Using Active And Passive Voice By: Lorenzo Salazar

Passive Voice Passive voice is when the object of a sentence becomes the subject. Passive sentences are usualy accompanied by a form of the verb “to be.” Example: “My first visit to Boston will always be remembered by me.”

Active Voice Active Voice is when the subject of the sentence perfors the action defined by the verb Active voice is usually more direct and the sentence meaning is clearer. Example: “I shall always remember my first visit to Boston.”

When To Use Passive Passive voice is used mainly in scientific writing, because it allows one to write without using personal pronouns. Using too many passive sentences may make a text appear boring. Passive voice also leads to the creation of awkward sentences

When To Use Active Active voice is used in non-scientific writing. Because active voice is more direct, it keeps sentences concise and avoids wordiness

Why Is It Useful To Know? You have to understand the difference between a passive and an active voice so when you write, you know how to create a balance between them. Although the AP Exam does not ask many direct questions on the subject, it is implied in several questions, and it gives you a sense of how to write your essay.

It is also useful to know because it is very difficult to mix the two up if you do not know the difference

Examples

Using Passive Voice “The dramatists of the Restoration are little esteemed to-day.” “Modern readers have little esteem for the dramatists of the Restoration.”

Bibliography Strunk, William. "Composition. Strunk, William, Jr Elements of Style." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 03 Apr "Purdue OWL: Active and Passive Voice." Welcome to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). Web. 03 Apr