Active Voice


A problematic shift to avoid is the unnecessary shift from the active voice to the passive voice. Below is a table to illustrate the difference between active and passive voice.


ACTIVE VOICE


The subject completes the action. The students completed their homework. Note: Active voice is concise.


PASSIVE VOICE


The object of an active sentence appears as the subject.


The homework was completed by the students.


Note: Passive voice is wordy.


When to Use Passive Voice • We do not know the actor—the one who completes the action—in the sentence. o Example: My car was broken into last night.


• The actor is less important than the receiver of the action is. o Example: My brother was hit by a car.


COMMON ERRORS IN VOICE • Error: I lost my purse, so a new one was purchased. • Correction: I lost my purse, so I purchased a new one.


• Error: I made lasagna two nights ago, and the leftovers were eaten by my brother. • Correction: I made lasagna two nights ago, and my brother ate the leftovers.


Proofread your own writing to eliminate unnecessary instances of the passive voice. As you proofread, look out for voice shifts within in the same sentence.


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