![[B-A] The Active and Passive Voice](https://images.ctfassets.net/r30ratzbtbbf/6f6yr7jHcLOYXPGI0oAkXF/c89e9c71e198502f7c873de951f986d1/The_Active_and_Passive_Voice.png)
LET'S READ! 📖
Direction: Read the passage below then answer the questions being asked.
Last summer, I was tasked to paint our house. First, the exterior was washed using warm water and a mild detergent. Then, all of the chinks on the walls were sealed with putty. After the putty had had a chance to dry, the exterior could be painted. A latex paint was used because it is easy to apply and cleans up with water. A whole week was needed to finish this part of the job. A color that was used was very close to the original color. When the job was finished, I was filled with a great deal of satisfaction. Even my dad was taken by surprise and said I did a great job.
QUESTIONS:
1. Why did the speaker use latex paint?
2. Only when was he able to paint the exterior?
LET'S UNDERSTAND! 📚
Active Voice
- is used when the subject is acting out the verb.
Passive Voice
- used when we want to put emphasis on the action itself or to the person or thing receiving the action.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
A thief stole my money | My money was stolen by a thief. |
When to use passive voice?
A. Use the passive voice to focus on the process or result of an action rather than the agent, or when the agent is "people in general".
Example:
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Apple produced a cheaper model of the product in response to customer demand. | This cheaper model of the product was produced in response to customer demand. |
B. We can mention the agent in a passive sentence using the preposition "by", "with" to talk about an object used by the agent.
Using "by" and "with" often puts greater emphasis on the agent.
Example:
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| I tried to use a cloth to soak up most of the spilt milk. | Most of the spilt milk was soaked (by me) with a cloth. |
| A cloth was used (by me) to soak up the spilt milk |
C. We use have + object + past participle to talk about getting someone else to do something for us.
Example:
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| I asked the gardener to take care of everything. | I had everything taken care of by the gardener |
In informal language we can replace have + object + past participle with get + object + past participle.
Example:
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| I asked the gardener to take care of everything. | I got everything taken care of by the gardener |
D. Need + to be + past participle has a passive meaning but we can also use need + -ing.
Example:
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| We need to muck out the stables. | The stables need mucking out. |
| The stables need to be mucked out.. |
Verb Tenses used in Active and Passive Voice
LET'S PRACTICE! 📝
Direction: Read the prompt carefully and understand the scenario presented. Use the active and passive voice to elaborate your answer.
- Describe a process or procedure you are familiar with (e.g., making a sandwich, assembling a piece of furniture) using active voice. Then, switch to passive voice and describe it again. Compare the two versions. Minimum of 5 steps.
