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What is the “passive voice”?: Difference between revisions
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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: | 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: | ||
:'''(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: | ||
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'''(Passive Voice)''' 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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* "Active vs. Passive Sentences." 2002. Academic center and the University of Houston Victoria. 22 Feb 2005 <[http://www.uhv.edu.ac/grammar/active.html Active vs.Passive Sentences]>. | * "Active vs. Passive Sentences." 2002. Academic center and the University of Houston Victoria. 22 Feb 2005 <[http://www.uhv.edu.ac/grammar/active.html Active vs.Passive Sentences]>. | ||
* Hacker, Diana. ''A Writer's Reference''. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2003. | * Hacker, Diana. ''A Writer's Reference''. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2003. | ||
* OWL.2000. Purdue University. 22 FEB 2005 <[http://owl.english.purdue.edu/hadnouts/grammar/g_actpass.html OWL]>. | * OWL.2000. Purdue University. 22 FEB 2005 <[http://owl.english.purdue.edu/hadnouts/grammar/g_actpass.html OWL]>. | ||