How do you change an active voice to a passive voice?
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Noah Johnson
Works at IBM, Lives in Armonk.
As an expert in linguistics and language education, I'm often asked about the nuances of voice in English sentences. Voice refers to the relationship between the subject and the verb in a sentence. There are two primary voices: active and passive. The active voice is used when the subject performs the action, while the passive voice is used when the subject receives the action. Transforming an active voice sentence into a passive one is a common task in English grammar and can be done by following a few simple steps.
### Step 1: Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object in the Active Sentence
The first step in changing an active voice sentence to passive voice is to identify the subject, verb, and object. The subject is the doer of the action, the verb is the action itself, and the object is the receiver of the action.
For example, consider the active sentence: "The cat chased the mouse."
- Subject: The cat
- Verb: chased
- Object: the mouse
### Step 2: Make the Object the Subject of the Passive Sentence
In the passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the new sentence. This shift is fundamental to the passive voice construction.
So, for our example, "the mouse" will become the subject: "The mouse was chased..."
### Step 3: Use the Correct Form of "to be"
The verb "to be" is used in the passive voice to link the new subject (formerly the object) with the action (the verb). The form of "to be" must agree with the tense of the original active sentence.
In our example, the active sentence is in the past tense, so we use the past form of "to be," which is "was" for singular subjects: "The mouse was chased..."
### Step 4: Use the Past Participle of the Main Verb
The main verb in the active sentence must be converted to its past participle form to complete the passive construction. The past participle is often the same as the past tense for regular verbs but can be different for irregular verbs.
In our example, "chased" is the past participle of "chase," so we use it as is: "The mouse was chased..."
### Step 5: Include the Original Subject as the Agent (Optional)
Sometimes, it's useful to include the original subject of the active sentence as the agent performing the action. This is done by using the preposition "by" followed by the original subject.
For our example, including the agent would look like this: "The mouse was chased by the cat."
### Step 6: Adjust for Tenses and Voice Consistently
When changing tenses, ensure that the form of "to be" and the past participle of the verb are consistent with the tense you're using.
### Examples
Active Voice: The teacher gave the student a book.
Passive Voice: The student was given a book by the teacher.
Active Voice: We will build a new bridge over the river.
Passive Voice: A new bridge will be built over the river.
Active Voice: She has finished her homework.
Passive Voice: Her homework has been finished.
### Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Omission of the Agent: It's not always necessary to include the original subject as the agent, but if you choose to do so, ensure the sentence still makes sense without it.
- Incorrect Tense Usage: Ensure that the tense of the "to be" verb and the past participle match the tense of the original active sentence.
- Confusion with Reflexive Verbs: Reflexive verbs (like "enjoy oneself") are not the same as passive voice and should not be confused with passive constructions.
By following these steps and being mindful of common pitfalls, you can effectively convert active voice sentences to passive voice, enhancing your ability to vary sentence structure and focus on different aspects of the action being described.
### Step 1: Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object in the Active Sentence
The first step in changing an active voice sentence to passive voice is to identify the subject, verb, and object. The subject is the doer of the action, the verb is the action itself, and the object is the receiver of the action.
For example, consider the active sentence: "The cat chased the mouse."
- Subject: The cat
- Verb: chased
- Object: the mouse
### Step 2: Make the Object the Subject of the Passive Sentence
In the passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the new sentence. This shift is fundamental to the passive voice construction.
So, for our example, "the mouse" will become the subject: "The mouse was chased..."
### Step 3: Use the Correct Form of "to be"
The verb "to be" is used in the passive voice to link the new subject (formerly the object) with the action (the verb). The form of "to be" must agree with the tense of the original active sentence.
In our example, the active sentence is in the past tense, so we use the past form of "to be," which is "was" for singular subjects: "The mouse was chased..."
### Step 4: Use the Past Participle of the Main Verb
The main verb in the active sentence must be converted to its past participle form to complete the passive construction. The past participle is often the same as the past tense for regular verbs but can be different for irregular verbs.
In our example, "chased" is the past participle of "chase," so we use it as is: "The mouse was chased..."
### Step 5: Include the Original Subject as the Agent (Optional)
Sometimes, it's useful to include the original subject of the active sentence as the agent performing the action. This is done by using the preposition "by" followed by the original subject.
For our example, including the agent would look like this: "The mouse was chased by the cat."
### Step 6: Adjust for Tenses and Voice Consistently
When changing tenses, ensure that the form of "to be" and the past participle of the verb are consistent with the tense you're using.
### Examples
Active Voice: The teacher gave the student a book.
Passive Voice: The student was given a book by the teacher.
Active Voice: We will build a new bridge over the river.
Passive Voice: A new bridge will be built over the river.
Active Voice: She has finished her homework.
Passive Voice: Her homework has been finished.
### Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Omission of the Agent: It's not always necessary to include the original subject as the agent, but if you choose to do so, ensure the sentence still makes sense without it.
- Incorrect Tense Usage: Ensure that the tense of the "to be" verb and the past participle match the tense of the original active sentence.
- Confusion with Reflexive Verbs: Reflexive verbs (like "enjoy oneself") are not the same as passive voice and should not be confused with passive constructions.
By following these steps and being mindful of common pitfalls, you can effectively convert active voice sentences to passive voice, enhancing your ability to vary sentence structure and focus on different aspects of the action being described.
2024-05-13 02:05:08
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Studied at University of California, Berkeley, Lives in Berkeley, CA
To change an active voice sentence to a passive voice sentence:Make the object of the active sentence into the subject of the passive sentence.Use the verb --to be-- in the same tense as the main verb of the active sentence.Use the past participle of the main verb of the active sentence.
2023-06-10 01:46:43
Ethan Clark
QuesHub.com delivers expert answers and knowledge to you.
To change an active voice sentence to a passive voice sentence:Make the object of the active sentence into the subject of the passive sentence.Use the verb --to be-- in the same tense as the main verb of the active sentence.Use the past participle of the main verb of the active sentence.
