Active vs. Passive Voice
What Is Active Voice?
In an active sentence, the subject is doing the action:
“Steve loves Amy.” Steve is the subject, and he is doing the action: he loves Amy, the object of the sentence
“I heard it.” "I" is the subject, the one who is doing the action. "I" is hearing "it," the object of the sentence.
More examples:
“For many years, Lou Brock held the base-stealing record.”
“The girl played the piano.”
What Is Passive Voice?
In passive voice, the target of the action gets promoted to the subject position. The subject is being acted upon.
Instead of saying, "Steve loves Amy," I would say, "Amy is loved by Steve." The subject of the sentence becomes
Amy, but she isn't doing anything. Rather, she is just the recipient of Steve's love. The focus of the sentence has
changed from Steve to Amy.
“It was heard by me.” – Yikes! See how awkward that can get?
More examples:
“For many years, the base-stealing record was held by Lou Brock”
“The piano was played by the girl.”
Is a "To Be" Verb a Sign of a Passive Sentence?
First of all, here is a list of “To Be” verbs.
is
are
am
has been
have been
were
was
had been
will be
was being will have been
is being
are being
were being
People think all sentences that contain these verbs are in passive voice, but that isn't true. For example, the
sentence "I am holding a pen" is in active voice, but it uses the verb “am,” which is a form of “to be.” The passive form
of that sentence would be "The pen is being held by me." In this case, the subject, the pen, isn't doing anything in that
sentence. It's not taking an action; it's passive. One clue that your sentence is passive is that the subject isn't taking a
direct action.
Is Passive Voice Always Wrong?
Another important point is that passive sentences aren't incorrect; it’s just that they often aren't the best way to
phrase your thoughts. Sometimes passive voice is awkward and other times it’s vague. One way or another, passive
voice is usually wordy, so you can tighten your writing if you replace passive sentences with active sentences.
“He was brought to the party by Tom.” (8 words)
“Tom brought him to the party.” (6 words)
Determine whether these sentences are active or passive (answers on next page)
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
Active / Passive
1. As a result of student surveys, universities have new ways of helping students.
2. My answer to your question is based on my experience with the Internet.
3. The money for the scholarship was offered to us by NASA.
4. The new technique for learning a second language was created by a group of researchers at UCR.
5. Earthquakes can now be predicted by scientists.
6. The soccer game organizers cancelled the match because of the weather conditions.
7. The new apartment units were constructed by a private agency.
8. The teacher was annoyed by students' attitude towards the assignment.
9. The teachers disliked the policies governing the new budget for the school year.
10. Most of the class materials are shared by the majority of our students.
Change the sentences from passive to active voice (possible revisions on next page)
1. A piece of plastic had been swallowed by the child.
_____________________________________________________________.
2. Two separate people were given rides in the new models by the designer.
_____________________________________________________________.
3. Our dog is frightened by loud thunderstorms.
_____________________________________________________________.
4. The store was kept open until 11:00 p.m. by the overtired workers.
_____________________________________________________________.
5. The ball is hit straight into the bleachers by the batter.
_____________________________________________________________.
6. New insecticides are produced each year by chemical companies.
____________________________________________________________.
7. The old shed was painted bright blue by the man's son.
____________________________________________________________.
8. Resources for the project were not included in the budget by the legislature.
____________________________________________________________.
9. The vibrant colors in the painting are immediately noticed by museum goers.
____________________________________________________________.
10. The story is presented in a dispassionate way by the author.
____________________________________________________________.
Answers for Active/Passive Voice
1. Active – “Universities” is the subject. It is doing something
2. Passive – “My answer” is the subject. It is doing nothing. “The experiences with the internet” is what is doing
something
3. Passive – “The money” is the subject. It is doing nothing. “NASA” is doing something.
4. Passive – “The new technique” is the subject. It is doing nothing. “The group of researchers” is doing something.
5. Passive – “Earthquakes” is the subject. It is doing nothing. “Scientists” is doing something.
6. Active – “The soccer game organizers” is the subject. It is doing something.
7. Passive – “The new apartment units” is the subject. It is doing nothing. “The private agency” is doing something.
8. Passive – “The teacher” is the subject. It is doing nothing. “The students’ attitude” is doing something.
9. Active – “The teachers” is the subject. It is doing something.
10. Passive – “”Most” is the subject. It is doing nothing. “The majority” is doing something.
Possible Revisions
1. The child had swallowed a piece of plastic.
2. The designer gave two separate people rides in the new models.
3. Loud thunderstorms frighten our dog.
4. The overtired workers kept the store open until 11:00 p.m.
5. The batter hits the ball straight into the bleachers.
6. Chemical companies produce new insecticides each year.
7. The man's son painted the old shed bright blue.
8. The legislature did not include in the budget resources for the project.
9. Museum goers immediately notice the vibrant colors in the painting.
10. The author presents the story in a dispassionate way.