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Clarity on the Idea of Active and Passive Voices

In this article, we will be talking about the concept of active and passive voice. We will help you get a clear idea of how these voices are used in our day-to-day English communication.

Active and passive voice exercises are used to display certain information or action according to the time. It explains a brief relationship between the verb and the object or subject. Writers need a great knowledge of voice to gain clarity. Active voice is known to improve clarity, and it helps to avoid the repetition of words. Recognize Recognising voice is a tricky task. There are certain rules to identify active voices. One must have efficient control over recognising active voices to get fluent in conversations regarding English. In this article, we have tried to clear the concept of active and passive voice, and we have also mentioned how and where to use them. 

Active Voice

We have used active and passive voice examples with answers in this section. 

Formula of Active Voice- Subject + is/are/am + v1 + ing + object

The entire concept of active voice depends upon this formula which we have mentioned above. The object comes in the last, and the subject is followed by a verb in an active voice statement. Active voice can help improve the language, and it might be helpful to get the proper knowledge about the reader who is taking action. These voices lay stress on the action taker or the subject. On the other hand, the passive voice emphasises verbs and objects. 

Example of Active Voice- Beautiful peacocks roam in the forest.

Passive Voice

Formula of Passive voice- Object from the active voice + is/are/am + being + v3 + by + subject of the active voice

When we talk in passive voice, the object of the active voice comes in front, which is followed by the subject of the active voice. The passive voice statements are not that clear, and it might not be very clear to get an idea of who is speaking or performing the action. The passive voice could be useful in certain conditions. We have mentioned some of these conditions down here in this section with active and passive voice examples with answers

  • If the reader knows and is aware of the action taken, then passive voice could be used.
  • Even when we talk of expository writing, where the main goal of the content is to tell about the background, context, and even the actor’s action, passive voice could be used.
  • If the writer wants to have a focus on the objects, then passive voice could be used.
  • Passive voice is also used when the creators want to vary the structure of the statement.

Different working styles and writing styles have different preferences, and the role of active and passive voice is decided over these writing styles. 

Example of passive voice- Beautiful peacocks roam the forest. 

Usage of Passive Voice

Passive voice is sometimes used intentionally by writers to create an impact on the readers. Writers sometimes include the subject, and then, later on, the sentence is reduced to emphasise more meaning out of it. Passive voice is easy to read, and more readers can connect with it. The subject might be used to reduce the importance of verbs in the statement. 

Active vs Passive Voice

The comparison between active and passive voice is something one should be very clear about while framing literature. One must remember that both the sentences will give the same Idea or the result. If the meaning of sentences changes, then the writer must consider reframing the sentence according to the rules. 

Avoiding the First and the Third Person

When we convert a passive voice to an active voice, there can be problems regarding the inclusion of the first and third person. Many journals and writers claim that the first person should be avoided by converting passive voice into the active, or it might become grammatically incorrect. Choosing passive voice over active voice can help you avoid such situations and conditions.

The use of a third person is preferred over the first option. It is considered to be a better option than using the first person while writing in an active voice. To be precise, it is more accurate and grammatically correct. 

Passive and Usage of Auxiliary Verb

The auxiliary verb is also called the helping verb, and while using the passive voice, these verbs help to complete and make the sentence. The active voice does not require the usage of auxiliary verbs. The usage of auxiliary or helping verbs in passive sentences makes it lengthy. On the other hand, the active voice doesn’t use such verbs to enhance the sentences written in the active voice are often short.

Conclusion

Above in this article, we have mentioned some of the main concepts of active and passive voice in English conversations. Active voice can be used to make strong and short sentences, and on the other hand, passive voice is used to display the message more easily. Writers use passive voices to display or convey a message more formally. On the other hand, active voices can be used more professionally. Professional writers prefer active voice. It is a straightforward way to put the message in front of the reader.

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