Active Voice and Passive Voice Definition Usage and Examples

Active vs. Passive Voice: Definitions, Usage, and Examples

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Understanding the active and passive voice is crucial for effective communication in English. Mastering these grammatical structures allows you to vary your sentence construction, emphasize different aspects of your message, and write with greater clarity and precision.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to the active and passive voice, covering their definitions, structural elements, usage rules, common mistakes, and advanced applications. It is designed for English language learners of all levels, from beginners seeking a foundational understanding to advanced speakers aiming to refine their writing skills.

Table of Contents

Definition of Active and Passive Voice

The voice of a verb describes the relationship between the action (or state) that the verb expresses and the participants identified by its arguments (subject, object, etc.). In simpler terms, it indicates whether the subject performs the action or is acted upon.

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. The subject is the agent, and the object (if there is one) is the patient. Active voice constructions are generally more direct, clear, and concise. They emphasize the doer of the action.

For example:

  • The dog chased the ball. (The dog performs the action of chasing.)
  • Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. (Shakespeare performed the action of writing.)
  • The wind blew down the tree. (The wind performed the action of blowing.)

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. The subject is the patient, and the agent (the doer of the action) is either not mentioned or is introduced with the preposition “by.” Passive voice constructions are often used when the action is more important than the actor, or when the actor is unknown or unimportant.

For example:

  • The ball was chased by the dog. (The ball receives the action of being chased.)
  • Hamlet was written by Shakespeare. (Hamlet receives the action of being written.)
  • The tree was blown down by the wind. (The tree receives the action of being blown down.)

Structural Breakdown

Understanding the structure of active and passive voice sentences is essential for forming them correctly.

Active Voice Structure

The basic structure of an active voice sentence is:

Subject + Verb + (Object)

The verb’s form changes depending on the tense, aspect, and number of the subject.

Examples:

  • She reads books. (Simple Present)
  • They are building a house. (Present Continuous)
  • He has finished his work. (Present Perfect)

Passive Voice Structure

The basic structure of a passive voice sentence is:

Subject + Be (auxiliary verb) + Past Participle + (by + Agent)

The “be” verb changes depending on the tense, aspect, and number of the subject. The past participle is the -ed form of regular verbs and the third form of irregular verbs.

Examples:

  • Books are read (by her). (Simple Present Passive)
  • A house is being built (by them). (Present Continuous Passive)
  • His work has been finished (by him). (Present Perfect Passive)

Types and Categories of Passive Voice

The passive voice can be further categorized based on the presence or absence of the agent and its specific function in the sentence.

Agented Passive

The agented passive includes the agent (the doer of the action) in the sentence, typically introduced by the preposition “by.” This is used when it’s important to specify who or what performed the action.

Example:

  • The report was written by the committee.
  • The cake was baked by my mother.
  • The window was broken by the children.

Agentless Passive

The agentless passive does not include the agent. This is used when the agent is unknown, unimportant, obvious, or when the speaker wants to avoid specifying the agent.

Example:

  • The bank was robbed. (The robber is unknown or unimportant.)
  • Mistakes were made. (The speaker doesn’t want to specify who made the mistakes.)
  • The road is being repaired. (It’s obvious that workers are repairing the road.)

Passive with Reporting Verbs

Reporting verbs like say, believe, think, and know are often used in the passive voice to report opinions or beliefs without explicitly stating who holds those opinions.

Example:

  • It is said that he is a talented musician.
  • It is believed that the earth is round.
  • It is thought that the meeting will be productive.

Examples of Active and Passive Voice

The following tables provide a variety of examples illustrating the active and passive voice in different tenses and contexts.

Active Voice Examples

This table showcases examples of active voice sentences across various tenses, demonstrating the subject performing the action directly.

Tense Active Voice Example
Simple Present The chef cooks delicious meals.
Present Continuous The students are studying for their exams.
Present Perfect The company has launched a new product.
Simple Past The artist painted a beautiful landscape.
Past Continuous The rain was falling heavily last night.
Past Perfect The team had won the championship before.
Simple Future The scientists will conduct more research.
Future Continuous The birds will be singing in the morning.
Future Perfect The project will have been completed by next year.
Simple Present Cats chase mice.
Present Continuous The baby is sleeping soundly.
Present Perfect I have finished my homework.
Simple Past The dog barked loudly.
Past Continuous She was listening to music.
Past Perfect They had already eaten dinner.
Simple Future He will travel to Europe.
Future Continuous We will be watching the game tonight.
Future Perfect She will have graduated by June.
Simple Present The sun rises in the east.
Present Continuous The children are playing in the park.
Present Perfect The gardener has planted new flowers.
Simple Past The baker made delicious bread.
Past Continuous The wind was howling fiercely.
Past Perfect The movie had already started when we arrived.
Simple Future The train will arrive on time.
Future Continuous I will be working late this evening.
Future Perfect The construction crew will have finished the bridge by winter.
Read More  Active vs. Passive Voice: Mastering Grammatical Transformations

Passive Voice Examples

This table presents examples of passive voice sentences, highlighting how the subject receives the action, often with the agent specified using “by”.

Tense Passive Voice Example
Simple Present Delicious meals are cooked by the chef.
Present Continuous The exams are being studied for by the students.
Present Perfect A new product has been launched by the company.
Simple Past A beautiful landscape was painted by the artist.
Past Continuous It was being heavily rained last night.
Past Perfect The championship had been won by the team before.
Simple Future More research will be conducted by the scientists.
Future Continuous Singing will be being done by the birds in the morning.
Future Perfect The project will have been completed by next year.
Simple Present Mice are chased by cats.
Present Continuous The baby is being slept soundly.
Present Perfect My homework has been finished by me.
Simple Past Loudly barking was done by the dog.
Past Continuous Music was being listened to by her.
Past Perfect Dinner had already been eaten by them.
Simple Future Travel to Europe will be done by him.
Future Continuous The game will be being watched by us tonight.
Future Perfect Graduation will have been done by her by June.
Simple Present The east is where the sun is risen.
Present Continuous Playing in the park is being done by the children.
Present Perfect New flowers have been planted by the gardener.
Simple Past Delicious bread was made by the baker.
Past Continuous Howling fiercely was being done by the wind.
Past Perfect The start of the movie had already been done when we arrived.
Simple Future The arrival of the train will happen on time.
Future Continuous Working late will be being done by me this evening.
Future Perfect The finishing of the bridge will have been done by the construction crew by winter.

Transformation Examples (Active to Passive)

This table provides direct comparisons between active and passive voice sentences, demonstrating how to transform one into the other across different tenses.

Tense Active Voice Passive Voice
Simple Present The mechanic repairs cars. Cars are repaired by the mechanic.
Present Continuous The teacher is explaining the lesson. The lesson is being explained by the teacher.
Present Perfect The gardener has planted the flowers. The flowers have been planted by the gardener.
Simple Past The chef cooked the dinner. The dinner was cooked by the chef.
Past Continuous The students were cleaning the classroom. The classroom was being cleaned by the students.
Past Perfect The author had written the book. The book had been written by the author.
Simple Future The company will launch the product. The product will be launched by the company.
Future Continuous They will be building the house. The house will be being built by them.
Future Perfect She will have finished the report. The report will have been finished by her.
Simple Present The dog chases the cat. The cat is chased by the dog.
Present Continuous The baker is baking a cake. A cake is being baked by the baker.
Present Perfect The children have eaten the cookies. The cookies have been eaten by the children.
Simple Past The artist painted the portrait. The portrait was painted by the artist.
Past Continuous The wind was blowing down the trees. The trees were being blown down by the wind.
Past Perfect The detective had solved the mystery. The mystery had been solved by the detective.
Simple Future The engineer will design the bridge. The bridge will be designed by the engineer.
Future Continuous The musicians will be playing the music. The music will be being played by the musicians.
Future Perfect The team will have won the game. The game will have been won by the team.
Simple Present The sun warms the earth. The earth is warmed by the sun.
Present Continuous The students are learning the lesson. The lesson is being learned by the students.
Present Perfect The government has implemented the policy. The policy has been implemented by the government.
Simple Past The firefighters rescued the people. The people were rescued by the firefighters.
Past Continuous The workers were building the road. The road was being built by the workers.
Past Perfect The teacher had graded the papers. The papers had been graded by the teacher.
Simple Future The company will release the software. The software will be released by the company.
Future Continuous The actors will be performing the play. The play will be being performed by the actors.
Future Perfect The scientists will have discovered the cure. The cure will have been discovered by the scientists.
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Usage Rules for Active and Passive Voice

Choosing between active and passive voice depends on the intended emphasis and the context of the communication.

When to Use Active Voice

Use the active voice when:

  • You want to emphasize the doer of the action.
  • You want to be clear and direct.
  • You want to make your writing more concise and engaging.
  • The doer of the action is important and relevant.

Active voice is generally preferred in most writing situations, especially in business, journalism, and everyday communication.

When to Use Passive Voice

Use the passive voice when:

  • You want to emphasize the action rather than the doer.
  • The doer is unknown or unimportant.
  • You want to avoid assigning blame or responsibility.
  • You are describing a process or procedure where the steps are more important than the person performing them.

Passive voice is often used in scientific writing, formal reports, and legal documents.

Avoiding Overuse of Passive Voice

Overuse of the passive voice can make your writing sound weak, indirect, and confusing. It can also make your writing longer and less engaging.

Therefore, it’s important to use the passive voice deliberately and avoid it when the active voice would be more appropriate.

Consider these examples:

  • Passive (Weak): The decision was made by the committee.
  • Active (Stronger): The committee made the decision.
  • Passive (Vague): Mistakes were made.
  • Active (Clearer): We made mistakes.

Common Mistakes with Active and Passive Voice

Several common mistakes can occur when using active and passive voice. Understanding these errors and how to correct them is crucial for effective communication.

Incorrect Passive Formation

One common mistake is forming the passive voice incorrectly. Remember that the passive voice requires a form of the verb “be” + the past participle of the main verb.

  • Incorrect: The letter is write.
  • Correct: The letter is written.
  • Incorrect: The house was builded.
  • Correct: The house was built.

Unnecessary Passive Use

Using the passive voice when the active voice would be clearer and more direct is another common mistake. This can make your writing sound awkward and confusing.

  • Unnecessary Passive: The report was read by John.
  • Correct Active: John read the report.
  • Unnecessary Passive: The cake was eaten by me.
  • Correct Active: I ate the cake.

Confusing Active and Passive Meaning

Sometimes, learners confuse the meaning of active and passive sentences, leading to misinterpretations. It’s important to understand who is performing the action and who is receiving it.

  • Confusing: The dog was bitten by the man. (Implies the dog bit the man, which is the opposite of what’s intended.)
  • Clear: The man was bitten by the dog.
  • Confusing: The car was driven to the store by the grocery. (Makes no sense)
  • Clear: The car was driven to the grocery store.

Practice Exercises

These exercises will help you practice identifying and using the active and passive voice correctly.

Exercise 1: Identifying Active and Passive Voice

Identify whether each sentence is in the active or passive voice.

Sentence Voice
1. The cat chased the mouse.
2. The email was sent by Sarah.
3. The students are learning English.
4. The car is being repaired.
5. The chef prepared a delicious meal.
6. The book was written by a famous author.
7. The children are playing in the park.
8. The window was broken by the storm.
9. The company launched a new product.
10. The cake was baked by my mother.

Answer Key:

Sentence Voice
1. The cat chased the mouse. Active
2. The email was sent by Sarah. Passive
3. The students are learning English. Active
4. The car is being repaired. Passive
5. The chef prepared a delicious meal. Active
6. The book was written by a famous author. Passive
7. The children are playing in the park. Active
8. The window was broken by the storm. Passive
9. The company launched a new product. Active
10. The cake was baked by my mother. Passive

Exercise 2: Transforming Active to Passive Voice

Rewrite the following sentences from active to passive voice.

Active Voice Passive Voice
1. The dog ate the bone.
2. The teacher graded the papers.
3. The company will hire new employees.
4. The artist painted the picture.
5. The chef is preparing the dinner.
6. The students are reading the book.
7. The mechanic fixed the car.
8. The author wrote the novel.
9. The team won the game.
10. The gardener planted the flowers.

Answer Key:

Active Voice Passive Voice
1. The dog ate the bone. The bone was eaten by the dog.
2. The teacher graded the papers. The papers were graded by the teacher.
3. The company will hire new employees. New employees will be hired by the company.
4. The artist painted the picture. The picture was painted by the artist.
5. The chef is preparing the dinner. The dinner is being prepared by the chef.
6. The students are reading the book. The book is being read by the students.
7. The mechanic fixed the car. The car was fixed by the mechanic.
8. The author wrote the novel. The novel was written by the author.
9. The team won the game. The game was won by the team.
10. The gardener planted the flowers. The flowers were planted by the gardener.
Read More  Active vs. Passive Voice: Mastering Grammatical Transformations

Exercise 3: Transforming Passive to Active Voice

Rewrite the following sentences from passive to active voice.

Passive Voice Active Voice
1. The letter was written by her.
2. The car is being driven by him.
3. The cake was baked by Mary.
4. The house was built by them.
5. The report has been finished by him.
6. The window was broken by the boy.
7. The food is being cooked by the chef.
8. The problem was solved by the engineer.
9. The song was sung by the choir.
10. The project will be completed by the team.

Answer Key:

Passive Voice Active Voice
1. The letter was written by her. She wrote the letter.
2. The car is being driven by him. He is driving the car.
3. The cake was baked by Mary. Mary baked the cake.
4. The house was built by them. They built the house.
5. The report has been finished by him. He has finished the report.
6. The window was broken by the boy. The boy broke the window.
7. The food is being cooked by the chef. The chef is cooking the food.
8. The problem was solved by the engineer. The engineer solved the problem.
9. The song was sung by the choir. The choir sang the song.
10. The project will be completed by the team. The team will complete the project.

Exercise 4: Choosing Active or Passive Voice

Choose whether to use the active or passive voice to complete the following sentences.

Sentence Active/Passive
1. The new bridge _____ (build) next year.
2. Shakespeare _____ (write) many famous plays.
3. The report _____ (submit) by the deadline.
4. The police _____ (arrest) the suspect.
5. The dinner _____ (cook) by my father every Sunday.
6. The students _____ (take) the exam tomorrow.
7. The car _____ (repair) at the garage.
8. The teacher _____ (explain) the lesson clearly.
9. The documents _____ (file) in the cabinet.
10. The company _____ (develop) a new technology.

Answer Key:

Sentence Active/Passive
1. The new bridge will be built next year. Passive
2. Shakespeare wrote many famous plays. Active
3. The report was submitted by the deadline. Passive
4. The police arrested the suspect. Active
5. The dinner is cooked by my father every Sunday. Passive
6. The students will take the exam tomorrow. Active
7. The car is being repaired at the garage. Passive
8. The teacher explained the lesson clearly. Active
9. The documents are filed in the cabinet. Passive
10. The company developed a new technology. Active

Advanced Topics

In addition to the basics, there are more complex aspects of the passive voice that advanced learners should understand.

Passive with Intransitive Verbs (Impersonal Passive)

Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object, so they cannot typically be used in the passive voice. However, in some languages like German, an impersonal passive can be formed using an intransitive verb with a dummy subject.

English does not have a true equivalent, but similar effects can be achieved with other constructions.

Example (German):

  • Es wird getanzt. (There is dancing happening / Dancing is being done.)

In English, you might say:

  • Dancing is taking place.
  • People are dancing.

Cleft Sentences and Passive Voice

Cleft sentences are used to emphasize a particular part of a sentence. They often involve a form of the verb “be” and can sometimes incorporate passive constructions.

Examples:

  • It was John who broke the window. (Emphasis on John)
  • What was broken was the window. (Emphasis on the window)
  • It is believed that the suspect has fled the country. (Passive reporting verb in a cleft sentence)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is it always better to use the active voice?

A: While the active voice is generally preferred for its clarity and directness, the passive voice is useful in specific situations where the action is more important than the actor, or when the actor is unknown or irrelevant.

Q: Can every active sentence be converted into a passive sentence?

A: No, only active sentences with a transitive verb (a verb that takes a direct object) can be converted into passive sentences. Sentences with intransitive verbs cannot be directly converted.

Q: How can I identify the passive voice in a sentence?

A: Look for a form of the verb “be” (is, are, was, were, being, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb. Also, check if the subject is receiving the action rather than performing it.

Q: What are some common words that indicate passive voice?

A: Common indicators include “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “being,” “been,” and the preposition “by” when the agent is specified.

Q: Why is the passive voice often used in scientific writing?

A: In scientific writing, the focus is often on the experiment or the results, rather than the scientist performing the experiment. The passive voice allows the writer to emphasize the process and findings without personalizing the text.

Conclusion

Mastering the active and passive voice is essential for effective and versatile communication in English. Understanding the nuances of each voice allows you to make informed choices about sentence construction, ensuring that your writing is clear, concise, and appropriately emphasizes the intended message.

By practicing the concepts and exercises outlined in this article, you can confidently navigate the complexities of active and passive voice, enhancing your overall writing proficiency.

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