Grammar
Active and Passive Voice
Voice

Voice is the form a transitive verb takes to
indicate whether the subject of the verb performs
or receives the action.
 When the subject of a verb performs the action,
the verb is in the active voice. When the subject
of a verb receives the action, the verb is in
passive voice.
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A verb in the active voice has a direct object, which
tells who or what receives the action; a verb in the
passive voice does NOT have a direct object.
A verb in the passive voice may or may not be
followed by a prepositional phrase that begins with by
and tells who or what performs the action.
Examples
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Active: The blazing fire destroyed the outside
walls.
Passive: The outside walls were destroyed by
the blazing fire.
Passive: The outside walls were destroyed.
Active: She grows corn on her farm.
Passive: Corn is grown on her farm.
A verb in passive voice is ALWAYS a verb
phrase that consists of a form of the verb be and
the past participle of a verb.
THE PASSIVE VOICE SHOULD
BE USED SPARINGLY!!
 Use
the passive voice when you want to
emphasize the receiver of the action.

The mayor was reelected by a landslide.
 Use
passive voice when you don’t know or
don’t want to reveal the performer of the
action.

Vicious rumors have been spread about the
politician.
Exercise: Identifying Verbs in Active
and Passive Voices
 Identify
the verb in each of the following
sentences as active or passive. If the verb
is in passive voice, revise the sentences
so that the verb is in the active voice.
 Example: We were shown by our art
teacher some prints of Lucia Wilcox’s
artwork.
Passive—Our art teacher showed us
some prints of Lucia Wilcox’s artwork.
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The paintings of Lucia Wilcox are admired by many artists
around the world.
Her blindness during her last years made her final works
particularly interesting.
She was befriended and taught by Raoul Dufy, Fernand
Leger, Robert Motherwell, and Jackson Pollock.
Her paintings have been shown often in gallery exhibits
around the world.
She lost her eyesight suddenly, though not unexpectedly.
Her blindness was caused by a tumor near the optic nerve.
According to Wilcox, after losing her vision, she had better
sight than anyone else.
Her vision and her mind were described by her as free of
“static” and “distractions.”
Because of her blindness, her style and subject matter were
altered from energetic silhouettes to larger canvases in lush
colors.
Her style was imitated by many well-known artists.
Exercise: Using the Passive Voice
 Rewrite
any of the following sentences
that contain awkward passive-voice
constructions. If you think a sentence is
best the way it is, write C and be prepared
to explain your answer.
 Example: My car was serviced by Tom, my
favorite mechanic.
Tom, my favorite mechanic, serviced
my car.
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According to the editorial, the city’s surplus money was
wasted by inefficient politicians.
My home was damaged by a tornado recently.
The right-rear tire must have been punctured by a nail
in the driveway.
The bridge was damaged by rushing water.
The classroom computer was stolen over the
weekend.
While I was away visiting my cousins in Nebraska, my
cat was fed by my neighbor.
My sleep was interrupted by loud, bass-heavy music
from our neighbors’ part.
The president’s failure to be reelected was caused by
sudden economic downturn.
The farmer’s crops were destroyed by drought back in
the 1980s.
The book was read by them.
Exercise: Revising Sentences in
the Passive Voice
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Revise the following sentences by changing the verbs
from the passive voice to the active voices wherever you
think the changes are desirable. If you think the passive
voice is preferable, write C. For each verb, be prepared
to explain why you think the active or passive voice is
preferable.
Example: An interesting legend about the origin of the
kachinas was told to us by one of the participants in the
Hopi ceremonial dance.
One of the participants in the Hopi ceremonial
dance told us an interesting legend about the origin of
the kachinas.
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After all of the new computers had been installed by the service
representatives, a training session was given to us by them.
If the children had been enchanted by Mr. Wright’s tales before,
they would be even more enthralled by his new story of a fantasy
kingdom on the moon.
A meeting was held by the area homeowners to discuss the
landfill project that had been proposed by the city council.
The value of storytelling is explained in an ancient Seneca myth.
While the decorations are being created by Clarence, the buffet
will be prepared by Edna.
Potatoes had been cultivated in South America for more than
twenty centuries before they were grown in Europe.
The 1539 expedition of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was
guided by Estevanico, a well-known black explorer.
The chapters on constitutional amendments, which had been
assigned to us last week by Mrs. Robinson, were reviewed by us
before the test.
Shinae Chun is admired and respected by her colleagues.
If the practicality of home robots had been demonstrated by Mike
Smith, his request for funding would not have been rejected by
the review committee.