Active and Passive Voice

• ​Voice indicates the relationship between a verb and its subject. Voice is a tool when writing and speaking.

• ​The subject of a sentence is the person, place, or thing (noun) that is performing the action of the sentence.

• ​The subject represents what or whom the sentence is about.

• Action Verbs are verbs that indicate an action.

• Verbs that express being or experiencing are called linking verbs.

  • Linking verbs: be, seem, become, look, taste, smell, feel, and sound.

• Can both be accompanied by auxiliary or helping verbs.

  • Examples: Will walk, Can seem, Must​ run

• ​When a verb is in the active voice, the subject is performing the action of the verb.

• ​Active voice uses strong verbs.

• ​Less confusing.

• ​Not as wordy

  • ​ Ex: Mary worked on the car.

• ​Basic form: Subject + Verb + Object

  • ​ (Mary) + (worked) + (car)

• ​Sentences in the active voice have a strong, direct, and clear tone.

• ​​When a verb is in the passive voice, the subject is recieving of the action.

• ​The verb phrase consists as a form of the auxiliary verb be (​be, am, is, was, were, been) ​and a past participle (-ed ending on a verb).

• ​If a verb phrase does not include both a form of the auxiliary verb be and a past participle then it is in the active voice.

• ​Can be confusing.

  • Ex: The car was worked on by Mary.

  • ​ (Object) + (be verb, past participle) + (normally preposition by and subject)

The car was worked on by the hill. 

• ​Writing in either form is correct. However, many people prefer to use Active voice when writing.

• ​If you want to put the focus of your sentence on the action, use active voice.

• ​If you want to draw attention to the doer, use passive voice.