Active And Passive Voice Flashcards, test questions and answers
Discover flashcards, test exam answers, and assignments to help you learn more about Active And Passive Voice and other subjects. Don’t miss the chance to use them for more effective college education. Use our database of questions and answers on Active And Passive Voice and get quick solutions for your test.
What is Active And Passive Voice?
The English language has two distinct styles of writing: active and passive voice. The active voice is used when the subject of a sentence performs an action. The passive voice is used when the subject of a sentence receives an action. To understand the difference between these two voices, it’s important to know what a sentence’s subject, verb, and object are.In active sentences, the subject performs the verb on or to the object. For example: John ate an apple. Here, John is performing the action (ate), on an apple (the object). In this example, John is both the subject and performer of the action; he is in a position of power over his actions.In passive sentences, however, something else does something to or for the subjectlike in An apple was eaten by John. Here John is still performing (or having performed) something on an apple but instead of being in a position of power over his actions like before (active), he’s now in a less powerful position he’s receiving or being acted upon by someone else’s actions (passive). Active voice tends to make writing more straightforward and easier to read it puts emphasis on what people do rather than what happens to them. Passive voice can often lead to longer sentences with more convoluted syntax it puts emphasis on people receiving or being affected by events outside their control. Ultimately though both styles have their place within written communication it all depends on whether you want your reader to focus more heavily on who did something or who received something done unto them.