active and passive voice rules
Active and passive voice are two different ways to express the same idea in the English language. In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action, whereas in passive voice, the subject receives the action. Here are some rules and examples to help you understand the difference between active and passive voice.
Active Voice Rules:
The subject of the sentence performs the action.
The verb must agree with the subject in number and tense.
The direct object follows the verb.
Active voice is more direct and concise than passive voice.
Examples:
1.John (subject) eats (verb) pizza (direct object).
2.Mary (subject) will sing (verb) a song (direct object).
3.The dog (subject) chased (verb) the cat (direct object).
Passive Voice Rules:
The subject receives the action.
The object of the sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
The verb “to be” is used in the appropriate tense.
The past participle form of the main verb follows “to be.”
A preposition may be used to indicate who performed the action.
Examples:
1.Pizza (object) is eaten (verb) by John (preposition phrase).
2.A song (object) will be sung (verb) by Mary (preposition phrase).
3.The cat (object) was chased (verb) by the dog (preposition phrase).
Some additional points to keep in mind:
**Passive voice is often used when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.
Example: The window was broken last night. (We don’t know who broke the window, but it’s not important for the sentence.)
**Active voice is usually more clear and direct than passive voice.
Example: The teacher explained the lesson. (Active voice) vs. The lesson was explained by the teacher. (Passive voice)
**Passive voice is often used when the focus is on the action rather than the doer of the action.
Example: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. (The focus is on the painting, not the artist.)
**Passive voice is often used in scientific writing to emphasize the action or process being described.
Example: The solution was heated to 80 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
In some cases, the use of passive voice can sound more polite or less confrontational.
Example: Your request has been received and will be reviewed. (Passive voice)
By following these rules and examples, you can better understand the difference between active and passive voice and when to use each in your writing.
Converting Passive Voice to Active Voice:
To convert a sentence from passive voice to active voice, follow these steps:
1.Identify the subject and object of the sentence.
2.Rewrite the sentence so that the subject is performing the action.
3.Use the appropriate verb tense and rephrase the sentence as needed.
Example:
Passive Voice: The book was written by John.
Active Voice: John wrote the book.
Converting Active Voice to Passive Voice:
To convert a sentence from active voice to passive voice, follow these steps:
1.Identify the subject and object of the sentence.
2.Rewrite the sentence so that the object becomes the subject of the sentence and the subject is either omitted or introduced with “by.”
Use the appropriate form of “to be” and the past participle form of the verb.
Example:
Active Voice: John wrote the book.
Passive Voice: The book was written by John.
Some additional points to keep in mind:
When converting from passive to active voice, you may need to add an appropriate subject if the original sentence did not include one.
Be sure to use the correct form of the verb, especially when changing from passive to active voice, as the verb must agree with the new subject.
The meaning of a sentence may change when converting between active and passive voice, so be sure to consider the context and meaning of the original sentence when making the conversion.
By following these rules, you can effectively convert between active and passive voice and choose the appropriate voice for your writing.
active and passive voice examples with answers
Converting Passive Voice to Active Voice Examples:
Passive: The car was driven by Mary.
Active: Mary drove the car.
Passive: The letter was written by John.
Active: John wrote the letter.
Passive: The cake was baked by the chef.
Active: The chef baked the cake.
Passive: The house was built by the construction company.
Active: The construction company built the house.
Passive: The concert was attended by thousands of people.
Active: Thousands of people attended the concert.
Converting Active Voice to Passive Voice Examples:
Active: The company will launch a new product.
Passive: A new product will be launched by the company.
Active: The dog chased the cat.
Passive: The cat was chased by the dog.
Active: The teacher graded the exams.
Passive: The exams were graded by the teacher.
Active: The students are watching a movie.
Passive: A movie is being watched by the students.
Active: The chef is cooking dinner.
Passive: Dinner is being cooked by the chef.
Note: These examples are just for illustration purposes, and there can be multiple ways to convert between active and passive voice depending on the context and meaning of the sentence.
|
Converting Passive Voice to Active Voice |
Converting Active Voice to Passive Voice |
| Identify subject and object | Identify subject and object |
| Rewrite sentence with subject as doer | Rewrite sentence with object as subject |
| Use appropriate verb tense | Use appropriate form of “to be” and past participle |
| Add “by” and agent (optional) |
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