#ACTIVE VOICE VERB HOW TO#

To create an authoritative or factual tone.By understanding the structure, function, and transformation process of active sentences, you can craft writing that is not only grammatically sound but also more engaging and effective. For example, ‘I had the feeling that I was being watched.’ - I don’t know who was watching me In the active voice example, Mary is the subject who performs the action, read is the verb, and the book is the object receiving the action. Because we don't know or do not want to say who performed the action.For example, the castle was built in 1066 - we are interested in the castle, not in who built it. Here are some basic examples of active voice compared to passive voice: Active Voice: Jason ran five miles before the sun came up. To show interest in the person or object that experiences an action rather than the person or object that performs the action.Who or what is actually doing the action In active voice, the subject of the sentence is the one doing the action. Reasons to use the passive voiceĪlthough the active voice is usually the preferred choice, there are sometimes good reasons to use the passive voice: You can differentiate active and passive voice by the subject's role and the way the verb looks. See the rules, exceptions and tips for using the passive voice correctly. The passive voice shows the person or thing doing the action, while the active voice shows the person or thing being done to.

#ACTIVE VOICE VERB HOW TO#

Rewrite the sentence so that the subject in the 'by' phrase is closer to the beginning of the sentence.įor example:‘The exam was passed by the pupil’ would change to ‘The pupil passed the exam’. Learn how to form the passive voice of verbs in English with examples and exercises. One way to avoid using the passive voice is to look for a ‘by’ phrase. Who scored the goal? Doesn’t the writer know? Converting sentences to active voice

Dictionary Thesaurus Sentences Grammar Vocabulary Usage Reading & Writing Articles Vocabulary Usage Reading & Writing Sign in.

Dive into our extensive examples of each. Passive sentences can cause confusion because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action. If youre trying to figure out the difference between active and passive voice but cant seem to get it right, dont fret. PASSIVE: The chicken hawk was killed by Tim. Most writers consider the active voice more forceful and tend to stay away from passives unless they really need them. Verbs in the passive voice show something else acting on the subject. Active: The teacher collected the books. Verbs in the active voice show the subject acting.Passive: The books were collected by the teacher.Using the active voice in a sentence often means fewer words are used than in the passive voice.

Active voice verb