Active vs.

Passive
Voice

Active vs. Passive Voice

A

sentence is written in the active voice when

we focus on the doer or cause of the action:

The subject of the sentence performs the action.

The person/thing performing the action is named
before the verb.

Example:
My grandfather taught me to fish.

Active voice sentences

When

you write in the active voice, the

sentences are typically shorter and clearer.

They

sound more conversational.

Active

voice does not mean only present

tense, you can use all the verb tenses known:
present progressive, future, past, present
perfect, etc.

Passive voice is used

To

focus on the receiver of the action.

Example:
The authorities closed the airport.

When

the doer or cause is not known or not

important.
Example:
- The airport was closed.

We form the Passive voice

We

use be in past and a past participle of

the verb.

Example:
The police arrested one protester.
One protester was arrested.

Passive voice is acceptable

When

you choose to write in the passive

voice, you are emphasizing the object of the
sentence rather than the subject.

Scientific

writing is a good example of

passive voice writing.

People

often use the passive to talk about

news events.

Passive voice examples:

News events:
-A

jewelry store was broken into, and some

diamonds were stolen.
-The

city airport was closed yesterday because

of strong winds.
-Ten

thousand dollars was found in a bag on a

city bus.

Passive voice acceptable

If

that agent of action (the individual doing the

action) is unknown or needs to remain a
secret:

It was reported that

Unizan Bank was robbed

News writers protect sources this way. They also

may not know who committed the action.

TO SUM UP

UNIT 12 TEST - LMS