English Language Arts
Grade 10
15 min
Identify active and passive voice
Identify active and passive voice
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define active and passive voice with grammatical precision.
Identify the subject, verb, and object in complex sentences from world literature.
Accurately differentiate between sentences written in the active and passive voice.
Analyze the rhetorical effect of an author's choice of voice on tone, focus, and meaning.
Convert sentences from active to passive voice and from passive to active voice to alter emphasis.
Evaluate the appropriate use of active and passive voice in their own analytical and research writing.
Who is the hero of a sentence? 🦸 Is it the one performing the action, or the one receiving it? The answer reveals the power of voice.
This tutorial will demystify active and passive voice, providing you with the tools to identify each stru...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
VoiceThe form of a verb that indicates whether the grammatical subject performs the action (active) or receives the action (passive).Active: 'The author wrote the novel.' vs. Passive: 'The novel was written by the author.'
Active VoiceA sentence structure where the subject performs the action of the verb. This creates a direct, clear, and vigorous tone.In Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart,' 'Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand.'
Passive VoiceA sentence structure where the subject receives the action of the verb. It is often used to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action, rather than the performer.In a historical analysis, one might write, 'The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799.'
Subject...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Active Voice Formula
Subject (Doer) + Action Verb + Object (Receiver)
Use this pattern to identify or construct an active sentence. The subject is clearly performing the action upon the object, resulting in a direct and concise statement.
Passive Voice Formula
Subject (Receiver) + Verb 'to be' (am, is, are, was, were) + Past Participle + [by Agent (Doer)]
Look for this structure to identify the passive voice. The key is the combination of a 'to be' verb and a past participle. The 'by' phrase containing the agent is optional.
The 'By Zombies' Test
If you can add the phrase 'by zombies' after the verb and the sentence still makes grammatical sense, it is likely in the passive voice.
This is a quick, informal trick for i...
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Challenging
A government official states in a press conference, 'Mistakes were made.' What is the most likely rhetorical purpose for using the passive voice here?
A.To emphasize the person who made the mistakes.
B.To create a more direct and vigorous tone.
C.To follow the grammatical rule that all official statements must be passive.
D.To acknowledge an error without assigning specific blame or identifying the agent.
Challenging
A student wrote this sentence in a literary analysis: 'In the novel, the protagonist is profoundly affected by the events of the war.' Which revision most effectively changes the sentence to active voice to create a more dynamic and analytical statement?
A.The events of the war had a profound effect on the protagonist in the novel.
B.The events of the war profoundly affect the protagonist in the novel.
C.In the novel, the protagonist's profound affection comes from the events of the war.
D.profound effect is felt by the protagonist because of the war's events in the novel.
Challenging
Compare these two sentences: (1) 'The committee denied the appeal.' (2) 'The appeal was denied by the committee.' What is the most significant shift in rhetorical focus from sentence 1 to sentence 2?
A.The focus shifts from a past action to a present action.
B.The focus shifts from the agent performing the action (the committee) to the recipient of the action (the appeal).
C.The meaning is identical, but sentence 2 is more formal.
D.The focus shifts from a specific event to a general policy.
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