Active and Passive Voice

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Active and Passive Voice
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Voice

• Voice - a characteristic of verbs which indicates
  the relation of the verbs action to its subject.
• Voice of a verb may be either active or
  passive.

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Active Voice

• Active voice - the subject is acting in a
  sentence.
• Example Cindy steered the boat.
• Steered is an active verb because it allows the
  subject to undertake an action.

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Passive Voice

• Passive voice - used when the subject is being
  acted upon in a sentence.
• Example The mountains peak was reached by Ed
  Danvers.
• Was reached - passive because it indicates that
  the subject (peak) is receiving an action.

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Uses

• Both constructions are grammatically correct.
• Active voice - more effective in academic and
  business writing because it is simpler and more
  direct.
• Passive construction - effective only when the
  doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.
• Examples
• The cruiseliner was hijacked.
• The ball was hit.
• The town was quarantined.

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Recap

• Active voice verbs Verbs that indicate the
  sentences subject as actively acting
• Marvin hit the ball.
• Passive voice verbs Verbs that indicated the
  sentences subject as being acted upon
• The ball was hit by Marvin

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Practice - Directions Rewrite the following
sentences, changing them so that each is written
in a consistent voice.

1. Before I began my research, only German fascism
   was studied by me.
2. Professor Warren assigned each group a research
   project however, the documentary sources were
   not located.
3. For the opening flag ceremony, a dance was
   choreographed by Kema Jones to Bill Withers song
   Lean on Me.
4. When the tickets are ready, the travel agent
   notifies the client. Each ticket is then listed
   on a daily register form, and a copy of the
   itinerary is filed.
5. Seismologists have examined data concerning the
   recent earthquake, and reports will be filed.

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Essay Evaluation

• Read the essay through completely.
• Re-write five sentences where they use passive
  voice and make it active.
• If you cant find five places, write down as many
  as you can and then for the remaining sentences,
  copy down examples where they use active voice.
• What are the three major weaknesses of this
  paper?
• What are the three major strengths?
• Do they have all of the necessary parts to their
  body paragraphs? Evaluate each (positives/negative
  s).
• Do they have all of the necessary parts to their
  introduction and conclusion? Evaluate each
  (positives/negatives).
• What grade would you give this paper?