Active and Passive Voice in English

The active and passive voice are two grammatical constructions in the English language that differ in how they present the relationship between the subject and the action described in a sentence.

Active Voice ~ In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action described by the verb. The subject is the doer or agent of the action.

• Example: The dog bites the man. (Here, the dog is the subject and bites is the verb. (The dog is performing the action of biting.)

Passive Voice ~ In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action described by the verb. The focus is on the thing affected by the action, rather than the doer of the action.

• Example: The man is bitten by the dog. (Here, the man is the subject, but it is not performing the action. Instead, it is receiving the action of being bitten.)

Key differences

Focus ~ In active voice, the focus is on the doer of the action (the subject), while in passive voice, the focus is on the thing affected by the action (the object).

Structure ~ In active voice, the verb and subject are typically linked in a straightforward way (the dog bites), while in passive voice, a form of the verb to be (is or was) is used to connect the subject to the past participle of the verb (bitten).

Connotation ~ Passive voice can sometimes give a more impersonal or neutral tone, while active voice can convey a more direct and assertive tone.

When to use each

Active voice ~ Use when you want to emphasize who or what is performing the action, when you want to create a sense of agency or control, and when you are describing an event or process where it's clear who is performing the action.

Passive voice ~ Use when you want to emphasize who or what is affected by the action, you are describing an event or process where it's unclear who is performing the action, and when you want to create a more formal or impersonal tone.

Here are some more examples ~

Active voice ~ She writes a letter to her friend.

Passive voice ~ A letter is written to her by her friend.

Active voice ~ They built a new house.

Passive voice ~ A new house was built by them.

Both voices have their uses, and choosing which one to use depends on your writing goals and context.

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