Passive vs Active Voice

Suddenly, Akinyi was swept off her feet by a gust of wind.

• active voice

• passive voice

Gabriel asked Huan to the dance.

• 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 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.

Passive voice tells what is done to someone or something.

• True

• False

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

• True

• False

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

The tray of food was dropped by the waiter.

• active

• passive