Active Voice vs.
Passive Voice
MR. REGIER, MR. WIKE, MR. SLATTERY
Daily Agenda

Definition and Examples of Active Voice

Definition and Examples of Passive Voice

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

Active Voice and Passive Voice in Real Time

Worksheet Practice

Mix, Pair, Share!

Final Review
Definition of Active Voice

Active Voice

When the subject of the
sentence is the doer of the
verb of the sentence

More commonly used than
passive voice

Comes to humans more
naturally

Helps explain things more
succinctly
Examples of Active Sentences

The cat sat on the mat.

All the students passed the algebra test.

My dog Theo stole my burrito.

Michael swam the Atlantic yesterday.

Mary defeated the evil ninjas from KU.
Examples of Active Sentences

The cat sat on the mat.

All the students passed the algebra test.

My dog Theo stole my burrito.

Michael swam the Atlantic yesterday.

Mary defeated the evil ninjas from KU.

Yellow: the subject of the sentence.

Red: the verb of the sentence.
Definition of Passive Voice

Passive Voice

When the verb of the
sentence is performed on
the subject of the sentence

More difficult to understand
than active voice

Oftentimes leads to wordy,
more unclear writing

Traditionally used in
scientific and technical
writing
Examples of Passive Sentences

The mat was sat on by the cat.

The algebra test was passed by all the students.

My burrito was stolen by my dog Theo.

The Atlantic was swam by Michael yesterday.

The evil ninjas from KU were defeated by Mary.
Examples of Passive Sentences

The mat was sat on by the cat.

The algebra test was passed by all the students.

My burrito was stolen by my dog Theo.

The Atlantic was swam by Michael yesterday.

The evil ninjas from KU were defeated by Mary.

Yellow: the subject of the sentence.

Red: the verb of the sentence.
Active Voice vs. Passive Voice
Active Voice
Passive Voice

The cat sat on the mat.

The mat was sat on by the cat.

All the students passed the
algebra test.

The algebra test was passed by
all the students.

My dog Theo stole my burrito.


Michael swam the Atlantic
yesterday.
My burrito was stolen by my
dog Theo.

Mary defeated the evil ninjas
from KU.
The Atlantic was swam by
Michael yesterday.

The evil ninjas from KU were
defeated by Mary.

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice
Active Voice
Passive Voice

The cat sat on the mat.

The mat was sat on by the cat.

All the students passed the
algebra test.

The algebra test was passed by
all the students.

My dog Theo stole my burrito.


Michael swam the Atlantic
yesterday.
My burrito was stolen by my
dog Theo.

Mary defeated the evil ninjas
from KU.
The Atlantic was swam by
Michael yesterday.

The evil ninjas from KU were
defeated by Mary.

Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

Albert Goldbarth enjoys cacophonous words.
Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

A fresh cup of coffee is enjoyed by Kelly after a long day of
teaching.
Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

Dr. Mason likes Chipotle burritos.
Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

Nine-hundred pounds were bench-pressed in the Heskett Center by
Ty.
Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

Teacher voice is preached by Dr. Aagaard.
Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

Jake and Jarod ate too much at Thanksgiving—not!
Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

Dr. Bennett can speak old ɪŋglɪʃ.
Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

A lot of cats are owned by Dr. Sherman and Michael.
Active Voice and Passive Voice in
Real Time

Precious likes hash-tagging stuff on Twitter.
Final Activities

Worksheet Practice



Take 3-5 minutes, complete your worksheet on your own
Mix, Pair, Share!

Stand up, get with a partner, compare answers

After two minutes, return to your seats
Final Review

Teachers call on students to volunteer answers

Any additional questions
List of Sources

Englishforeveryone.org. (2014). Active/Passive voice.
Englishforeveryone.org. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from
http://www.englishforeveryone.org/PDFs/Active%20%20Passive%20Voice.pdf.

[Untitled photograph of sleeping dog]. (2014. Retrieved April 27,
2014, from http://www.bustersdoghouse.com/dog-beds.html.

Young Man Sprinter [Photograph]. (2014). Retrieved April 27, 2014,
from http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-youngman-sprinter-runner-running-silhouette-one-caucasian-studio-whitebackground-image31788108.