Examples: - The student wrote the essay. (Subject: student; Verb: wrote; Object: essay) - They danced the night away. (Subject: they; Verb: danced; Object: night) - We will explore the world. (Subject: we; Verb: will explore; Object: world)
Passive Voice
In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb. The verb is typically in the following tense forms:
- Present passive: Subject + be + past participle of verb - Past passive: Subject + was/were + past participle of verb - Future passive: Subject + will/shall + be + past participle of verb
Examples: - The essay was written by the student. (Subject: essay; Verb: was written; Agent: by the student) - The night was danced away by them. (Subject: night; Verb: was danced away; Agent: by them) - The world will be explored by us. (Subject: world; Verb: will be explored; Agent: by us)
Key Differences
- Subject: In active voice, the subject performs the action; in passive voice, the subject receives the action. - Voice: In active voice, the verb is in the active form; in passive voice, the verb is in the passive form. - Agent: In passive voice, the agent (the person or thing that performs the action) is often expressed using the preposition "by."
Usage
- Active voice is typically used for direct and assertive statements, emphasizing the actions of the subject. - Passive voice is often used to emphasize the object or the result of an action, or when the agent is unknown or unimportant.