Passive Voice. (Why It is Evil and How to Recognize It.) Two 'voices' occur in English grammar: active voice and passive voice. The difference is subtle at first,. What is active voice? What is passive voice? Quickly learn the difference between active and passive voice and how to use them.
Online Writing Support Self Teaching Unit: A ctive / Passive Voice © 2008 Margaret L. Benner In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action denoted by the. These examples show that the is doing the verb's action. Because the subject does or 'acts upon' the verb in such sentences, the sentences are said to be in the active voice.
To see how well you understand active voice, do One can change the normal word order of many active sentences (those with a ) so that the subject is no longer active, but is, instead, being acted upon by the verb - or passive. Note in these examples how the subject-verb relationship has changed. Because the subject is being 'acted upon' (or is passive), such sentences are said to be in the passive voice. Now do can change most sentences from active to passive or from passive to active as desired. To change a sentence from active to passive voice, do the following: 1. Move the active sentence's direct object into the sentence's subject slot 2.
Place the active sentence's subject into a phrase beginning with the by 3. Add a form of the be to the main verb and change the main verb's form as required Now do CAUTION ABOUT PASSIVE VOICE: Because passive voice sentences necessarily add words and change the normal doer-action-receiver of action direction, they may make the reader work harder to understand the intended meaning.
As the examples below illustrate, a sentence in active voice flows more smoothly and is easier to understand than the same sentence in passive voice. It is generally preferable to use the ACTIVE voice. To change a passive voice sentence into an active voice sentence, simply reverse the steps shown above. Move the passive sentence's subject into the active sentence's direct object slot 2. Remove the auxiliary verb be from the main verb and change main verb's form if needed 3.
Place the passive sentence's object of the preposition by into the subject slot. Some passive voice sentences may not even mention a doer of the action. Example: To change sentences like these into active voice, create a doer-of-the-action subject.
Example: Because active voice is more direct, most writers prefer to use it whenever possible. Now d o When should one use the passive voice? The passive voice may be a better choice when.
the doer of the action is unknown, unwanted, or unneeded in the sentence Examples Since we do not know (or need to know) who counted the ballots or who appreciates our efforts, passive voice works fine in the example above. The passive voice may also be a better choice when. the writer wishes to emphasize the action of the sentence rather than the doer of the action Examples The above examples emphasize what happened - something was broken, someone was questioned for sixteen hours -rather than who made it happen. The passive voice may also be a better choice when. the writer wishes to use passive voice for sentence variety.
Generally, try to use the active voice whenever possible. Passive voice sentences often use more words, can be vague, and can lead to a tangle of prepositional phrases. Passive voice In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. In a sentence written in the passive voice the subject receives the action. Active: The candidate believes that Congress must place a ceiling on the budget.
Passive: It is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be placed on the budget by Congress. Active: Researchers earlier showed that high stress can cause heart attacks. Passive: It was earlier demonstrated that heart attacks can be caused by high stress. Active: The dog bit the man. Passive: The man was bitten by the dog. Converting sentences to active voice Here are some tips and strategies for converting sentences from the passive to the active voice. Look for a “by” phrase (e.g., “by the dog” in the last example above).
If you find one, the sentence may be in the passive voice. Rewrite the sentence so that the subject buried in the “by” clause is closer to the beginning of the sentence.
If the subject of the sentence is somewhat anonymous, see if you can use a general term, such as “researchers,” or “the study,” or “experts in this field.” When to use passive voice There are sometimes good reasons to use the passive voice. To emphasize the action rather than the actor After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by the long-range planning committee.
To keep the subject and focus consistent throughout a passage The data processing department recently presented what proved to be a controversial proposal to expand its staff. After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by. To be tactful by not naming the actor The procedures were somehow misinterpreted. To describe a condition in which the actor is unknown or unimportant Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed as having cancer. To create an authoritative tone Visitors are not allowed after 9:00 p.m.