This document discusses the difference between active and passive voice in sentences. In active voice, the subject performs the action, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action. Some key points: - Active voice is more common and direct, while passive voice places more importance on the object. - To change from active to passive voice, the object becomes the subject and the subject often becomes introduced by "by". - Passive voice is used when the object/recipient of the action is more important or when the subject performing the action is unknown.

1. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
By: Juan David Moreno Alfaro and Felipe Hernández
Grade: 6ºC

2. ACTIVE VOICE
active subject verb object
---------------- -----------------------------------
Cats eat fish
The active voice is the "normal" voice. This is the voice that
we use most of the time. You are probably already familiar with
the active voice. In the active voice, the object receives the
action of the verb:

3. PASSIVE VOICE
passive subject verb object
----------------------------------- ----------------
Fish are eaten by cats.
The passive voice is less usual. In the passive voice,
the subject receives the action of the verb:

4. ACTIVE VOICE AND PASSIVE VOICE
subject verb object
active Everybody drinks water.
passive Water is drunk by everybody.
When in the active voice is “will” you changed to “will be”
Ex: active voice: The boy will finish the school by December.
passive voice: The school will be finished by December.
The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the
passive verb:

5. USE OF THE PASSIVE VOICE
subject verb object
give
importance to
active object
(President
Kennedy)
----------------
President
Kennedy
----------------
was killed
----------------
by Lee Harvey
Oswald.
----------------
active subject
unknown
My wallet has been
stolen.
?
We use the passive when:
•we want to make the active object more important
•we do not know the active subject

6. USE OF THE ACTIVE VOICE
subject verb object
give
importance
to passive
object (Lee
Harvey
Oswald)
Lee Harvey
Oswald
kill President
Kennedy
We use the active voice when:
•we want to make the passive object more important

7. EXERCISES
• They make shoes in that factory.
• Shoes in that factory.
• They built that skyscraper in 1934.
• That skyscraper in 1934.
• They are repairing the streets this month.
• The streets this month.