ACTIVE / PASSIVE VOICE

Active voice

In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action
denoted by the verb.

    These examples show that the subject is  doing the verb's action.

           

Because the subject does or "acts upon" the verb in such sentences, the sentences
are said to be in the active voice.

Passive voice

One can change the normal word order of many active sentences (those with a
direct object) so that the subject is no longer active, but is, instead, being acted upon
by the verb - or passive.

    Note in these examples how the subject-verb relationship has changed.

           
Because the subject is being "acted upon" (or is passive), such sentences are said
to be in the passive voice.

NOTE:   Colorful parrots live in the rainforests cannot be changed to passive voice
because the sentence does not have a direct object.

To change a sentence from active to passive voice, do the following:

    1.  Move  the active sentence's direct object into the sentence's subject  slot

             

    2. Place the active sentence's subject into a  phrase beginning with the
preposition by

             

    3.  Add a form of the auxiliary verb be to the main verb and change the  main
verb's form

             
Because passive voice sentences necessarily add words and change the normal
doer-action-receiver of action direction, they may make the reader work harder to
understand the intended meaning.

As the examples below illustrate, a sentence in  active voice  flows more smoothly
and is easier to understand than the same sentence in  passive voice.

            
           

It is generally preferable to use the ACTIVE voice.

To change a passive voice sentence into an active voice sentence, simply reverse
the steps shown above.

    1.  Move  the passive sentence's subject into the active  sentence's  direct object
slot
            

    2.  Remove  the auxiliary verb be from the main verb and change main verb's form
if needed

            

    3. Place the passive sentence's object of the preposition by into the subject slot.

          

Because it is more direct, most writers prefer to use the active voice whenever
possible.

The passive voice may be a better choice, however, when

 the doer of the action is unknown, unwanted, or unneeded in the sentence

             Examples

            

 the writer wishes to emphasize the action of the sentence rather than the doer
of the action

            Examples

              

 the writer wishes to use passive voice for sentence variety.

Active Voice, Passive Voice

There are two special forms for verbs called voice:

1. Active voice
 2. Passive voice

The active voice is the "normal" voice. This is the voice that we use most of the
time. You are probably already familiar with the active voice. In the active voice, the
object receives the action of the verb:

subject verb object

active   >

Cats eat fish.

The passive voice is less usual. In the passive voice, the subject receives the
action of the verb:

subject verb object

passive <  

Fish are eaten by cats.

The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb:

  subject verb object

active Everybody drinks water.

passive Water is drunk by everybody.

STATIVE VERB

Some English verbs, which we call state, non-continuous or stative verbs, aren’t
used in continuous tenses (like the present continuous, or the future continuous).
These verbs often describe states that last for some time. Here is a list of some
common ones:

Stative (or State) Verb List

like know belong

love realise fit

hate suppose contain

want mean consist

need understand seem

prefer believe depend

agree remember matter

mind recognise see

own appear look (=seem)

sound taste smell

hear astonish deny

disagree please impress

satisfy promise surprise

doubt think (=have an opinion) feel (=have an opinion)

wish imagine concern

dislike be have

deserve involve include

lack measure (=have length etc) possess

owe weigh (=have weight)

A verb which isn’t stative is called a dynamic verb, and is usually an action.

Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:

Be

be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means ‘behaving’
or ‘acting’

 you are stupid = it’s part of your personality

 you are being stupid = only now, not usually

Think

 think (stative) = have an opinion

 I think that coffee is great

 think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head

what are you thinking about? I’m thinking about my next holiday

Have

 have (stative) = own

I have a car

 have (dynamic) = part of an expression

I’m having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break

See

 see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand

I see what you mean
I see her now, she’s just coming along the road

 see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with

I’ve been seeing my boyfriend for three years
I’m seeing Robert tomorrow

Taste

 taste (stative) = has a certain taste

This soup tastes great
The coffee tastes really bitter

 taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting

The chef is tasting the soup

('taste' is the same as other similar verbs such as 'smell')

DYNAMIC VERB

Definition:

A verb used primarily to indicate an action, process, or sensation as opposed to a

state. Contrast with stative verb.
Examples and Observations:

 "America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its
tail, it knocks over a chair."
(Arnold Toynbee)

Verb Simple Forms Progressive Forms

feel (to have an opinion) I feel I should go on holiday. ---

How do you feel when you

feel (to feel sth.) How are you feeling today?
are on holiday?

have (to possess) I have a new computer. ---

I always have a cola for I am having dinner right

have (to eat)
lunch. now.
see (to understand) Oh, I see. ---
I often see Mandy at the
see (to meet someone) I am seeing Peter tonight.
disco.
I think you should see a
think (to believe) ---
doctor.
I am thinking about my
think (to think about) I have to think about it.
girlfriend now.
Verbs which are not used in progressive/continuous forms (state
verbs)

Not every verb can be used in progressive form. We do not use verbs which express
situations there. But we often use verbs which express actions (dynamic verbs) in
progressive forms.

The following verbs are not normally used in the progressive forms:
agree, be, like, hate, hear, imagine, know, need, prefer, promise, realize, remember,
see.

Sometimes verbs can be used in progressive forms when they have certain
meanings. In another meaning it is not possible to use them in progressive forms.
Watch the following examples:

Verb Simple Forms Progressive Forms

I feel I should go on
feel (to have an opinion) ---
holiday.
How do you feel when you
feel (to feel sth.) How are you feeling today?
are on holiday?
have (to possess) I have a new computer. ---
I always have a cola for I am having dinner right
have (to eat)
lunch. now.
see (to understand) Oh, I see. ---
I often see Mandy at the
see (to meet someone) I am seeing Peter tonight.
disco.
I think you should see a
think (to believe) ---
doctor.
I am thinking about my
think (to think about) I have to think about it.
girlfriend now.