Passive Voice: What You Need to Know
What is passive voice and how does it differ from active voice?
Please choose which sentence is written in passive voice:
B. The apple was eaten.
C. The dog ran.
D. The spoon fell off the table.
The sentence that is written in passive voice is, The apple was eaten.
What is passive voice?
Passive voice is a form of a verb that shows the experience of action that subject has already received.
The other options show active voice. Active voice means it is currently happening, passive voice means it already happened. Eaten is a past-tense verb, so it would be passive voice.
Hence the correct option is, B. The apple was eaten.
Passive voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. In passive voice sentences, the subject is typically not the doer of the action but rather the receiver of the action.
For example, in the sentence "The apple was eaten," the apple (subject) is being acted upon by the eating (action), making it a passive construction. This differs from active voice, where the subject performs the action, such as in the sentence "She ate the apple."
Passive voice is often used when the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or if the focus is on the action itself rather than the doer. It can also be used to create a more formal or impersonal tone in writing.
Understanding the difference between passive and active voice is crucial in improving the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. By recognizing when to use each voice, you can convey your message more effectively and engage your readers more efficiently.