LESSON FIVE

LESSON FIVE



SWIMMING
(ACTIVE VERBS)

VS



FLOATING
(PASSIVE VERBS)

As a writer you now know that you have verb choices that express past, present, and future. You can also choose to use progressive verbs.

In addition to these choices, a writer can choose to use the active voice or passive voice of a verb.

The VOICE of a verb indicates whether subject is the performer or the receiver of the verb’s action.

When the SUBJECT is the performer of the ACTION, the verb is said to be ACTIVE VOICE.

When the SUBJECT is the receiver of the ACTION, the verb is said to be PASSIVE VOICE.

ACTIVE VOICE: The coach instructed us.

PASSIVE VOICE: We were instructed by the coach.

ACTIVE VOICE: The author provides helpful diagrams.

PASSIVE VOICE: Helpful diagrams are provided by the author.

Think back to the first two lessons where you worked on identifying the parts of a sentence: subject, verb, complement.

The form you specifically want to focus on here is the sentence that uses an action verb and has a direct object.

For a sentence to contain an ACTIVE VOICE VERB, the SUBJECT performs the ACTION VERB on the DIRECT OBJECT.

When we write in the PASSIVE VOICE, the DIRECT OBJECT becomes the SUBJECT, and the SUBJECT is now found in a PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.

ANOTHER HELPFUL POINTER

The verb in a passive sentence is always a verb phrase that contains a from of the verb “to be” and the past participle (Remember the four basic parts of a verb?) of the main verb.

ACTIVE: Charles Dickens (subject that DID the action) wrote (action verb) Oliver Twist (received the action).

PASSIVE: Oliver Twist (received the action) was (form of “to be”) written (past participle) by (word that indicates a prepositional phrase) Charles Dickens (person who actually did the writing).

REMEMBER

Active verbs grab your reader’s attention ~ Passive voice can bore your reader, even put them to sleep.

Active verbs are strong, precise and concise ~ Passive voice AND linking verbs lack the strength to express your ideas clearly.

Active verbs get things done quickly ~ Passive voice beat around the bush, so to speak.

Active verbs keep the pace of a piece moving ~ Passive voice slows things down.

DISCUSSION TOPIC
Other than writing, in what jobs are the active voice and action verbs more useful.

ASSIGNMENT
For each sentence, identify whether the example is in the passive or active voice AND then, revise the active voice sentences to be passive and the passive voice sentences to be active.
1. The whole student council elects the president.
2. A terrible accident has been prevented by Melissa’s quick thinking.
3. The leading role was played brilliantly by the ingénue.
4. The film was unfavorably reviewed by the critic.
5. A gas station attendant recognized the elusive criminal.
6. At first, the teacher’s advice was ignored by the student.
7. The minister usually leads the Wednesday evening discussion.
8. Children of many different cultures play that game.
9. The contributions to jazz music by Louis Armstrong are appreciated by all.
10. Charles Dickens wrote the novel Great Expectations.