folk speeches

1. DEFINING “VOICE”
• Voice in English Grammar is the form
a transitive verb takes to indicate
whether the subject of the verb
performs or receives the action.
Examples: Minu waters the plants. (The
subject Minu performs an action).
The lolly is eaten by Vinu. (The
subject
lolly receives the action).

2. THERE ARE TWO TYPES
OF VOICE:
• Active
• Passive Example:
Active : Shail blows the candles.
Passive: The candles are blown
by Shail.
Let us understand this better…

3. ACTIVE
VOICE
• indicates that the subject of
the verb is acting or
performing an action.

4. ACTIVE VOICE
• These examples show that the
subject performs the action:
• The nurse is giving the
medicine.
The nurse (subject) is
performing the action of
giving (verb) the medicine.
• Krishna will read the report to
the class.
Krishna (subject) will carry out the
action of reading
(verb).

5. PASSIVE VOICE
• In a passive voice sentence,
the subject and object flip-
flop or get interchanged.
• The subject becomes the
passive recipient of the
action.

6. PASSIVE VOICE
• These examples show the
subject being acted upon by the verb:
• The medicine is being given by the
nurse.
⚬ The medicine ( subject) is being
given ( verb)
• A book report will be given by Krishna
to the class.
⚬ A book report ( subject) will be
given ( verb).

7. REASONS TO USETHE
ACTIVE VOICE
Most writers prefer to use
active voice because
• it is more direct
• concise and
• propels the reader
forward through the
writing avoiding weak
constructions.

8. ACTIVE VOICE
Compare
• Active: The young waitress
dropped the tray of food. (concise
statement of fact, with the focus
on the waitress)
• Passive: The tray of food was
dropped by the young waitress.
(lengthy; focus on the tray of food,
less direct)

9. It isbetter to say:
• TheSupervisor has granted your
request for a PE class. (Active)
The same conveyed in Passive appears
to be a weak and lengthy
construction.
Your request for a PE class has
been granted by the Supervisor.
(Passive)

10. VOICE
• In general, the passive
voice is less direct
▪
▪
less forceful and
less concise than the
active voice.

11. VOICE
• When you do not know or do not
want to reveal the performer of an
action.
Example: The kidnappers have been
caught.
• When you want to emphasize the
receiver of an action.
Example: The brave youngster was
rewarded suitably.

12. While converting Active to
Passive Voice , the same tense is
retained in the past-participle
form.
• For example:
• Active Voice-The children ate
(simple past tense) the
cookies.
• Passive Voice-The cookies
were eaten (past
participle)by the children.

13. • Often passive voice
sentences will contain a
"by" phrase indicting who or
what performed the action.
• Example: The football was
kicked by Rohan.

14. Look at the conversion here:
Active: My friend gave me a basket of
flowers
.
Passive: I was given a basket of
flowers by my friend.
or
A basket of flowers was given
to me by my friend.
CLICK ON THE SPEAKER TO
HEAR VOICE

15. A SIMPLE
CONVERSION TABLE
ACTIVE
• He throws the
apple.
• He threw the apple.
• He is/was throwing
the apple.
• He has/had thrown
the apple.
• He will/shall throw
the apple.
PASSIVE
• The apple is
thrown.
• The apple was
thrown.
• The apple is/was
being thrown.
• The apple
has/had been
thrown.
• The apple
will/shall be

17. REMEMBER TO RETAIN THE
SAME TENSE WHEN VOICE IS
CHANGED.
Active(A)-Amina steered the
boat.
Passive(P)-The boat was steered
by Amina.

18. A-Roshan decorates the
Christmas tree happily.
P-The Christmas tree is
decorated by Roshan,
happily.
A-Someone has stolen my
bicycle.
P-My bicycle has been
stolen.

19. A- Joey kangaroo is holding a bottle of
milk.
P-A bottle of milk is being held by Joey
kangaroo.
A-Factories pollute the natural environment.
P-The natural environment is polluted by
factories.

20. A-The size of the Indian Democracy has
always amazed me.
P-I have always been amazed by the
size of the Indian Democracy.

21. A-Professor Verma will assign each
group a research project . Next, he will
discuss the documentary sources with
us.
P-Each group will be assigned a research
project by Professor Verma . Next, the
documentary sources will be discussed with
us.

22. A-Seismologists have examined data
concerning the recent earthquake, and
they will file reports.
P-Data concerning the recent earthquake
have been examined by the seismologists
and the reports will be filed.
(Mixing of Active and Passive constructions in
the same sentence has been thus rightly
avoided here.)
CLICK ON THE SPEAKER
TO HEAR VOICE

23. A-She added the raspberries to the
sweetened cream and served it to the
guests.
P-The raspberries were added to
the sweetened cream and served to the
guests.

24. A-The minister discussed problems of
famine, pollution, depleting resources,
and child safety.
P-Problems of famine,pollution,depleting
resources and child safety were
discussed by the minister.

25. A-Whenever Prof. Ganguly found an
error , the student had to rewrite the
entire assignment.
P-Whenever an error was found by
Prof.Ganguly, the entire assignment
had to be rewritten by the student.

26. A-For the closing flag ceremony,
Geeta presented a dance which she
had choreographed .

27. P-For the closing flag ceremony, a dance
that had been choreographed by Geeta
was presented by her.