Active and passive verbs (voice)

 Topic :5

 This is what I like most😊 I enjoy teaching and listening to passive and active voices whenever my learners are presenting.  Certainly! Active and passive voice are ways to structure sentences based on the focus of the action and the participants involved.

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. This structure is generally more direct and dynamic.

• Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
• Example: The dog (subject) chased (verb) the cat (object).

In this sentence, "the dog" is doing the chasing, and "the cat" is receiving the action.

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence, and the focus shifts to the action itself or the recipient of the action. The performer of the action may be mentioned or omitted.

• Structure: Object (new subject) + Form of "to be" + Past Participle + (by + Subject)
• Example: The cat (new subject) was chased (verb) by the dog (original subject).

In this sentence, "the cat" is receiving the action, and "the dog" is performing the action. The sentence emphasizes the action done to "the cat."

Key Points

• Active Voice is often clearer and more engaging because it directly shows who is doing what.
• Passive Voice can be useful when the focus is on the action itself or when the performer is unknown or irrelevant.

Example for clarity:

• Active: The chef (subject) cooked (verb) a delicious meal (object).
• Passive: A delicious meal (new subject) was cooked (verb) by the chef (original subject).

In both sentences, the meaning is the same, but the emphasis differs.