1. Passive & Active Voice

2. Passive & Active Voice What is voice?
Voice, in a story, relates to WHO IS TALKING, TELLING THE STORY, OR THE MAIN CHARACTER
Two kinds of voice
Active & Passive

3. Active Voice The subject is doing something to the object
The first noun is doing something to the second noun
The boy ate the potato.
Then he beat up his brother.
After that his mother punished him.
LEFT TO RIGHT FLOW OF ACTION

4. pop
eat
help

5. Passive Voice The subject is receiving an action from the object
The first noun is receiving an action from another noun
The potato was eaten by the boy.
The brother was beaten up by the boy.
He was punished by his mother.
RIGHT TO LEFT FLOW OF ACTION

6. pop
eat
help

7. Passive voice formula Start with a be verb Next, add your verb + ED
Depends on your verb tense
Was, were, been, being, am, is, are
Next, add your verb + ED
The ED is very important
To finish, you can add “BY _____”
You don’t have to
It depends if that noun is important

8. How to identify passive voice
If you can add “by zombies” after the verb, and it still makes sense, it’s passive voice
The money was spent
The car was hit
The boy was running.
The car was hit by the oncoming truck
The tree was knocked over by the storm

9. Why are we learning passive & active voice now?
Active voice is usually considered clearer and more concise
Passive voice can be considered evasive
Some college professors will take off points for using passive voice

10. teach

11. allow

12. send

13. Practice: Passive or Active?
The librarian read the book to the students.
The employees are paid every Friday.
I washed my car three weeks ago.
His hair was cut by a professional stylist.
The national anthem is always sung at football games.

14. The criminals were seen running from the scene of the crime.

15. Have you ever been to Chicago?

16. What was discussed in class today?

17. Were you thinking about planes just now?

18. They left their backpacks in the gym.

19. Several items have been stolen from the lost-and-found.

20. They returned their library books yesterday.

21. These items were manufactured in China.

22. She got her hair cut at the salon.

23. We haven’t cut the grass in two weeks.

24. The pool was cleaned yesterday.

25. None of the homework was turned in late.

26. Universities are now accepting students with lower GPAs.

27. She had pointed to him as the leader of the group.