ACTIVE VOICE
The secret of active voice is to make the subject of the sentence perform. Make the subject act rather than be acted upon. What this means, for the most part, is that the person or thing doing the action appears first in the sentence.
Acceptable Use of Passive Voice
Occasionally in journalistic writing, the situation calls for a passive voice verb. Injuries, deaths and natural disaster often fall into this category. In such instances, the passive voice is preferred because the subject has been the victim of the action. For example:
In such cases, those receiving the action are more important than those performing the action
1. The instructions have been changed
Someone ________________ the instructions.
2. She will have to be taught.
Someone ________________________ her.
3. The car was manufactured in Japan by Toyota.
Toyota ________________________ this car in Japan.
4. It was wondered why the exercises had not been finished on time.
Why ____________________ the exericises finished on time?
5. Last year 2,000 new units had been produced by the time we introduced the new design.
We ________________________2,000 new units by the time we introduced the new design last year.
6. Casual clothes must not be worn.
You ________________________ casual clothes.
7. $400,000 in profit has been reported this year.
The company _________________________________$400, 000 in profit this year.
8. The test will be given at five o'clock this afternoon.
The school ___________________ the test at five o'clock this afternoon.
9. Students are required to wear uniforms at all times.
The school ___________________ students to wear uniforms at all times.
10. This rumor must have been started by competitors.
Our competitors ______________________________ this rumor.
11. All work will have been completed by five o' clock this evening.
You _________________________ all work by five o'clock this evening.
12. We were told to wait here.
Someone _____________________________us to wait here.
13. Lunch was being served when we arrived.
They _____________________________ lunch when we arrived.
14. Lectures are recorded and posted on the Internet.
They _________________________________________lectures on the Internet.
15. Portuguese has always been spoken in this village.
People _____________________Portuguese in this village.
The secret of active voice is to make the subject of the sentence perform. Make the subject act rather than be acted upon. What this means, for the most part, is that the person or thing doing the action appears first in the sentence.
These sentences are written in passive voice:
The match was won by senior Jake Standish.
At dawn the crowing of the rooster was heard.
The test was taken by all the French classes. Notice that the verbs (won, crowing, taken) are accompanied by a helping verb (was, in this case). This is a clue that you may be in passive voice.
When you see the main verb accompanied by was, were, is or are, make sure to evaluate whether it is written in active or passive voice. Find the person or thing doing the action, place it first in the sentence, and write a simple subject/verb sentence.
Caution: Just because a sentence contains is, are, was,or were does not necessarily mean it is in passive voice. For example, the sentence,
Senior Susan Patterson is the winner of the speech contest,
is not passive voice. Also, be sure to distinguish between past tense and passive voice. The following sentence is past tense:
Senior Susan Patterson was the winner of the speech contest.Senior Jake Standish won the match.
The farmer heard the rooster crow at dawn.
The rooster crowed at dawn.
All French classes took the test.
Fewer words are used, so it is shorter and saves space. (Passive voice is often awkward.) 2 Each sentence is more crisp and forceful. (Passive voice robs a sentence of power.)
Occasionally in journalistic writing, the situation calls for a passive voice verb. Injuries, deaths and natural disaster often fall into this category. In such instances, the passive voice is preferred because the subject has been the victim of the action. For example:
The 12-year-old was kidnapped. The elderly woman was struck on her way home.
Five children were trapped in the burning house.
The special prosecutor was taken by surprise.
In such cases, those receiving the action are more important than those performing the action
1. The instructions have been changed
Someone ________________ the instructions.
2. She will have to be taught.
Someone ________________________ her.
3. The car was manufactured in Japan by Toyota.
Toyota ________________________ this car in Japan.
4. It was wondered why the exercises had not been finished on time.
Why ____________________ the exericises finished on time?
5. Last year 2,000 new units had been produced by the time we introduced the new design.
We ________________________2,000 new units by the time we introduced the new design last year.
6. Casual clothes must not be worn.
You ________________________ casual clothes.
7. $400,000 in profit has been reported this year.
The company _________________________________$400, 000 in profit this year.
8. The test will be given at five o'clock this afternoon.
The school ___________________ the test at five o'clock this afternoon.
9. Students are required to wear uniforms at all times.
The school ___________________ students to wear uniforms at all times.
10. This rumor must have been started by competitors.
Our competitors ______________________________ this rumor.
11. All work will have been completed by five o' clock this evening.
You _________________________ all work by five o'clock this evening.
12. We were told to wait here.
Someone _____________________________us to wait here.
13. Lunch was being served when we arrived.
They _____________________________ lunch when we arrived.
14. Lectures are recorded and posted on the Internet.
They _________________________________________lectures on the Internet.
15. Portuguese has always been spoken in this village.
People _____________________Portuguese in this village.
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