Active Voice:
The subject does the action.
EXAMPLE: Mrs. Hockley dropped the tape.
EXAMPLE: Mrs. Hockley dropped the tape.
Passive Voice:
The subject is acted upon. You form the passive voice by using a form of
"be" (is,was, has been, will be) plus the past participle.
EXAMPLE: The tape was dropped by Mrs. Hockley.
"be" (is,was, has been, will be) plus the past participle.
EXAMPLE: The tape was dropped by Mrs. Hockley.
Use the Passive Voice When:
The doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious. In most other cases use the active voice.
EXERCISES:
Rewrite the following sentences in active voice:
1. Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare in the sixteenth century.
2. Shakespeare has been called the world's greatest playwright.
3. Many writers have been influenced by Shakespeare's vocabulary.
4. Romeo and Juliet can be called the best love story of all time.
1. Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare in the sixteenth century.
2. Shakespeare has been called the world's greatest playwright.
3. Many writers have been influenced by Shakespeare's vocabulary.
4. Romeo and Juliet can be called the best love story of all time.