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Grade 8!
 Using active and
passive voice in stating
facts
 What is voice?
- is the quality of a verb which shows if
the subject is the doer or the receiver
of the action
Example 1:
The manager already sent the
documents.
Example 2:
The documents were already sent
by the manager.
• If the factual statement is in the active
voice, the focus is on the doer of the
action.
Example:
"The principal congratulated the
graduates."
• When making factual statements using
the passive voice, you put emphasis
on the receiver of the action or the
result of the action.
Example:
"The graduates were congratulated
by the principal."
• You may also use the passive voice in impersonal
constructions.
• Writing is impersonal when it avoids the use of
personal pronouns.
• It is completely impersonal when it avoids even the use
of the indefinite pronouns like one, everyone,
somebody, or nouns that name persons or animals.
Example 1:
The facts were gathered.
Example 2:
The results were analyzed.
1. The passive voice of verbs is formed
this way:
verb be + past participle of the main
verb + the preposition by + agent.
Examples:
Numerous awards are received by the
outstanding student.
Numerous awards were received by
the outstanding student.
Numerous awards will be received by
the outstanding student.
2. Only transitive verbs may be used in
the passive voice since an intransitive
has no receiver of the action.
Example:
Juan threw the ball.
3. When a sentence in the active voice is
changed to one in the passive voice, the
following differences may be noted:
a. The direct object of the transitive verb
becomes the subject of the new
sentence.
Example:
The guest speaker gave a
wonderful speech. (Active)
A wonderful speech was given by
the guest speaker. (Passive)
b. The subject of the sentence usually
becomes the object of the preposition by.
Example:
The parents treated their children to
lunch. (Active)
The children were treated to lunch by
their parents. (Passive)
4. Please remember that there are
reasons for shifting voice from active to
passive or vice versa. It's not a matter
of choice.