In general, active voice is mainly used for day to day writing purposes to make the sentence more direct, simple, and easy to understand. Overall, you will observe that passive voice sentences are unnecessarily clunky and wordy, making it more difficult to understand. ” You can also use the words “to be” with the past participle to form a passive voice. So, you use words like “ was chased,” “was eaten,” “was written. You will notice that the above examples include the word “was.” It is used to form a sentence with a passive voice. Here are some passive voice examples used in a sentence: In addition, passive voice can be used when discussing the universal truth or fact. This voice is used when, in a sentence, we want to put more stress on the action instead of emphasizing the subject. Passive voice is not that common, although many students accidentally insert it into their essays. Another simplified example of an active voice is Nike’s famous slogan – “Just Do It.” What is Passive Voice? Additionally, you will also see that the verb is happening to the object of every sentence. In all three sentences mentioned above, you will notice that the main subject of the sentence is describing an action like writing, running, and waiting. Here are some of the common examples of active voice used in a sentence: Sentences in active voice have a direct, strong, and clear tone. This voice describes the subject of a sentence performing the action.

The active voice is one of the most familiar voices used in English writing. This is where active and passive voice come in. You have to gauge whether the subject performs the action, or it is being performed by something else. In the sentence, Jomar acts as the subject who does the verb, sent.Īfter identifying the main components of the sentence, you have to examine the relationship between the subject and the verb. Jomar sent another proposal to his client. In the sentence, the bird acts as the subject while flying is the verb. To further understand what subjects and verbs are, we have to take a look at some examples. The verb is the action that the subject is doing. It serves as the primary character of the sentence.

Apply SAT (Subject, Action, and Target)ĭifference Between Active and Passive Voiceīefore differentiating the two, we need to identify the components that are crucial in the construction of sentences.

Changing Passive Voice Sentence to Active Voice.

Difference Between Active and Passive Voice.

In this article, we will understand the clear difference between active and passive voice and when to use it. But, in most situations, an active voice is a better option as it makes the sentence stronger and easier to understand.

For some writing, the passive voice can be a more sophisticated and appropriate choice than the active voice. Making a choice between passive and active voice entirely depends on the conventions of the discipline in which you are writing and the ideas you are trying to convey.

Even students at several American schools are taught to avoid passive voice because it makes the writing weak. However, this has significantly changed, and today, many writers prefer using active voice to be more concise and clear. Passive voice was prominent in academic or scientific writing throughout the twentieth century. The use of passive and active voice holds a clear difference in the English language, and it is something that may confuse most writers, including native English writers. Whether writing for formal speeches or delivering conversational messages, these two voices are often used to convey a message. Using active or passive voice in the construction of sentences is a characteristic that makes the English language distinct.

Passive voice vs active voice example