WeblogActive and Passive Verbs
Active verbs form more efficient and more powerful sentences than passive verbs. This document will teach you why and how to prefer active verbs.
|  |
Contents
1. How to Recognize Active and Passive Sentences ^
- Find the subject (the main character of the sentence).
- Find the main verb (the action that the sentence identifies).
- Examine the relationship between the subject and main verb.
- Does the subject perform the action of the main verb? (If so, the sentence is active.)
- Does the subject sit there while something else -- named or unnamed -- performs an action on it? (If so, the sentence is passive.)
- Can't tell? If the main verb is a linking verb ("is," "was," "are," "seems (to be)," "becomes" etc.), then the verb functions like an equals sign; there is no action involved -- it merely describes a state of being.
2. Basic Examples ^
I love you.
|
You are loved by me.
|
3. Difference between Passive Voice and Past Tense ^
Many people confuse the passive voice with the past tense. The most common passive constructions also happen to be past tense (e.g. "I've been framed"), but "voice" has to do with who, while "tense" has to do with when.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice | |
| Past Tense | I taught; I learned. | I was (have been) taught [by someone]; It was (has been) learned [by someone]. |
| Present Tense | I teach; I learn. | I am [being] taught [by someone]; It is [being] learned [by someone]. |
| Future Tense | I will teach; I will learn. | I will be taught [by someone]; It will be learned [by someone]. |
4. Imperatives: Active Commands ^
A command (or "imperative") is a kind of active sentence, in which "you" (the one being addressed) are being ordered to perform the action. (If you refuse to obey, the sentence is still active.)
- Get to work on time.
- Insert tab A into slot B.
- Take me to your leader.
- Ladies and gentlement, let us consider, for a moment, the effect of the rafting sequences on our understanding of the rest of the novel.
5. Sloppy Passive Constructions ^
Because passive sentences do not need to identify the performer of an action, they can lead to sloppy or misleading statements (especially in technical writing). Compare how clear and direct these passive sentences become, when they are rephrased as imperative sentences
 |
To drain the tank, the grill should be removed, or the storage compartment can be flooded. |
Because they do not specify the actors, the passive verbs ("should be removed" and "can be flooded") contribute to the confusing structure of this sentence. Does the sentence 1) offer two different ways to drain the tank ("you may either remove the grill or flood the compartment")? ...or does it 2) warn of an undesirable causal result ("if you drain the tank without removing the grill, the result will be that the storage compartment is flooded")? |
|
 |
Revision 1: Drain the tank in one of the following ways:
|
|
Revision 2: 1)
Remove the grill.
|
6. Linking Verbs: Neither Active nor Passive ^
When the verb performs the function of an equals sign, the verb is said to be a linking verb. Linking verbs describe no action -- they merely state an existing condition or relationship; hence, they are neither passive nor active.
| Subject | = |
Description |
| The door | is | blue. |
| The door | was | closed. |
| This | could be | the first day of the rest of my life. |
| She | might have been | very nice. |
7. The Passive Voice Is not Wrong ^
-
When you wish to downplay the action:
-
When you wish to downplay the actor:
-
When the actor is unknown:
The victim was approached from behind and hit over the head with a salami.
Mistakes will be made, and lives will be lost; the sad truth is learned anew by each generation.
Three grams of reagent 'A' were added to a beaker of 10% saline solution.
(In the scientific world, the actions of a researcher are ideally not supposed to affect the outcome of an experiment; the experiment is supposed to be the same no matter who carries it out. I will leave it to you and your chemistry professor to figure out whether that's actually true, but in the meantime, don't use excessive passive verbs simply to avoid using "I" in a science paper.)
8. Tricky Examples ^
Punctuality
seems important.
|
Remember
to brush your teeth.
|
9. Links to Active & Passive Verb Resources ^
Looking for more help?
- An online quiz: Revising Passive Constructions.
- The graphics on Purdue's
Active and Passive Verbs page aren't good HTML (visually impaired
readers would be left out), but the content is good.
10. Works Cited ^
Orwell, George. "Politics and the English Language." A Collection of Essays. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1954. 167-177.
Strunk, William. Elements of Style. Ithaca, N.Y.: Priv print, 1918. <http://www.bartleby.com/141/> 03 Jul 2004.
United States. Securities and Exchange Commission. A Plain English Handbook. Draft. Washington D.C. 1977. <http://www.sec.gov/consumer/plaine.htm>. 12 Apr 1999.
Related Pages
- Show, Don't (Just) Tell
Don't just tell me your brother is funny... show me what he says and does, and let me decide whether I want to laugh. To convince your readers, show, don't just tell them what you want them to know.
There. I've just told you something. Pretty lame, huh? Now, let me show you.
- Titles for Web Pages: In-Context and Out-of-Context
Most writers know the value of an informative title, but many beginning web authors don't know that each web page needs two kinds of titles. The in-context (IC) title always sits at the top of a page, with the rest... - Blurbs: Writing Previews of Web Pages
On the Web, blurbs are compressed summaries of what a reader will find on the other end of a hyperlink. Good blurbs don't harangue ("Click here!") or tease ("Learn ten great tips!"). You're reading a blurb now. If it helps you decide whether to click the link, it's done its job. - Short Stories: Developing Ideas for Short Fiction
A short story is tight -- there is no room for long exposition, there are no subplots to explore, and by the end of the story there should be no loose ends to tie up. End right at the climax, so that the reader has to imagine how a life-changing event will affect the protagonist. - Short Stories: 10 Tips for Creative Writers (Kennedy and Jerz)
Short stories make every word count. They avoid unnecessary scenes, characters, and plot points. It usually focuses on a single problem and a short time period. This page offers tips on writing dialogue, building to a climax, and capturing the reader's interest. - MLA Style: Step-By-Step Instructions for Formatting MLA Papers
Need to write a paper in MLA format? This step-by-step includes images showing how to use MS-Word to create the title block, page layout, and works cited list. - Writing Effective E-Mail: Top 10 Tips
People decide to read or trash e-mails in seconds. From the subject line to the closing, offer a focused, scannable message that puts your reader's needs first.
thanks for the information
hope i can subscribe everytime i will go to your site.
we have many assignment in our english and ..hope you will help me..,
Yo bro. cant say thanks enough for this copyrighted info. laterz biaaaaaaaaaaaro
Be dammed. Be good. Be dead. Be strong. Be active. Be passive. Be here now. Wow, this is fun.
Attention:site manager
Thank's for your help.This method is really work for me.
Best regards
I enjoyed reading through your site and found some very helpful tips for writing in my English & Creative Writing classes this term. Thanks for sharing a wealth of information with us. Happy day to you! (-:
Thank you very much for this article it realy help. Please i want to start serious writting and i need help with creative writting book. Thank you.
tnx for the information you have given to me...
............thankz for the information!!!!!!!!!
thx thx thx for all information