Voice refers to the form of a verb that indicates when a grammatical subject performs the action or is the receiver of the action. When a sentence is written in the active voice, the subject performs the action; in the passive voice, the subject receives the action. In academic writing, it is generally preferred to choose an active verb and pair it with a subject that names the person or thing doing or performing the action. Active verbs are stronger and usually more emphatic than forms of the verb “be” or verbs in the passive voice. These effective methods to learn voice change, can be very fruitful.
Active: The award-winning chef prepares each meal with loving
care.
Passive: Each meal is prepared with loving care by the award-
winning chef.
Analysis:
In the above example of an active sentence, the simple subject is “chef” and “prepares” is the verb: the chef prepares “each meal with loving care.” In the passive sentence, “meal” is the simple subject and “is prepared” is the verb: each meal is prepared “by the award-winning chef.” In effect, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence. Although both sentences have the same basic components, their structure makes them different from each other. Active sentences are about what people (or things) do, while passive sentences are about what happens to people (or things).
Use of Voice in Various Fields:
Sometimes the use of passive voice can create awkward sentences, as in the last example above. Also, overuse of passive voice throughout an essay can cause your prose to seem flat and uninteresting. In scientific writing, however, passive voice is more readily accepted since using it allows one to write without using personal pronouns or the names of particular researchers as the subjects of sentences (see the third example above). This practice helps to create the appearance of an objective, fact-based discourse because writers can present research and conclusions without attributing them to particular agents. Instead, the writing appears to convey information that is not limited or biased by individual perspectives or personal interests.
Recognition of Passive Voice:
You can recognize passive-voice expressions because the verb phrase will always include a form of be such as am, is, was, were, are, or been. The presence of a be-verb, however, does not necessarily mean that the sentence is in passive voice. Another way to recognize passive-voice sentences is that they may include a “by the…” phrase after the verb; the agent performing the action, if named, is the object of the preposition in this phrase.
WHEN TO USE PASSIVE VOICE
Although active voice is generally preferred in academic writing, passive voice is acceptable under certain conditions. These effective methods to learn voice change is differently analysed.
Use passive voice
To emphasize the receiver of the action instead of the doer:
Quizzes are given regularly.
Grades for all students are averaged.
Questions are encouraged.
To keep the focus on the same subject through several sentences or paragraphs:
My sister and I grew up and went to school in Jamaica. We were educated according to the British system. In 1997 we were given the opportunity to come to the United States. We decided to finish high school before leaving our own country. We were concerned that the education in this country might not be as good as the one we had there, and we wanted to improve our English too.
When we do not know who performed the action:
Ray’s calculator was made in Germany.
The answers have been filled in.
When we do not wish to mention the doer of the action:
Many problems have been ignored for too long.
I was given some bad advice.
Using the Auxiliary Verb “Be”
The passive voice is formed by using a form of the auxiliary verb “be” (be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Active Passive
He loves me. I am loved.
We took our children to the circus. The children were taken to the circus. A thief stole my money. My money was stolen.
Notice how the “be” auxiliaries change the meaning of the verbs from action to condition or from “doing” to “being.”
He remembers his grandmother. (“he” is doing an action: remembering)
His grandmother is remembered. (“she” is in a condition: being remembered)
In this way, the past participle functions very much like an adjective; it describes the subject.
The woman is pretty. She is a pretty woman
The woman is married. She is a married woman.
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