the passive voice to point out the receiver of an action whenever the performer is not important or not easily Identified.

Exercise 1 Distinguishing Between Appropriate and Unnecessary Uses of Passive Voice.

Label “A” the appropriate uses of the passive in the following sentences. Label the other sentences “U”.

EXAMPLE: We were kept after school by the principal! __U______

1.   A roar was given by the crowd. ________

 2.   The actor was acclaimed for his performance. ________

 3.   The phone was answered by Lauren. _________

 4.   A concert was presented by the orchestra and chorus. ________

 5.   That new store will be closed on Saturdays. ________

 6.   Tonight dinner was cooked by Dad. ________

 7.   All contest entries must be mailed by December 31. ________

 8.   A concert was presented by the orchestra and chorus. ________

 9.   A kite was being flown by the children. ________

10. The arrival of the British troops was announced by Paul Revere. ________

            Active and Passive Voice  (Using Voice Correctly)

Exercise 2 Correcting Unnecessary Use of the Passive Voice.  Rewrite the following changing at least five uses 

of the passive voice to active.

EXAMPLE: The uses of aspirin have been studied by scientists for many years.

                                     Scientists have studied the uses of aspirin for many years.

(1) After over a century of use, aspirin today is still regarded as a "wonder drug." (2) Aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, was first developed as a painkiller by Felix Hoffman a German chemist, in 1893. (3) He had been asked by his father, who was suffering from rheumatism, to develop a pain reliever that would not irritate the stomach. (4) Though the formula worked, how it worked could not be told by scientists. (5) Since its introduction, aspirin has been used successfully to reduce fever, pain, and inflammation. (6) Not long ago, a new use for aspirin was uncovered by researchers. (7) The one major drawback of aspirin has always been its tendency to cause intestinal bleeding. (8) This drawback now has been turned into an advantage. (9) It has been discovered that this quality of aspirin may prevent blood clots that often lead to heart attacks and strokes. (10) This is welcome news to the aspirin industry.

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Writing Application: Using the Active and Passive Voice in Writing.  Write a short description of something exciting that happened to you recently. Include two sentences using the passive voice appropriately. Make sure all the other sentences use the active voice.

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      Grammar Exercise Workbook       Prentice-Hall, Inc.