Name _____________________
Active and Passive Voice
A. Classify the following sentences as active (A) or passive (P) voice. Then, if the sentence is passive,
rewrite it in the active voice, IF POSSIBLE. If a rewrite is not possible, explain why.
_____
1.
The protective eyeglasses were fitted to the competitive skateboarder by the ophthalmologist at the
competition.
_____
2.
Banners were hung from buildings along the parade route before the World Series champs landed at San
Francisco Airport.
_____
3.
The entire team signed the card for their defensive coach who retired at the end of the season.
_____
4.
The two badly burned puppies were nursed back to health and then adopted by clinic staff to serve as
therapy dogs.
_____
5.
The anonymous donor contributed the funds needed to publicize the charity golf tournament.
_____
6.
This book has been translated into more than one hundred languages.
_____
7.
Several flat notes were hit during the opening number of the school’s winter concert.
_____
8.
The department manager explained the store hiring and promotion policies to me.
_____
9.
The half-time parade featuring the EThOS Academy Spirit Squad was enjoyed by the crowd at the
Homecoming Game.
_____
10.
The first prize quilt was designed by my sister and sewn by me.
B. Highlight or circle the passive verbs in the following paragraph, correcting the voice to active
wherever possible by rewriting all or part of the sentence.
A variety of cooking methods and utensils were invented by early humans. At first, roots and berries were
gathered and eaten by these people. The discovery that certain foods can be improved by cooking may have accidentally
been made by them. Slaughtered animals or piles of edible roots may have been left near the fire by hunters and
gatherers. It was noticed by them that when food was cooked, it tasted better. The first ovens were formed from pits
lined with stones and hot coals. It wasn’t long before ovens were built above the ground with some kind of chimney to
carry the smoke away. Primitive kettles were made by early humans by smearing clay over reed baskets and drying them
in the sun. Liquid foods could then be kept in such a basket for short periods without leaking out. When a clay-coated
basket was placed near the flames by a prehistoric cook to heat its contents, sometimes the clay was baked by the high
temperature into a pottery shell. Once the basic skill of making pottery was mastered by early people, they learned to
create the pottery shell without the basket.