Active and

Passive
Voice

Active Voice
In a sentence using active voice, the
subject of the sentence performs the
action expressed in the verb , and the
object receives the action of the verb .
Using active voice for the majority of
your sentences makes your meaning
clear for readers, and keeps the
sentences from becoming too
complicated or wordy.

Examples of Active Voice

Example 1
:
SUBJECT

VERB

OBJECT

Grace

pats

a dog.

The subject ( Grace ) performing the action ( pats ) to the object ( a

dog ) being acted upon .
This is an example of a sentence using the active voice.

Example 2
:
sUBJECT

VERB

OBJECT

Joyce

plays

badminton .

The subject (Joyce) performing the action ( plays) to the object

( badminton ) being acted upon .
This is an example of a sentence using the active voice.

Passive Voice
In a sentence using passive voice,
the object of the sentence performs
the action expressed in the verb , the
subject receives the action of the
verb .
The main verb is always in its past
participle form .

Structure :
subject + auxiliary verb ( to be) + main
verb (past participle)
Auxiliary Verb
is
have
are
has
am
had
was
being
were

Auxiliary Verbs
are the verbs
be, do, have,
will when they
are followed by
main verb in
order to form a
question, a
negative
sentence, a
compound
tense or the

Examples of Passive Voice

Example 1
:
sUBJECT VERB

OBJECT

Fish

by cats .

are
eaten

Note : we
always use
by to show
the person or
thing doing
the action .

The subject ( Fish ) receiving the action ( are eaten ) from the object (
by cats ) which performs the action .
This is an example of a sentence using the passive voice .

Example 2
:
sUBJECT

VERB

The student was

punished

OBJECT
by the
principal .

The subject ( The student ) receiving the action ( was punished )

from the object ( by the principal ) which performs the action .
This is an example of a sentence using the passive voice .

Example 3
:
sUBJECT

VERB

OBJECT

Peter

got hurt

in a crash.

Note : We sometimes use the

verb get to form the passive.

These sentences use "get" in the passive voice:

(instead of the verb "be")
1. He and his girlfriend are going to get married
this summer.
2. I got picked up by my brother at the airport.
3. The dog gets fed every morning.
4. She got hired by the company in 2003.

Thank you