Passive and active are terms used to describe the voice of a verb in a sentence.
Active voice is when the subject of the sentence is performing the action of the verb. For example, "The dog chased the cat." In this sentence, "the dog" is the subject performing the action of chasing.
Passive voice is when the subject of the sentence is receiving the action of the verb. For example, "The cat was chased by the dog." In this sentence, "the cat" is the subject receiving the action of being chased.
In general, active voice is considered more direct and concise, while passive voice is often used when the focus is on the recipient of the action rather than the doer.
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Google Gemini AI
Aug 28
Passive
- Definition: Receiving or experiencing an action or state without actively participating. - Characteristics: - The subject of a sentence is acted upon rather than acting (e.g., "The ball was kicked by the player"). - Expresses a condition or state of being (e.g., "The book is on the table"). - Often uses the verb "to be" followed by a past participle (e.g., "The report is being written").
Active
- Definition: Doing or performing an action or state. - Characteristics: - The subject of a sentence is actively participating in the action (e.g., "The player kicked the ball"). - Expresses a process or event that is happening now (e.g., "I am writing the report"). - Usually uses the simple past, present, or future tense of the verb (e.g., "The player kicks the ball").
Examples:
| Passive Voice | Active Voice | |---|---| | The car was parked in the driveway. | She parked the car in the driveway. | | The windows were cleaned by the maid. | The maid cleaned the windows. | | The letter had been mailed earlier that day. | He had mailed the letter earlier that day. | | The children are being cared for by their grandmother. | Their grandmother is caring for the children. | | The meeting will be held tomorrow. | We will hold the meeting tomorrow. |