Active vs. Passive Verbs
Look !
• Active verbs
create strong
sentences.
Misha sold a
book.
• Passive verbs make
weak sentences.
The book
was sold by
Misha.
What is the Active Voice?
• In the active voice, the subject
performs the action.
For example:
Maxim draws a picture.
Maxim is the subject and he is doing
something (drawing).
What is the Passive Voice?
• In passive voice the
subject is acted on.
– For example: The
picture was drawn by
Maxim.
• In this case, the
drawing is the
subject and it is
being acted upon by
Maxim.
Passive
to be + Past Participle
Past Participle:
• Regular
• Irregular
+ ed : watched,
published
Irregular verb form:
DONE, TOLD, SEEN
etc
Passive
to be + Past Participle
• Present Simple
• Am/is/are done
• Past Simple
• Was/were done
• Present Perfect
• Have been/ has been done
Subject+ to be + Past Participle
When Do We Use Passive?
• Use passive voice
when you do not wish
to emphasize the
subject of the
sentence.
Smoking is
prohibited.
(passive)
The management
prohibits smoking.
(active)
The passive keeps the
management from
being the “bad guys.”
What if the agent is unimportant?
• Also use passive when • Book was written
the person or thing
by Shakespeare.
acting is unknown or
• (Shakespeare –
unimportant.
AGENT, important)
– Poisonous gases
were found in six
NOT
factories.
• Book was published
• This passive
by publishers.
sentence is about
• (Publishers –
finding gases, not
AGENT, not
WHO found them!!!
important)
When do we use active voice?
Who feels excited about
the open house?
Use active voice all
the time, unless you
are required or have
very specific reasons
for doing otherwise.
Active voice leads to
more concise writing.
It clarifies just who it
is that is doing the
action identified.
Example: “The thief
plans to steal from
the open house.”
Can You Make Passive Active?
• Another way of preserving
active voice is by placing
the noun doing the action
before the verb.
What is Jesse
harvesting?
• The flowers were planted
by Jesse.
Jesse __ __ __.
• A good harvest is
expected by him.
He __ __ __ __.
How do passives use BE verbs?
• Passives use BE verbs
plus the past participle:
• Regular verbs form the
past participle just like
the past -ed form.
– The boy was impressed
by Ms. Jones.
• Irregular past participles
are made with –en:
– The pizzas were eaten
by bears.
How passive are
the zoo bears?
Can you create passive voice?
1.
The printer __
(power) by a battery.
2. Many __ (convince)
that using a cell phone
while driving is
dangerous.
3. Supplements __
(consider) foods and
not drugs.
4. About 500 people __
(expect) to graduate
this year.
5. All rooms at the motel
__ (equip) with
refrigerators.
6. Accommodations are
expensive but __
(reduce) by 20% or
more after September.
7. I doubt that such a
policy __ (need) at the
moment.
8. Three types of DNA __
(involve) in protein
synthesis.
Here is the passive voice:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The printer was
powered by a
battery.
Many are convinced
that using a cell
phone while driving
is dangerous.
Supplements are
considered foods
and not drugs.
About 500 people
are expected to
graduate from
Dalton State this
year.
5.
6.
7.
8.
All rooms at the
motel are
equipped with
refrigerators.
Accommodations
are expensive but
are reduced by
20% or more
after September.
I doubt that such
a policy is needed
at the moment.
Three types of
DNA are involved
in protein
synthesis.
Can you use passive verbs?
9. Archimedes ___ the
math constant pi.
A. was discovered
B. discovered
C. has discovered
D. is discovering
10. Bell _____ the
telephone in 1876.
A. is invented
B. has invented
C. invented
D. was invented
11. "The Last Judgement"
___ by Michelangelo
between 1536 and 1541.
A. painted
B. was painted
C. was being painted
D. has been painted
12. The first volume of the
Lord of the Rings _____
in 1954.
A. was published
B. has been published
C. is published
D. published
Here are the passive verbs:
Archimedes ___
the math
constant pi.
A. was
discovered
B. discovered
C. has
discovered
D. is discovering
10. Bell _____ the
telephone in
1876.
A. is invented
B. has invented
C. invented
D. was invented
9.
11. "The Last
Judgement" ___ by
Michelangelo
between 1536 and
1541.
A. painted
B. was painted
C. was being painted
D. has been painted
12. The first volume of
the Lord of the
Rings _____ in
1954.
A. was published
B. has been
published
C. is published
D. published
Can you use passive verbs?
13. Many animals __ since
Dolly the sheep.
A. have been cloned
B. had been cloning
C. were cloned
D. clones
14. That area __ by war
for years.
A. is being troubled
B. has been troubled
C. trouble
D. is troubling
15. New technology __ due
to market saturation.
A. delays
B. is delayed
C. was delayed
D. is delaying
16. The Park Service __ for
years by crowding at
the Grand Canyon.
A. has been
embarrassed
B. embarrasses
C. embarrassed
D. is being embarrassed
Here are the passive verbs:
13. Many animals __
since Dolly the
sheep.
A. have been cloned
B. had been cloning
C. were cloned
D. clones
14. That area __ by war
for years.
A. is being troubled
B. has been
troubled
C. trouble
D. is troubling
15. New technology
__ due to market
saturation.
A. delays
B. is delayed
C. was delayed
D. is delaying
16. The Park Service
__ for years by
crowding at the
Grand Canyon.
A. has been
embarrassed
B. embarrasses
C. embarrassed
D. is being
embarrassed
Can you create passive voice?
17. Which planet (call) __
the red planet?
18. Our solar system
(compose) __ of how
many planets?
19. In 1957 a rocket
(launched) __ into
space by whom?
20. The first woman
(send) __ into space
by which nation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Venus, Mars, Uranus, or
Mercury
One, Two, Three, Four,
Five, Six, Seven, Eight, or
Nine.
The USA, China, Japan,
France, Brazil, or Russia.
The USA, China, Japan,
France, Brazil, or Russia.
Here is the passive voice:
17. Which planet is called
the red planet?
18. Our solar system is
composed of how many
planets?
19. In 1957 a rocket was
launched into space by
whom?
20. The first woman sent
into space by which
nation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Venus, Mars, Uranus, or
Mercury
One, Two, Three, Four,
Five, Six, Seven, Eight, or
Nine.
The USA, China, Japan,
France, Brazil, or Russia.
The USA, China, Japan,
France, Brazil, or Russia.
What are five action tips?
• Make sure the
subject is acting and
not being acted
upon.
• Use the verb form
of nouns with
suffixes.
• Place subjects in
front of the action
they perform.
Make sure your
sentences are full of
something by using the
active voice!
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