The passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of the verb is the recipient of the action, rather than the doer. The passive voice is formed by using a form of the verb "to be" followed by the past participle of the main verb. For example:
- Active voice: The dog ate the bone. - Passive voice: The bone was eaten by the dog.
Uses of the Passive Voice
The passive voice is used in a variety of situations, including:
- When the subject of the verb is unknown or unimportant. For example, we might say "The house was built in 1900" because we don't know who built the house. - When the focus is on the action itself, rather than the doer. For example, we might say "The report was written last week" to emphasize the completion of the report, rather than the identity of the writer. - When the writer wants to be more formal or objective. The passive voice can sometimes sound more formal and objective than the active voice.
Active Voice
The active voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of the verb is the doer of the action. The active voice is formed by using the present tense of the verb. For example:
- Active voice: The dog ate the bone. - Passive voice: The bone was eaten by the dog.
Uses of the Active Voice
The active voice is used in a variety of situations, including:
- When the subject of the verb is known and important. For example, we might say "The dog ate the bone" to emphasize the fact that the dog was the one who ate the bone. - When the focus is on the doer of the action, rather than the action itself. For example, we might say "The boy kicked the ball" to emphasize the boy's role in kicking the ball. - When the writer wants to be more direct and informal. The active voice can sometimes sound more direct and informal than the passive voice.