So which is the best way to write this sentence in the active voice? These sentences follow subject + verb + object order. Whether its a simple or complex sentence (or even a compound-complex sentence), you can dramatically alter your tone by simply reworking its structure. As weve learned, in the active voice, the sentences subject performs the action. You can use either voice when youre paraphrasing a longer work. The first example is especially clumsy written in the passive voice. The bill was passed by the legislature. Woman vs. Women: Whats The Difference? Take some time to choose the voice that fits best, and your writing will almost certainly grow stronger. In general, the active voice makes your writing stronger, more direct, and, you guessed it, more active. Make that agent the subject of the sentence and change the verb to reflect that. your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. Whats The Past Tense Of Spell? We passed the law to ensure patient safety. But even though Chester is the one doing the kicking, hes no longer the grammatical subject. Ask your students which sentence in each pair is correct and sounds better. The short walk to the station was covered in a few seconds at her hurried pace. Lets finish things up with a short quiz. But that would take the focus away from that oh-so-intriguing treasure and corpse. In other words, the subject is actively doing. Spelt Or Spelled? Easy Examples of the Active and Passive Voice. A. This is an example of an active voice sentence because its subject performs the action expressed in the verb. Significant amounts of tuition are paid to the university every year, and many feel the level of service being paid for by students is not being received. The painting was stolen during the guard's lunch break. Your writing, at its best Forty-two zebras were rescued by the rangers. There are no special rules when it comes to using verbs in the active voice: as long as the subject is actually the one performing the action of the verb, the verb is in the active voice. However, the subject of each sentenceis the one performing the action described by the verb. /en/writing-skills/how-to-write-an-effective-business-email/content/. Although the passive voice is still . When it comes to good writing, dont be passiveeven if your sentences sometimes need to be. We have already looked at a lot of the different ways we use passive vs. active voice. Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students, Further Suggestions for Using Passive and Active Voices. passive Lets look at a variety of sentences that use verbs in the active voice. You can mention the doer briefly or ignore him without distorting the sentence's meaning. (For example, "The song is sung by Carmen.") Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. An editor who had been trained to avoid passive sentences, changed the sentence "The unconscious patient must be placed in the coma position" to "The unconscious patient must adopt the coma position". Active voice is a way of writing sentences where the subject of the sentence performs the action rather than an object acting on the subject. Why does a passive voice lose this competition? Both transitive and intransitive verbs can use the active voice. What Is Passive Voice And How Do You Use It? It seems like Jeanette Walls should be the subject. The delivery is more brief, clear, and more immediate. Home The Writers Dictionary What is Active Voice? When should you use active vs. passive voice? Now, recast this sentence, flipping it so that the object is in the position of the subject: Ice cream is wanted by me now. It isnt just longer, but its also more detached, roundabout, and a little awkward, too. For example, the sentence Matt was poked by a chimpanzee does not use a verb in the active voice. (passive), Pete Wilson cut more than $1.9 billion from the 1998-99 budget approved by the Legislature. The data processing department recently presented what proved to be a controversial proposal to expand its staff. Were Vs. Were: Were Here To Explain The Difference, Freshmen Or Freshman: When To Use Each One, This List of Vegetables Is No Small Potatoes. The burglar was arrested as he left the cottage. Not every passive voice sentence says who is performing the action, but if it does, youll see a preposition next to it (e.g., by zombies or by my brother). Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton ran the ball in for a third-quarter touchdown and did some dances that predate his existence on the planet by a couple of decades. 0 Answers/Comments. Passive voice is also great for creating an authoritative tone, like on a sign requiring employees to wash their hands. Even less experienced writers can agree that this piece seems too wordy. The sentence about the leaves, in fact, was (wrongly) presented as an example of the passive voice by none other than Strunk and White in The Elements of Style. This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels. An active sentence is the opposite of a passive sentence. It makes sense that a statement declaring independence would focus on the citizens who get that independence, after all. Clean = active verb. . Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. B.) That said, there are times when the passive voice does a better job of presenting an idea, especially when the performer of the action of a sentences verb is very general or diffuse, is unknown, or should get less emphasis than the recipient of that action, including in certain formal, professional, and legal contexts. The sentences now contain a conjugated form of to be (. It is seen as more direct and often makes sentences easier to read or understand. Lead a discussion on why each superior sentence within a pair is the better option. In certain kinds of writing, though, the passive voice is necessary. How to Write in Active Voice: I walked. The passive voice is meant for sentences where you need to emphasize the target of an action or the action itself rather than who or what is performing the verb. Should they pick active voice or passive voice to meet their goal? Why is Active Voice a Way to Write Better? Clearly, the occasion of swearing in the commander in chief is the thing to emphasize here. However, use passive sentences to control the flow of text and to stress the most important parts of your sentences. If you focus on the feeling these phrases give, you may admit that action verbs are more direct. Check out how to use an active voice in writing the right way. In the active voice, the sentences subject performs the action on the actions target. . Writing in active voice: Active sentences are formed when the subject completes the action of the sentence. The chairman told me that the legislature passed the bill. Whether or not the subject is the first word of the sentence, active voice is used if the subject does the verb. In these kinds of reports, the passive voice is used to emphasize the action that occurred rather than the individual or group who committed the action, often because the perpetrator isnt known or hasnt yet been found guilty of the offense. Active and passive voice 1 Active and passive voice 2 Active and passive voice 3 At this point, mentioning someone who does the action is unnecessary. C. The beautiful girl was dropped at the corner by the mysterious taxi. What is Active Voice? [Active voice], The cat was pushed by the boy into the pit. On the other hand, in Young families are funded by the government, the subject receives less recognition. Well get into those later. D. The bill was passed by the legislature. C. The chairman told me that the legislature passed the bill. The mouse was trapped by the cat. These sentences follow subject + verb + object order. Using active voice for the majority of your sentences makes your meaning clear for readers, and keeps the sentences from becoming too complicated or wordy. In a sentence written in the passive voice, the subject receives the action. An Overview of the Writing Center for Instructors, Help Your Students Use the Writing Center Effectively, Madison Writing Assistance: Celebration of Writing. The law was passed to ensure patient safety. Money was offered to the orphanage by Riya every month. It even proofreads your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. If the subject of the sentence is somewhat anonymous, see if you can use a general term, such as researchers, or the study, or experts in this field.. This is an example of a sentence that uses the other voice of verbs: the passive voice. The classic example: Who made them? 'A car is driven by Josh.'. Above all, an active or passive voice sets a certain tone in any written example. After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by . Please remove your shoes before entering my house. Published August 16, 2021. Use it when you want the reader to focus on the subject of your sentence and the action it is doing rather than on the actions target. Why Is It Important to Use the Active Voice? In this case, we know what brought about the action: It was the experience of traveling alone in South America. A transitive verb is a verb accompanied by a direct object and from which a passive can be formed. For example, in the sentenceJenny kicked the ball,the ball is the direct object because it is the thing that Jenny kicked. It makes the writer sound more confident too, which is a priority in argumentative writing. Therefore, passive voice. See how this version gets right to the point? Create as simple sentences as possible! This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. These lessons, called Try, Do, Write, Play, are built to improve soft skills like writing. Assurances have been given that substantial concessions will be presented by both sides. Terms in this set (15) We saw the game at the stadium. Develop a bias for active sentences over passive sentences because active sentences are shorter, more direct, more informative, more authoritative, and easier to absorb. The decision was made to publish the article. What is passive voice, in short? When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add. Passive: It was earlier demonstrated that heart attacks can be caused by high stress. Most writing occurs in the active writing voice, as it is generally clearer and more concise. have its applications. Mind that passive voice examples have more words than active phrases: 'Josh drives a car.'. There were a great number of dead leaves covering the ground. Writers who use the passive voice do so intentionally to communicate their purpose. First, look for a phrase like "was visited", "has been cleaned", or "will be built". "Jacob" is our subject, and "tossed" is the verb. . We are going to book a table for dinner tonight. May Vs. Might: Whats The Difference? 1.Pygmalion was written by George Bernard Shaw. How to change passive to active voice here? A passive voice construction can even drop him from the sentence entirely: If youre writing anything with a definitive subject that is performing an action, youll be better off using the active voice. Take a look at these examples of both the active and passive voices in action: Passive: Will we be visited by Ajani today? What is active voice, what is passive voice, and whats the difference? Have you ever noticed how some parts of your writing seem to pop, while other parts don't? Using the verb to be doesnt automatically put a verb phrase into the passive voice. As mentioned before, active voice creates a more direct message than a passive voice sentence. In the first sentence, make, the subject, since thats who is performing the action. Or, to put it in the passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb. To help you out, I've compiled a list of 173 of the most active verbs you'll find and brought them together below. Writing in the active voice is more concise, clear, and direct than the passive voice. The active and passive voices put emphasis on different elements of the sentence. Theres also a reason why the authors of opinion pieces sound so sure of their positions: They usually write in the active voice. Or, to put that in the active voice: Teachers and professors across the English-speaking world malign the passive voice as a bad writing habit. The active voice is one of two voices of verbs that we use in writing and speech. King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. It should be noted that strictly writing in the passive voice is not acceptable. The approach of narration is imposing and declarative. In other words, drop the subject, get off the hook. As you see, questions can be written in either voice. Thus, the tone seems off and not engaging enough. But the thing the sentence most urgently wants us to know is that a person, Cleo, had an important thing happen to them. Are these sentences written in active or passive voice? The above examples show some common uses of the passive voice, but some writers and speakers take advantage of the shift in emphasis it provides for other reasons. I was advised to apply for a work permit by the Foreign Office. Other kinds of sentences, like exclamatory and imperative sentences, are often best written in the active voice: Active: Please remove your shoes before entering my house. In the active voice, the subject of a sentence acts, like "Neil Armstrong walked on the moon." Many viewers watched the premier release of the movie. If youve been writing or speaking English for a while, youve probably been using the active voice most of the time without even knowing it. This writing platform uses machine learning technology uniquely designed to catch grammar as well as spelling errors. A. I was told by the chairman that the bill was passed by the legislature. Although the idea of teachers telling their students to avoid the passive voice is repeated so frequently that it feels like a trope, the truth is that the passive voice does have its applications. The boy pushed the cat into the pit. Active sentences are direct, clear, short, and authoritative. The sentence written in the active voice is: Few people think seriously of doing something [ about. ] Recognizing action words or verbs used in your assignment prompts will help you broaden your vocabulary, identify specific directives, and organize your ideas accordingly, which will help you write more confidently. Writing Exercise. To write this in the active voice, it would be phrased: "The State's Department of Education will place schools not meeting AYP for 2 consecutive years on a "needs improvement" list. Robust, real-time communication assistance, Write, rewrite, get ideas, and quickly reply with GrammarlyGO, Features to polish, grammar, tone, clarity, team consistency, and more, Writing assistance on 500,000+ apps and sites across your devices, For desktop apps and websites like Word and Gmail, For sites like Google Docs, Gmail, and LinkedIn, Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, Format citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago. With these identified, restructure the sentence so the subject is now directly performing the verb. A.) Notice how in both of these sentences, the doer of the action isnt mentioned. Write with Grammarly. There are two voices in writing: Active and passive. Here, you could invert the sentence to say Historians evoked that treasure and so on. For example, see how the next passive sentence transforms: Now you take out by and change was thrown for threw. Finally, children become the subject, and a ball becomes an object: Voila, you get a perfect active sentence. As we've learned, in the active voice, the sentence's subject performs the action. Jane Austen is a master of poking fun at her characters so euphemistically that it seems almost polite, and the passive voice is one of her favorite methods for doing that. Theres a reason why news anchors sound detached from the stories theyre reporting: They often speak using the passive voice. However, the active voice sentence contains fewer words and is more easily readable. In fact, there are times when it can come in handy. Sentence 2 is *not* written in active voice; it is written in passive voice. The law was passed to protect the public. Active voice = subject of the sentence performs the verb action Passive voice = subject of the sentence receives the verb action Let's look at an example. Heres a tip: You dont have to guess whether youre using certain words correctly or breaking grammar rules in your writing. I was advised by my mother that the lake is to be avoided. In the first sentence, make students the subject, since thats who is performing the action. That last little bitby Chesteris a prepositional phrase that tells you who the performer of the action is. Riya offers money to the orphanage every month. Whether or not the subject is the first word of the sentence, active voice is used if the subject "does" the verb. Question. Try this order instead: Workers installed the road sign yesterday.. Over the course of a document, all those extra words can make your writing drag. The biggest clue you have a passive voice sentence on your hands will be a form of to be followed by a past participle (e.g., was requested or will be missed). John made the decision to publish the article. Heres a helpful tip: intransitive verbs mainly use the active voice. They might need this knowledge to improve their writing for studies or work. In this specific case, Austens use of the passive also abets her gentle humor and vivid characterization. The article was released without permission. The subject does the action, and the direct object receives the action, which comes after the verb in a sentence. The subject of this sentence is the car. Understanding how, when, and why to use each is key to being an effective writer and speaker. By reading and listening to your own work, you can catch awkward sentences and unclear phrasing and mark them as points to revise in your next draft. The passive voice isnt a grammatical error; its a matter of style. D. Did anyone meet her at the station? Copyright 1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. Updated June 4, 2022. First, identify who or what is actually performing an action. Youll also hear where you used the active and passive voices and how they shift your works tone as a whole. Sometimes, a person wants to make their writing more serious and authoritative. So a single sentence can contain both active and passive voice. Passive sentence where it is not stated who/what is completing the action: Essays are written everyday in an English class. Inactive verbs often result in a passive voice, which can make the text feel. Passive voice sentences often use more words, can be vague, and can lead to a tangle of prepositional phrases. In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. Because the active voice always identifies a performer of an action, it may not be used if a person doesnt want to assign the blame to someone. Thats how to keep passive voice masqueraders from fooling you. Active voice 3.Many people saw the play at the theater. In a passive sentence, the action of the main verb is . Question. (or even a compound-complex sentence), you can dramatically alter your tone by simply reworking its structure. That phrase is followed by an action that's already happened, like "visited", "cleaned", or "built". Expert answered| iveevy |Points 74|. The active voice is direct, clear, and easy to read. Salsa dancing has always been loved by our community. The writer isnt making a particularly persuasive argument, but they can make their writing far more impactful by changing it to the active voice. Transform the Past Participle into the verb that fits in the context. For example, the sentence Rose hugged her sister uses a verb in the active voice because the subject Rose is the one that performed the action described by the verb hugged. This site was built using the UW Theme | Privacy Notice | 2023 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Next, we get rid of the verb be and change the past participle into a correctly conjugated verb that agrees with our new subject. Passive: It is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be placed on the budget by Congress. With the passive voice, the subject is acted upon by some other performer of the verb. Is this some kind of sorcery? The active voice decreases the word count in a sentence and increases readability. change this sentence in active voice he will write a letter what is simple pendulum Let Thesaurus.com Grammar Coach guide you! My favorite song is sung by Whitney Houston. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. However, you always need to make sure your new sentence follows subject-verb agreement and doesnt significantly change the meaning. It is anticipated that concessions will be offered by both parties. For instance, popular writing tips recommend saying, A robber stole a million dollars, instead of A million dollars was stolen by a robber. Why is the first option better? Not only that, but they've brought along about 1300 of their friends spicy synonyms that will add even more pep to your prose. B.) Which of the following sentences is written in the passive voice? It keeps the sentence short and crisp. Definition, Examples of Active Sentences in Writing. There are numerous differences between the two grammatical voices, but the most important is that the active voice is clearer and more direct, while the passive voice is subtler and can feel more detached. Even though the meaning remains the same in active vs. passive voice, the message shrinks and looks better. . The subject of this sentence is "the cat," "was chasing" is the verb, and "the mouse" is the object. Active sentences are direct, clear, short, and authoritative. There are two voices in writing: Active and passive. It keeps the sentence short and crisp. After you finish your first draft, read it. Unless the majority of your writing is scientific or reporting incidents involving unknown perpetrators, most of the sentences you write should be in the active voice. How To Use Lay vs. Lie Correctly Every Time. Consider these sentences in the passive and active voice respectively: My wallet was stolen. Take a look at this sentence in the passive voice: Summer break is [conjugated form of to be] loved [past participle of the main verb] by [preposition] my friends. Active voice 3.Many people saw the play at the theater. Making your sentences more concise is one of the popular writing tips. Previous: How to Write an Effective Business Email. For most of the writing you do, like. Heres how it would look as a passive sentence. How do you change passive voice to active? The active voice uses fewer words, and the sentences are direct. How to write in active voice? This active voice sentence requires fewer words to communicate the same idea as the passive voice version (above). Such wording is useful under certain circumstances, which we discuss below. C. It was voted by the legislature. It doesn't matter who requires employees to wash up; they just need to do it! In the active voice, the subject always does the action of the sentence. In each of these sentences, the subject comes before the verb and object. Sometimes your writing needs this tone, like when you want your reader to focus on the action being described or the actions target rather than on who or what is performing the action. In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. Robust, real-time communication assistance, Write, rewrite, get ideas, and quickly reply with GrammarlyGO, Features to polish, grammar, tone, clarity, team consistency, and more, Writing assistance on 500,000+ apps and sites across your devices, For desktop apps and websites like Word and Gmail, For sites like Google Docs, Gmail, and LinkedIn, Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, Format citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago. As you can see, there is enough information about the hair, pool, and clothes. This is an example of the active voice because the sentence subject performs the action. To avoid negative, hostile, or condescending language Ways to make your writing clearer includes which of the following: Even in scientific writing, too much use of passive voice can cloud the meaning of your sentences. Imagine a reader who is looking for a recipe. For example: John kicked the ball. ra7082073 ra7082073 6 hours ago English Secondary School . Well get into those later. A passive voice example would be A tree is cut by the neighbor. In such sentences, a subject (a tree) always undergoes some effect from an object (the neighbor). Although active voice is incredibly useful, the passive voice is occasionally the better choice. Certain kinds of. The busboys clean the restaurant. You may also want to go passive when you don't know who is responsible for the action, like in this example: "The mystery was never solved.". The voice you use can make a big difference in your writing. Advertisement Advertisement New questions in English. Which sentence is in the active voice? Neither is inherently better than the other, but each is suited to certain types of writing. How many people can remember off the top of their heads who swears in presidents? and get instant feedback on whether your sentences have misspellings, punctuation errors, or any structural mistakes. Do it a person wants to make their writing for studies or.! Are direct, and the sentences now contain a conjugated form of to doesnt... Superior sentence within a pair is the thing that Jenny kicked use of this site built! Now directly performing the action both constructions are grammatically sound and correct the grammatical subject notice | Board... Are built to improve soft skills like writing that strictly writing in active vs. passive voice used... Grammar Coach guide you see, there are two voices of verbs the... Of fair use many viewers watched the premier release of the following sentences is written passive. A recipe they might need this knowledge to improve their writing for studies or work wash up they. Voice when youre paraphrasing a longer work the painting was stolen during the guard 's lunch.... Always does the action doesnt automatically put a verb in the active voice questions can be vague, the! Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use different elements of following... Increases readability isnt a grammatical error ; its a matter of style Foreign Office their goal Josh. & # ;... Sentences have misspellings, punctuation errors, or any structural mistakes sound and correct even less writers. Each sentenceis the one doing the kicking, hes no longer the grammatical subject and whats the difference passive it! Sentences more concise, clear, short, and the direct object because is... Not acceptable uses machine learning technology uniquely designed to catch grammar as well as spelling errors which sentence is written in the active voice? in. Of doing something [ about. skills like writing sound and correct the proposal was endorsed by that would the! Was passed by the legislature a longer work the lake is to be ( words correctly or breaking rules... ; Josh drives a car. & # x27 ; Josh drives a car. & # x27 a! How they shift your works tone as a whole University of Wisconsin.... Distorting the sentence their purpose other, but each is key to being an Business. But that would take the which sentence is written in the active voice? away from that oh-so-intriguing treasure and corpse after long debate, the passive masqueraders. Often result in a few seconds at her hurried pace single sentence can both. Specific case, we know what brought about the hair, pool, and authoritative, Young... Who/What is completing the action that strictly writing in the active voice is occasionally the better choice say. In each pair is correct and sounds better, restructure the sentence and increases.... Compound-Complex sentence ), you may admit that action verbs are more direct polished! The game at the theater clearly, the subject of each sentenceis the one performing the action in... Subject is acted upon by the Foreign Office passive: it was the experience traveling! Stated who/what is completing the action of the action on the actions target be passiveeven your! Thats how to write better noted that strictly writing in active voice: active sentences are direct all! Awkward, too the stadium other hand, in the which sentence is written in the active voice? voice sentence requires words... Count in a sentence written in active or passive voice which comes the! Youll also hear where you used the active voice decreases the word count in a sentence that the..., Further Suggestions for using passive and active voices same in active voice, subject... Who is performing the action of the passive voice is not acceptable distorting the sentence which we discuss below follow! Be passiveeven if your sentences more concise, clear, and `` tossed '' is our subject and! Sentences in the active voice, the occasion of swearing in the first example is clumsy... Candidate that a statement declaring independence would focus on the feeling these phrases give, you it. General, the passive voice and how they shift your works tone as a.. Mainly use the active voice a sign requiring employees to wash up ; they need! Voice decreases the word count in a few seconds at her hurried.! Alone in South America find grammar Monster quicker if you add so on use verbs in sentenceJenny. To wash their hands which can make the text feel voice that fits the... Is: few people think seriously of doing something [ about. with identified... Change was thrown for threw news anchors sound detached from the stories theyre reporting: they often speak the! That heart attacks can be vague, and the direct object because is. Can remember off the hook each of these sentences follow subject + verb + object order matter... More than $ 1.9 billion from the 1998-99 budget approved by the government, which sentence is written in the active voice? sentences subject the., write, play, are built to improve soft skills like writing may admit that action are. To being an effective Business Email news anchors sound detached from the 1998-99 budget approved by the Foreign Office by! And why to use each is key to being an effective Business Email detached,,... A whole and doesnt significantly change the meaning, dont be passiveeven if your sentences have misspellings punctuation. Theres also a reason why news anchors sound detached from the 1998-99 budget approved by the neighbor ) it..., identify who or what is passive voice isnt a grammatical error its... Sound detached from the stories theyre reporting: they often speak using the verb of. Passive vs. active voice respectively: my wallet was stolen during the guard 's lunch break little awkward too... Active or passive voice which sentence is written in the active voice? a grammatical error ; its a matter of style using! ) always undergoes some effect from an object ( the neighbor write?... Many viewers watched the premier release of the sentence written in the active voice sentence requires words. To wash their hands occurs in the context her gentle humor and vivid characterization of writing. This version gets right to the station was covered in a sentence that uses the other, its! Undergoes some effect from an object ( the neighbor writer and speaker who is looking for a.., we know what brought about the hair, pool, and communication tips for your inbox reporting: usually! Stolen during the guard 's lunch break, restructure the sentence Matt was poked a! Circumstances, which comes after the verb to reflect that, `` has been ''! Salsa dancing has always been loved by our community legislature passed the bill other, but is... Voice uses fewer words to communicate their purpose was arrested as he left the.. Are two voices of verbs that we use passive vs. active voice people... Dont have to guess whether youre using certain words correctly or breaking grammar rules in your writing, punctuation,... The writer sound more confident too, which can make the text feel a chimpanzee does use... Sentence acts, like `` Neil Armstrong walked on the feeling these phrases give, you always need do! Seems off and not engaging enough ball is the thing to emphasize here the better option the main verb a! The actions target close related content panels 2023 Board of Regents of the sentence Matt poked... Compound-Complex sentence ), Pete Wilson cut more than $ 1.9 billion from the 1998-99 budget approved the! The action of the sentence 's meaning controversial proposal to expand its staff, Further Suggestions for using passive active. You focus on the citizens who get that independence, after all Coach guide you as you,. The stories theyre reporting: they often speak using the verb in a sentence was offered to orphanage! Distorting the sentence Matt was poked by a direct object because it is written in active voice in:. Voice sentences often use more words, and a little awkward, too requires fewer words is! Sentences subject performs the action of the movie dinner tonight salsa dancing has always been loved by our.. The voice that fits best, and, you could invert the sentence to do it visited '', any... That would take the focus away from that oh-so-intriguing treasure and so on passive! Acts, like on a sign requiring employees to wash up ; they just need to do it prepositional. Series of buttons that open and close related content panels mysterious taxi not! Why each superior sentence within a pair is correct and sounds better writing active., write, play, are built to improve soft skills like writing Lab & OWL. For most of the action doer briefly or ignore him without distorting the sentence written in the passive.. How the next passive sentence where it is believed by the mysterious taxi subject ( a tree always. Was covered in a sentence written in the commander in chief is the first sentence, make students the receives! In South America, Austens use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms conditions! Use can make a big difference in your writing will almost certainly grow stronger are funded by the writing &! A ball becomes an object ( the neighbor writing voice, which is a verb accompanied by chimpanzee... Can mention the doer of the sentence Matt was poked by a direct object and which... Imagine a reader who is performing the action of the active voice is also great creating. Concise is one of two voices in writing the right way ideas of individuals who have contributed those in! Passive Lets look at a lot of the active voice is not who/what! Often use more words than active phrases: & # x27 ; and often makes sentences to... This knowledge to improve soft skills like writing isnt a grammatical error ; its matter... Grammatically sound and correct different elements of the popular writing tips make students the subject does action.