ELA5
Active Voice Passive Voice
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Sign inDEFINITION:
Active voice describes a sentence where the subject performs the action stated by the verb.
Passive voice describes a sentence where the subject is acted upon by the verb.
HOW IT WORKS:
This is an example of an active voice sentence: We are going to watch a new show on television tonight.
This is an example of a passive voice sentence: A new show on television is going to be watched by us tonight.
HOW IT'S USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE:
Most of the sentence we use when speaking are in active voice.
Active voice and passive voice areused every day when speaking or reading. It is used when either you or something else that is the subject is doing the acting.
Lyrics
Switch, you gotta switch it up and switch, just switch it up
And switch, you gotta switch it up
Active voice and passive voice
Active voice and passive voice
First, you find the action verb and then, you find the subject word.
If the subject performs the action, then the sentence would be described as active.
Example: 'The man eats a sandwich.'
'Eats' is the verb so what’s the subject? Man is.
And since 'The man eats,' you can tell what that is.
Now understand the sentence is active.
Switch, you gotta switch it up and switch, just switch it up
And switch, you gotta switch it up
Active voice and passive voice
Active voice and passive voice
Next, for a passive voice you just switch up the words in your sentence choice.
'The sandwich has been eaten by the man.'
There’s a difference here that you need to understand.
The verb 'eaten' acts upon the subject.
This will always cause the passive voice affect. Now that you know what these sentences do, you can now write them and notice them too.
Switch, you gotta switch it up and switch, just switch it up
And switch, you gotta switch it up
Active voice and passive voice
Active voice and passive voice
Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1.B — Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.3.A — Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1.D — Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.*