What is the “passive voice”?: Difference between revisions

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'''== What is Passive Voice? =='''
'''== What is Passive Voice? =='''


Passive voice is when the subject does not perform an action, like in an active sentence. In the active voice, the subject does something:
Passive voice is when the subject does not perform an action. It is often confused with the active voice, where the subject actually does something.  For example:


  The professor wrote a novel.
'''(Active Voice)''' The professor wrote a novel.


The subject (professor) performs an action (wrote) which produces the object (novel). In the passive voice, the order of the sentence is reversed so that the sentence merely describes:
The subject (professor) performs an action (wrote) which produces the object (novel). In the passive voice, the order of the sentence is reversed so that the sentence merely describes:


   The novel was written by the professor.
   '''(Passive Voice)''' The novel was written by the professor.
 
'''==Recognizing the Passive Voice=='''


Recognize a passive construction by some form of the '''“be”''' (was) verb that proceeds a past participle (written), followed by a prepositional phrase (by the professor).  
Recognize a passive construction by some form of the '''“be”''' (was) verb that proceeds a past participle (written), followed by a prepositional phrase (by the professor).  
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