Active vs. Passive Voice

Chen understood the importance of flossing his teeth.

• active voice

• passive voice

Dmitri’s costume for the school play was designed by Mrs. Jacobson.

• active voice

• passive voice

Commuters are often bothered by delays on the subway.

• active voice

• passive voice

How should the following sentence be changed to reflect active voice?

• nothing should change since it is active voice

• Letters were written by Miss Strangeworh to the people on Pleasant Street.

• Miss Strangeworth writes letters to the people on Pleasant Street.

• Pleasant Street has people who received letters written by Miss Strangeworth.

How should the following sentence be changed to reflect active voice? Students were given extra points for writing in active voice on their essays by Mrs. Marryat.

• Students are given extra points for writing in active voice on their essays by Mrs. Marryat.

• While writing their essays, students were given extra points for writing in active voice by Mrs. Marryat.

• Mrs. Marryat gave extra points to her wonderful students for using active voice on their essays.

• Mrs. Marryat does not give extra points because her students are so excellent they do not need them.

Which sentence is written in passive voice?

• The kangaroo carried her baby in her pouch.

• The homeowners remodeled the house to help it sell.

• For the bake sale, two dozen cupcakes will be baked by Susan.

• Susan will bake two dozen cupcakes for the bake sale.

In active voice

• the subject is active.

• the sentence has action.

• the subject in the sentence performs the action and typically comes before the action (verb).

• the subject in the sentence performs the action and typically comes after the action (verb).

Active voice tells what a person or thing does.

• True

• False

When writing literary analysis

• you should always write in present tense using active voice.

• you should always write in past tense using active voice.

• you should always write in present tense using passive voice.

• you should always write in past tense using passive voice.

Passive voice can make sentences seem weak, since the subject of the sentence is not doing anything.

• True

• False