Active and Passive Voice: Error Spotting

Active-Passive Voice is a way of expressing the same thing but with different implications. Active Voice is more direct and makes the subject of the sentence clear. Passive Voice, on the other hand, obscures the subject and can make sentences wordy and confusing. In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between Active and Passive Voice, as well as how to spot errors in both forms. Let’s get started!

What is Active and Passive Voice? 

Active voice is when the subject of a sentence performs the verb. For example, “I am writing a blog post.” Active voice is straightforward and easy to understand. Passive voice happens when the subject of a sentence is worked upon by the verb. For example, “A blog post is being written by me.” Passive voice can be confusing and harder to understand.

Difference between Active and Passive Voice

Active: The Active Voice is the voice of agency. In this voice, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb. For example, “I am writing a blog post.” In this sentence, the subject (“I”) is executing the action (“am writing”).

Passive: The Passive Voice is the voice of subjection. In this voice, the subject is worked upon by the verb. For example, “A blog post is being written by me.” In this sentence, the subject (“a blog post”) is not executing the action; it is receiving the action.

Common Errors with Active and Passive Voice

• Not using the correct form of the verb

The most common error people make when using active-passive voice is not using the correct form of the verb. In order to make a sentence passive, you must use the past tense form of the verb ‘to be’ and the past participle form of the main verb. For example, if you want to make the sentence “The teacher graded my paper,” In passive, you would say “My paper was graded by the teacher.”

• Using the wrong subject

Another common mistake people make is using the wrong subject in a sentence. When you convert from active to passive voice, the object of the sentence becomes the subject. For example, if you want to say “The teacher graded my paper,” In passive, you would say “My paper was graded by the teacher.” The subject (I) becomes the object of the sentence.

• Using the wrong tense

People also make mistakes with verb tenses when using active-passive voice. In most cases, you should use the present tense in a sentence written in passive voice, unless the sentence is referring to a past event. For example, you would say “My paper is graded by the teacher” but “The teacher graded my paper yesterday”.

• Leaving out the object

Another common mistake people make is leaving out the object of the sentence. In active voice, the object is the noun or pronoun that is affected by the action of the verb. However, in passive voice, the object becomes the subject of the sentence. For example, if you want to say “The teacher graded my paper,” In passive, you would say “My paper was graded by the teacher.” The object (paper) becomes the subject of the sentence.

How to Avoid Errors with Active and Passive Voice?

1. Use verbs that indicate an action, not a state of being. Sentences with intransitive verbs cannot be transformed into passive voice sentences. For example, the verb in the sentence -“The dog is sleeping”- can not be transformed into a passive voice. 
2. One should be careful of the use of auxiliary verbs while converting an active voice statement into a passive voice statement. For example, “I am writing a blog post” is an Active voice statement, while “A blog post is being written by me” is in passive voice. “I have taken my dinner” is an active voice statement. whereas, “Dinner has been taken by me” is a passive voice statement.
3. Be clear about who is doing the action. If you’re not sure, try Active voice. For example, “The lamp was knocked over by a gust of wind” is passive, while “Someone knocked over the lamp” is Active.
4. Use contractions to make the Active voice more natural. For example, “I’m writing a blog post” is Active, while “A blog post is being written by me” is passive.

Conclusion

Active and passive are two grammatical voices that are used in English to show the relationship of the verbs with the subjects. In order to spot errors in active and passive voice, it’s important to understand the different types of mistakes that can be made. By understanding the most common mistakes, you can avoid making them yourself and improve your writing skills.