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Passive active voice is one of the most interesting, yet confusing, categories in English language. Read through the article to know more about passive voice and active voice.

Passive Voice And Active Voice

You might have been instructed by your English teacher not to write in passive voice. Most of you know that passive voice in sentences is something which you should avoid. However, very few actually define it or recognise it. Verbs are said to be either active or passive. In active voice, the relationship between the subject and the verb is straightforward and clear, while in passive voice, the subject is acted upon by some other agent. Active voice sentences are more helpful as they are less wordy and avoid weaker words such as, is, am, were, was, being, been and so on. As active voice helps the readers understand and remember what you write, it is advisable to use active voice. Passive sentences can be vague and confusing in, especially when used as long sentences. Linguistic experts have argued that people understand and remember materials written in active voice more than the ones written in passive voice. All this does not mean that passive voice is inherently wrong. It can be used when the speaker wants to hide the agent or even in a mechanical process to hide subjectivity. We do find an overdose of passive voice in sentences by educators, military writers to avoid the responsibility for the action occurred.

Passive Active Voice

Distinguishing Active And Passive Voice
In an active voice, the subject will do the action. Active voice is the straightforward way of saying a specific thing as in the sentence,
Using Passive Voice
Identifying Passive Voice And Converting Into Active Voice
A clue to identifying passive voice in sentences is to look out for sentences using 'was' as in the following sentences
Once you make out that the sentences are in passive voice, try rewriting the sentences in active voice. Rewriting passive sentences in active means that one of the two objects becomes the subject while the other one remains the object. The object which you want to transform into subject should be the one which you want to put the focus on. Go through the following example,
Using Active Voice Constructions
Always use the active voice when you want to make your sentence clear, simple, direct and easier to read. If you are not confident about your writing, using active voice would be an effective way to provide life to a dull piece of work.

Active and passive voice sentences have their own advantages and shortcomings. It is up to the reader to have a clear idea of which voice to be used where. While creative writing encourages active voice, passive voice is favoured in scientific writings and crime reports. However, remember that the heart of your sentence is its strong verbs and clear description. Make sure that whatever you write has the right set of articles, verbs and nothing extra creeps into your sentence formation. And the let the situation decide what voice you use.