English Language Arts
Grade 9
15 min
Rewrite the sentence in active voice
Rewrite the sentence in active voice
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Differentiate between the structures of active and passive voice sentences.
Identify the subject, verb, and agent (the 'doer') in a passive sentence.
Apply a systematic process to convert a passive sentence into its active form.
Correctly transform passive verb constructions (e.g., 'was written') into their active counterparts (e.g., 'wrote').
Supply a logical agent when one is missing in a passive sentence.
Revise their own analytical and argumentative writing to use active voice for greater clarity and impact.
Which sentence sounds more powerful: 'The game was won by our team' or 'Our team won the game'? 🤔 Let's find out why one simple change makes your writing stronger!
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Active VoiceA sentence structure where the subject performs the action of the verb. It follows a clear Subject-Verb-Object pattern.Shakespeare wrote 'Romeo and Juliet'. (The subject, Shakespeare, performs the action, wrote).
Passive VoiceA sentence structure where the subject receives the action of the verb. The 'doer' of the action is often placed at the end in a 'by...' phrase or is missing entirely.'Romeo and Juliet' was written by Shakespeare. (The subject, 'Romeo and Juliet', receives the action, was written).
SubjectThe noun or pronoun that the sentence is about. In active voice, it's the doer; in passive voice, it's the receiver of the action.In 'The ball was hit', the subject is 'The b...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Agent-Becomes-Subject Rule
Agent (from 'by' phrase) → New Subject
The first step in rewriting a passive sentence is to find the agent (the doer of the action, usually in a 'by...' phrase) and make it the subject of your new active sentence.
The Verb Transformation Rule
[Form of 'to be' + Past Participle] → Simple Active Verb
Eliminate the 'to be' verb (is, was, were, etc.) and change the past participle into a simple active verb that matches the tense of the original sentence.
The Subject-Becomes-Object Rule
Old Subject → New Object
The subject of the passive sentence, which received the action, now becomes the direct object of the active sentence, placed after the new verb.
4 more steps in this tutorial
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Challenging
Rewrite the following sentence in active voice: 'The ethical implications of the research should have been considered more carefully.'
A.The research's ethical implications should have been more carefully considered.
B.Someone should have been more careful in considering the ethical implications of the research.
C.The researchers should have considered the ethical implications of the research more carefully.
D.More careful consideration should have been given to the ethical implications of the research.
Challenging
An author writes, 'The final blow was delivered, and the hero was defeated.' The author likely chose the passive voice to emphasize the action and its recipient rather than the doer. Which active voice revision MOST significantly shifts the focus back to the agent?
A.The villain delivered the final blow, defeating the hero.
B.The villain delivered the final blow and defeated the hero.
C.The hero was defeated after the villain delivered the final blow.
D.Delivering the final blow, the villain defeated the hero.
Challenging
Rewrite the following sentence in active voice: 'The character's fate is ultimately determined by the forces of society.'
A.The forces of society are the determiners of the character's fate.
B.The forces of society ultimately determine the character's fate.
C.What determines the character's fate is ultimately the forces of society.
D.It is the forces of society by which the character's fate is ultimately determined.
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