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Active voice
In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb. These examples show that the subject is doing the verb's action.
Because the subject does or "acts upon" the verb in such sentences, the sentences are said to be in the active voice.
Passive voice
One can change the normal word order of many active sentences (those with a direct object) so that the subject is no longer active, but is, instead, being acted upon by the verb - or passive. Note in these examples how the subject-verb relationship has changed.
Because the subject is being "acted upon" (or is passive), such sentences are said to be in the passive voice. NOTE: Colorful parrots live in the rainforests cannot be changed to passive voice because the sentence does not have a direct object. To change a sentence from active to passive voice, do the following: 1. Move the active sentence's direct object into the sentence's subject slot
2. Place the active sentence's subject into a phrase beginning with the preposition by
3. Add a form of the auxiliary verb be to the main verb and change the main verb's form
Because passive voice sentences necessarily add words and change the normal doeraction-receiver of action direction, they may make the reader work harder to understand the intended meaning. As the examples below illustrate, a sentence in active voice flows more smoothly and is easier to understand than the same sentence in passive voice.
To change a passive voice sentence into an active voice sentence, simply reverse the steps shown above. 1. Move the passive sentence's subject into the active sentence's direct object slot
2. Remove the auxiliary verb be from the main verb and change main verb's form if needed
3. Place the passive sentence's object of the preposition by into the subject slot.
Because it is more direct, most writers prefer to use the active voice whenever possible. The passive voice may be a better choice, however, when
the doer of the action is unknown, unwanted, or unneeded in the sentence Examples
the writer wishes to emphasize the action of the sentence rather than the doer of the action Examples
Use of Passive
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.
Form of Passive
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)
the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle) the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)
Examples of Passive
Tense Subject Verb Object
a letter.
Simple Present
Active:
Rita
writes
Passive: Simple Past Active: Passive: Present Perfect Active: Passive: Future I Active: Passive: Hilfsverben Active: Passive:
is written wrote was written has written has been written will write will be written can write can be written
Examples of Passive
Tense Subject Verb Object
a letter.
Present Progressive
Active: Passive:
is writing
is being written was writing was being written had written had been written will have written will have been written would write
Past Progressive
Active: Passive:
Past Perfect
Active: Passive:
Future II
Active: Passive:
Conditional I
Active:
A letter Rita
by Rita. a letter.
Subject
Verb
Object 1
Object 2
to me.
Rita A letter I
wrote
a letter
to me a letter
by Rita. by Rita.
.
As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. Thats why it is usually dropped.
Example: They say that women live longer than men. It is said that women live longer than men.
Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.
Example: They say that women live longer than men. Women are said to live longer than men.
The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped). Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence.