AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Passive versus active voice4/18/2024 However, there are advantages to the passive voice, so don't be bullied by your grammar checker. This happens because grammar checkers were written for the business environment, where bosses often demand clear, direct language, which is best delivered through the active voice. Grammar checkers will often highlight passive sentences like they're errors. Here is a video on active and passive sentences.Īre you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos. They discard the fish that are not popular in the restaurants.Fish that are not popular in the restaurants are discarded.The burglar used a crowbar to open the window.The crowbar was used to open the window.Sometimes, to turn a passive sentence into an active one, you have to create your own subject. The engineer replaced the printer cartridge. The printer cartridge was replaced by the engineer.The tin of tuna fish was opened by Sasha.The farm-hands will move the cows after tea.The cows will be moved after tea by the farm-hands.In a passive sentence, the person or thing carrying out the action (often called "the agent") is introduced with "by." Lieutenant Lavender was caught by the brilliant detective Educator Emerald.A trap was devised to catch the killer.The crime was illuminated shortly by flashes of lightning.The candles were extinguished as we rushed to the scream.A scream was heard coming from across the house.Everyone was startled by the power outage.Here are some more example sentences featuring passive verbs (shaded): Remember that if a verb is in the passive voice, its subject has the action of the verb done to it. (As its subject performed the action of the verb, "used" is a verb in the active voice. Step 3: Ask "Did the subject perform the verb?" (Yes, it did.) (As its subject did not perform the action of the verb, "was used" is a verb in the passive voice. Step 3: Ask "Did the subject perform the verb?" (No, it didn't) To identify a verb in the passive voice, identify its subject and then determine that the subject is being acted upon.Ĭompare these two examples of the passive voice and active voice (verbs in the passive verbs shaded): Make passive Make active Comparing the Passive Voice and Active Voice In these examples, the subjects are highlighted and the verbs are bold: Here are some interactive examples showing the difference between active and passive voice. Passive Voice vs Active Voice (Interactive Examples)
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |