Active Voice and Passive Voice

Content

• Passive voice
• Examples of passive voice
• Active voice
• Active voice examples

Every action implies a subject that executes it and can also imply an “object”, that is, something on which the action is executed. That "object" is not necessarily an inanimate object but can also be a person.

According to the order and priority that you want to give the subject over the object, there are passive voice sentences and active voice sentences.

• It can help you: Types of sentences

Passive voice

The passive voice is a particular way of structuring a sentence in which, given an action that you want to describe, you focus mainly on the effects of the action.

The passive voice is characterized by a specific order of those elements of the sentence:

Passive voice: object + verb to be + participle + by + subject (agent complement)
For example: The cake was bought by my sister.

It is also considered passive voice if the subject of the action is not mentioned. In this case the elements of the sentence would be:

Passive voice: object + verb to be + participle
For example: The exercise was understood.

It can serve you:

• Participle
• Sentences with agent complement

Examples of passive voice

1. The glass was broken by the children.
2. My wallet was stolen.
3. The student is congratulated by the teacher.
4. The best monograph was written by Juan.
5. The assailants were betrayed.
6. The files were altered.
7. The dollhouse is built by Laura.
8. New tickets will be issued by the State.
9. A possible fraud is being investigated by the police.
10. My house was built by a local company.
11. New dishes were announced for the spring.
12. Twenty subscriptions are sold per day.
13. This problem cannot be solved.
14. In other times, women were invited to dance by men.
15. The truth was declared.
16. The letter had not been signed.
17. Sooner or later, the treasure is going to be found.
18. The book was published two years ago.
19. An abandoned house was destroyed by fire.
20. It is better that your house be decorated by a professional.

More examples:

• Passive sentences
• Passive voice

Active voice

The active voice concentrates on the subject of the sentence. That is why it can be used to talk about an action that is not known who carried out. In Spanish, the active voice is more common than the passive voice. It is also characterized by a specific order of those elements of the sentence:

Active voice: subject + verb + object
For example: My sister bought the cake.

It is also considered active voice if the object of the action is not mentioned because it uses intransitive verbs. In this case the elements of the sentence would be:

Active voice: subject + verb
For example: The shares went down.

Active voice examples

1. The children broke the glass.
2. Someone stole my wallet.
3. The teacher congratulates the student.
4. Juan wrote the best monograph.
5. Someone betrayed the assailants.
6. The computer altered the files.
7. Laura builds a house for her dolls.
8. The State will issue new tickets.
9. Police are investigating possible fraud.
10. A local company built my house.
11. The restaurant announced new dishes for the spring.
12. I sell twenty subscriptions a day.
13. Nobody can fix this problem.
14. In other times, men invited women to dance.
15. Someone declared the truth.
16. No one had signed the letter.
17. Sooner or later, someone is going to find the treasure.
18. He published the book two years ago.
19. The fire destroyed an abandoned house.
20. It is better that you hire a professional to decorate your house.

• More examples in: Active sentences