If the subject appears at all, it will usually be at the end of the sentence, often in a phrase that starts with “by.” Take a look at this example: As discussed above, the sentence will also contain a form of be and a past participle. If so, what is at the front of the sentence? Is it the person or thing that does the action? Or is it the person or thing that has the action done to it? In a passive sentence, the object of the action will be in the subject position at the front of the sentence. Need more help deciding whether a sentence is passive? Ask yourself whether there is an action going on in the sentence. The moral of the story: don’t assume that any time you see a form of “have” and a form of “to be” together, you are looking at a passive sentence. For example, the sentence “John is a good student” is not passive “is” is simply describing John’s state of being. And forms of “be” are not always passive, either-”be” can be the main verb of a sentence that describes a state of being, rather than an action. It’s a modal verb, like “must,” “can,” or “may”-these verbs tell how necessary it is to do something (compare “I have to study” versus “I may study”). For example, in the sentence “John has to study all afternoon,” “has” is not part of a past-tense verb. Not every sentence that contains a form of “have” or “be” is passive! Forms of the word “have” can do several different things in English. When her house was invaded, Penelope had to think of ways to delay her remarriage. The metropolis has been scorched by the dragon’s fiery breath. Here’s a sure-fire formula for identifying the passive voice:įorm of “to be” + past participle = passive voice (The past participle is a form of the verb that typically, but not always, ends in “-ed.” Some exceptions to the “-ed” rule are words like “paid” (not “payed”) and “driven.” (not “drived”). Look for a form of “to be” (is, are, am, was, were, has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, being) followed by a past participle. Once you know what to look for, passive constructions are easy to spot. We use active verbs to represent that “doing,” whether it be crossing roads, proposing ideas, making arguments, or invading houses (more on that shortly). The more familiar phrasing (why did the chicken cross the road?) puts the actor in the subject position, the position of doing something-the chicken (the actor/doer) crosses the road (the object). Instead, the road is the grammatical subject. Who is doing the action in this sentence? The chicken is the one doing the action in this sentence, but the chicken is not in the spot where you would expect the grammatical subject to be. Take a look at this passive rephrasing of a familiar joke: That is, whoever or whatever is performing the action is not the grammatical subject of the sentence. Defining the passive voiceĪ passive construction occurs when you make the object of an action into the subject of a sentence.
#The village its very voicey how to#
It discusses how to recognize the passive voice, when you should avoid it, and when it’s OK. Typically, grammar checkers catch only a fraction of passive voice usage.ĭo any of these misunderstandings sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Since the passive voice isn’t a grammar error, it’s not always caught. Myth: I can rely on my grammar checker to catch the passive voice. While the passive voice can weaken the clarity of your writing, there are times when the passive voice is OK and even preferable.
Myth: You should never use the passive voice. Here’s an example: “I was hit by the dodgeball.” 4. On the contrary, you can very easily use the passive voice in the first person. Myth: The passive voice always avoids the first person if something is in first person (“I” or “we”) it’s also in the active voice. Using “to be” can weaken the impact of your writing, but it is occasionally necessary and does not by itself constitute the passive voice. The passive voice entails more than just using a being verb. Myth: Any use of “to be” (in any form) constitutes the passive voice.
It’s a stylistic issue that pertains to clarity-that is, there are times when using the passive voice can prevent a reader from understanding what you mean. Use of the passive voice is not a grammatical error. Myth: Use of the passive voice constitutes a grammatical error. Below, we’ll list some common myths about the passive voice: 1. So what is the passive voice? First, let’s be clear on what the passive voice isn’t. We hope this handout will help you to understand the passive voice and allow you to make more informed choices as you write. This handout will help you understand what the passive voice is, why many professors and writing instructors frown upon it, and how you can revise your paper to achieve greater clarity.
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