English Grammar: Active and Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice

• A sentence consists of a subject, a verb, and an object, and the subject can be either the doer or the receiver of the action.
• Active voice: the subject actively performs the action of the verb, e.g., "Sandy ran for the office."
• Passive voice: the subject passively receives the action of the verb, e.g., "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was translated by E.Fitzgerald."

Active Voice Examples

• "Sandy ran for the office a few years ago." (Sandy is the subject and doer of the action)
• "In 2020, many students all around the world studied online." (students are the subject and doer of the action)

Passive Voice Examples

• "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was translated by E.Fitzgerald." (The Rubaiyat is the subject and receiver of the action)
• "Many houses and buildings in my city were destroyed in the latest storm." (Many houses and buildings are the subject and receiver of the action)

Active and Passive Voice Differences

• Main difference: the role of the subject in a sentence (doer vs. receiver)
• Verb structure: active voice has a simple verb, while passive voice has a form of the verb "to be" + the past participle of the verb

When to Use Active and Passive Voice

• Generally advised to write in active voice for clear and effective writing
• Passive voice is recommended in certain fields, such as diplomacy and politics, to avoid naming the doer of the action or to focus on the receiver
• In scientific journals, it is recommended to write in the first-person point of view (I and we) to avoid passive voice and vagueness

How to Change a Sentence from Passive to Active Voice

• Identify the subject, verb, and object of the sentence
• Switch the subject and object
• Cross out "by" and the verb "be"
• Agree the verb with the new subject
• Keep the same tense as the original sentence

How to Change a Sentence from Active to Passive Voice

• Identify the subject, verb, and object of the sentence
• Switch the subject and object
• Cross out the old object or precede it with "by" at the end of the sentence
• Write the verb "be" in the correct tense, followed by the past participle of the verb

Understand the difference between active and passive voice in English grammar. Learn how to identify and construct sentences in active and passive voice.