Active and passive voice are two important concepts in the English language. Understanding how to use active and passive voice correctly can help you communicate your ideas more effectively, whether you’re writing a paper for school, sending an email to a colleague, or just having a conversation with someone. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at active and passive voice, how they differ, and when to use each one.
What is Active Voice?
In active voice, the subject of the sentence is the doer of the action. This means the subject is performing the action, rather than receiving it. For example:
- Sarah painted the picture.
- The dog chased the cat.
- John cooked dinner.
In each of these sentences, the subject (Sarah, the dog, John) is doing the action (painted, chased, cooked). Active voice is generally considered to be more direct and concise than passive voice, as it places emphasis on the person or thing doing the action.
What is Passive Voice?
In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is not the doer of the action. Instead, the subject is the receiver of the action. The action is performed on the subject, rather than by the subject. For example:
- The picture was painted by Sarah.
- The cat was chased by the dog.
- Dinner was cooked by John.
In each of these sentences, the subject (the picture, the cat, dinner) is receiving the action (painted, chased, cooked), rather than performing it. Passive voice is often used when the focus is on the action or when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.
When to Use Active Voice
Active voice is generally preferred in most types of writing, as it is more direct and concise. Active voice is particularly useful when you want to emphasize the person or thing doing the action, or when you want to make your writing more engaging and interesting. Here are a few examples of when you might want to use active voice:
- To emphasize the doer of the action Active voice can help you emphasize the person or thing doing the action. For example:
- The CEO approved the new project.
- The team developed a new marketing strategy.
- The artist painted a beautiful landscape.
In each of these sentences, the subject (CEO, team, artist) is doing the action (approved, developed, painted). By using active voice, you’re putting emphasis on the person or thing doing the action.
- To make your writing more engaging Active voice can help make your writing more engaging and interesting. It can also help you avoid passive voice constructions that can make your writing sound dull and lifeless. For example:
- The students conducted an experiment to test their hypothesis.
- The company launched a new product line to meet customer demand.
- The chef prepared a delicious meal using fresh ingredients.
In each of these sentences, the active voice helps to make the writing more interesting and engaging.
- To make your writing more concise Active voice is often more concise than passive voice, as it eliminates unnecessary words and phrases. For example:
- Passive: The car was hit by a truck.
- Active: A truck hit the car.
By using active voice, you can often reduce the number of words in your writing and make it more concise.
When to Use Passive Voice
Passive voice is often used when the focus is on the action, rather than the person or thing doing the action. It is also used when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant. Here are a few examples of when you might want to use passive voice:
- To focus on the action Passive voice can help you focus on the action, rather than the person or thing doing the action. For example:
- The cake was baked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
- The package was delivered to the wrong address.
- The decision was made to close the store early.
In each of these sentences, the focus is on the action (baked, delivered, made), rather than the person or thing doing the action.
- To avoid blaming or accusing someone Passive voice can be used to avoid blaming or accusing someone. For example:
- The mistake was made by someone in accounting.
- The car was damaged while it was parked.
In these sentences, the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant, and the passive voice allows you to avoid placing blame on a specific person.
- To add variety to your writing Passive voice can also be used to add variety to your writing. Using the same sentence structure over and over can make your writing sound monotonous and repetitive. Passive voice can help break up the rhythm and add some variety. For example:
- Passive: The proposal was rejected by the committee.
- Active: The committee rejected the proposal.
By using passive voice, you can add some variety to your writing and make it more interesting to read.
Tips for Using Active and Passive Voice
Now that you understand the basics of active and passive voice, here are a few tips to help you use them correctly:
- Identify the subject and verb To determine whether a sentence is in active or passive voice, identify the subject and verb. In active voice, the subject is doing the action, and the verb is in the active form. In the passive voice, the subject is receiving the action, and the verb is in the passive form.
- Consider the context When deciding whether to use active or passive voice, consider the context of the sentence. If you want to emphasize the person or thing doing the action, use active voice. If you want to focus on the action or the recipient of the action, use passive voice.
- Use active voice when possible In most cases, active voice is more direct, concise, and engaging than passive voice. Use active voice whenever possible to make your writing more effective.
- Don’t be afraid to use passive voice While active voice is generally preferred, there are times when passive voice is more appropriate. Don’t be afraid to use passive voice when it makes sense for the context of your writing.
In conclusion, understanding how to use active and passive voice correctly can help you communicate your ideas more effectively. Active voice is generally preferred, as it is more direct, concise, and engaging. However, there are times when passive voice is more appropriate, such as when the focus is on the action or when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant. By following these tips, you can use the active and passive voice effectively in your writing.
Follow Us for more such content to improve your speaking skills:
To know more, check out here: https://eduread.in/modal-verbs-in-englishspeak-new-york/
And visit us for more