Active vs. Passive Voice Flashcards
In English, voice refers to the relationship between subject and verb. There are two voices:
Active Voice : Subject does the Verb
Example: The dog bit the boy.
Passive Voice : Verb is done to the subject
Example: The boy was bitten by the dog.
Active Voice
Active voice is best used for conveying simple, straightforward ideas and actions. This voice is far more common than the passive voice, because it is:
● more direct and concise (to-the-point)
● easier to understand
● less awkward in structure
● clearer in indicating the relationship between different parts of a sentence
Example:
I fed my dog yesterday. (This is clear and simple)
My dog was fed by me yesterday. (This is strange and unnecessarily complicated)
Note that both sentences are grammatically correct, but this particular idea is best
conveyed with active voice
Passive Voice
Passive voice is primarily used in these two situations:
● When we do not want to say, or do not know, who did the action.
● When focusing on the recipient of the action is more important.
Examples: Shoplifters were arrested. (No need to say ‘by the police’’ because it is obvious)
My car was stolen. (By whom? We don’t know)
The road is being repaired. (We are only interested in the road, not in the people who are repairing it)
Passive Voice
Passive voice is primarily used in these two situations:
● When we do not want to say, or do not know, who did the action.
● When focusing on the recipient of the action is more important.
Examples: Shoplifters were arrested. (No need to say ‘by the police’’ because it is obvious)
My car was stolen. (By whom? We don’t know)
The road is being repaired. (We are only interested in the road, not in the people who are repairing it)
The poem was written by Shakespeare.
Shakespeare wrote the poem.
(Both sentences have the same meaning but in the first one, the emphasis is on ‘the poem,’ whereas in the second one, the emphasis on Shakespeare)
