Passive vs. Active Voice

Voice is the form of a verb that shows whether the subject is performing the action.

In English, there are two voices: active and passive. Only action verbs indicate the active voice; linking verbs cannot.

If the subject of a verb performs the action, the voice is active.

The captaintelephoned the crew.

Telegraph messagesgathered on the desk.

If the subject receives the action, the voice is passive.

The crewwas telephoned by the captain.

The telegraph messageswere gathered into neat piles.

A passive verb is always a verb phrase made from a form of be + the past participle of a verb.

Verb “to be”

am / am being / can be / have been
is / is being / could be / has been
are / are being / may be / had been
was / was being / might be / could have been
were / were being / must be / may have been
shall be / might have been
will be / shall have been
would be / should have been
will have been
would have been

Convenience and efficiency have been delivered by the telephone.

The telephone delivered convenience and efficiency.

The order must have been canceled by one of the managers.

One of the managers [must have] canceled the order.

The audit will be performed by Jim Henderson.

Jim Henderson will perform the audit.

The monument will be dedicated by the mayor during the ceremonies next week.

The mayor will dedicate the monument during the ceremonies next week.

You and your staff were being praised by everyone for such a great job.

Everyone praised you and your staff for doing such a great job.

Passive to Active Voice Worksheet

  1. Displeased by the business that had sprung up around Disneyland, Walt Disney was wanting more control of a much larger area of land for the Disney World project.
    ______
  2. On July 13, 1960, Kennedy was nominated as a Presidential candidate by the Democratic convention.
    ______
  3. Inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses were introduced to America by Sam Foster in 1929.
    ______
  4. The AlfredP.MurrahFederalBuilding in Oklahoma City was bombed on April 19, 1995 by Timothy McVeigh.
    ______
  5. In 1995, Slipknot was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray.
    ______
  6. The sport of wheelchair fencing, an original Paralympics game, was developed by England in post-World War II.
    ______
  7. The name Motocross is derived from a portmanteau of the words “Motorcycle” and “Cross Country.”
    ______
  8. Despite being raised in the Catholic tradition, Bob Marley was captivated by Rastafarian beliefs in the 1960s.
    ______
  9. The American drama and horror television series, Supernatural, was created by Eric Kripke.
    ______
  10. The Miami Dolphins were led into the playoffs ten times during Dan Marino’s seventeen season career.
    ______
  11. Research suggesting that girls often go through a stage where they hate their Barbie dolls and subject them to a range of punishments was published by Agnes Nairn at the University of Bath in England.
    ______
  12. Consistent popular legitimacy was enjoyed by Mafia groups up until the end of World War II.
    ______
  13. London Calling, The Clash’s third album, was declared the best album of the 1980s by Rolling Stone magazine.
    ______
  14. The first Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who was played by William Henry Hartnell.
    ______
  15. Alcoholism is defined as a disability and a disease by the American Medical Association.
    ______
  16. Lady Gaga was enrolled at the TischSchool of the Arts at the age of 17, but dropped out.
    ______
  17. She was regretfully informed that her request for funding had been denied by the review committee.

______

  1. Have you seen the new movie about the man lost at sea who is played by Robert Redford?

______

  1. My father-in-law’s truck is in the shop being fixed by an incompetent mechanic.

______

  1. It is expected that we will be more heavily snowed upon this year than last year.

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