Active and Passive Voice Now Hear This Verbs

Active and Passive Voice Now Hear This!!

Verbs have a voice! �There are two VOICES in grammar: �ACTIVE VOICE �and �PASSIVE VOICE. Voice tells us the relationship of the verb in the sentence to its su

Active Voice = the subject performs* the a The cat scratched the furniture. Subject Verb * perform (verb)- to carry out or accompl

Passive Voice = the subject receives the act The furniture was scratched by the cat. Subject Verb phrase

Here’s another example. Active Voice: My dad chased the cat out of the ro The subject (Dad) is performing the action (chasing the Passive Voice: The cat was chased out of the room b The subject (the cat) is receiving the action (being chased out of

If it’s active voice, hold up one finger. If it’s passive, hold up two. Ready? 1. My friend ate a whole pizza! One finger or two? Show me! The answer is ACTIVE VOICE. If you held up one finger, you are correct. The subject (my friend) performed the action (ate pizza). 2. He ended up being sick all night. One finger or two? Show me! This answer is also ACTIVE VOICE. If you held up one finger, you are correct. The subject (he) performed the action (ended up being sick). 3. His sickness was made worse by all that soda he drank with t One finger or two? Show me! This answer is in PASSIVE VOICE. If you held up two fingers, you are correct. The subject (his sickness) received the action (was made worse).

So Let’s Get This Straight. . If the subjectperforms _____ the action, it’s called ACTIVE VOICE. What goes in the blank? Everybody, on the count of three. 1. 2. 3. . receives If the subject _____ the action, it’s calle PASSIVE VOICE. 1, 2, 3. . .

Pros and Cons Most books and grammar checkers will recom that you LIMIT your use of passive voice. Here are some pros and cons for both acti and passive voice.

Active Voice -Can be easier to understand --Emphasizes who or what is doing the action -- Captures the reader’s attention --Is more concise (to the point) than passive voi -Does not emphasize the receiver of the action -Makes the subject the most important part of the sentence (which may not be your intention

Passive Voice -Emphasizes the receiver of the action --Lets the reader know that the performer of the action is unknown or not important (if that is the c - Creates a passive, timeless mood -Makes the performer of the action less obvious -Is more “wordy” than active voice -May make your meaning less clear

Practice 1. The letter was written by my friend. Active or passive? WHY? This sentence is written in passive voice, because the letter receives the action (is written). In your notes, rewrite this sentence in active voice. Share your sentence with the student next to you. My friend wrote the letter. 2. The science class raised $100! Active or passive? WHY? This sentence is written in active voice, becaus class performs the action (raises money). In your notes, rewrite this sentence in passive v Share your sentence with the student next to yo $100 was raised by the science class!

3. The baseball was hit out of the park by Pablo. Active or passive? WHY? This sentence is written in passive voice, because the baseball receives the action (is hit). In your notes, rewrite in active voice. Share your sentence with the student next to you. Pablo hit the baseball out of the park. 4. My sister baked a chocolate cake. Active or passive? WHY? This sentence is written in active voice, becau sister performs the action (bakes a cake). In your notes, rewrite in passive voice. Share your sentence with the student next to A chocolate cake was baked by my sister. If you need clarification on how to tell active from passive voice, now’s the time to ask!

Assignment On a sheet of paper to be turned in, tell if each sentence below is active or pass AND rewrite it (if it is passive voice, rewrite it in passive; if it is active voice, rew 1. A moving story was told by my grandmother. 2. A mistake was made by the scorekeeper, and it cost us the gam 3. Jack hosted that wonderful graduation party! 4. The children were eaten by the ferocious dragon. 5. The forest was illuminated by streaming sunlight. 6. A falling building crushed the abandoned car. 7. Millions of dollars were earned by that one invention. 8. Hey! My wallet has been stolen by somebody!

Answers 1. Passive. Rewrite: My grandmother told a moving story. 2. Passive. Rewrite: The scorekeeper made a mistake, and it cost us the game! 3. Active. Rewrite: That wonderful graduation party was hosted by Jack. 4. Passive. Rewrite: The ferocious dragon ate the children. 5. Passive. Rewrite: Streaming sunlight illuminated the forest. 6. Active. Rewrite: The abandoned car was crushed by a falling building. 7. Passive. Rewrite: That one invention earned millions of dollars.