ENG-7| Week 3

This module helps you develop a positive attitude of being a “doer or a performer” which you learn in active voice,
where the focus is on the person doing the act. While that which emphasizes the action or the result is in the passive
voice, the action is highlighted rather than the doer.
The exercises herein are made to motivate you embrace learning as a worthwhile experience. It is hoped that the skills
you learned will better prepare you to adjust to the new normal world.

What I Need to Know

Every writer or speaker has to pay attention to the idea or the topic that needs emphasis.
One of these is the use of active and passive voice where either the person doing the action or
the result of the action itself is emphasized. Having enough background about active and passive
voice will help one to be a better user of the English language.

After going through this module, you are expected to use the active and passive voice
meaningfully in varied contexts (EN7G-111-c-2); specifically, you are expected to:
1. identify sentences in active and passive voice;
2. determine context when to use active voice and passive voice; and,
3. construct sentences using active and passive voice.

This module enables learners to enjoy learning as you follow the varied discussions, exercises and worksheets.

What I Know
Before starting with this module, let us see how much you have learned about active and
passive voices of verb.
Instructions:
A. Write A if the sentence is in the active voice and P if it is in the passive voice.

Write your answers on your English Notebook.

Example: Most teenagers use gadgets.

Answer: A

___________1. A memo was written by her.

___________2. The nurse wears face mask and face shield.
___________3. Surgery is performed by a team of specialists.
___________4. Front liners inspect all passersby.
___________5. A disposable latex glove is worn by medical doctor.
___________ 6. Henry ate fruits and vegetables at dinner.
___________ 7. Marlon changed the flat tire.
___________ 8. The entire building was painted by Carlos.
___________ 9. The house will be cleaned by me every weekend.
___________ 10. The science class viewed the comet.

LESSON 3: The Use of Active and Passive Voice

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What’s In
Previously, you have learned about genres of a material viewed. Can you recall the genres?
Complete these statements:
1. I like to watch __________________.
2. Many people watch _____________ to know the weather of the day.
3. A ________________ is usually watched by adults.
4. ___________________ are often watched by millennials.
Write all your answers on the blanks provided. (Answers may vary.)

What’s New
Literary Journey. Below is a summary of the story “My Father Goes to Court”. Read thoroughly the selection and
observe how the characters behave or act and the consequences or results of their actions in the story.
My Father Goes to Court by Carlos Bulosan

Summary
In the Island of Luzon, there lived a poor but
happy family. The children were always playing and bathing in a cold river. They had a very rich neighbor with two
children who were not allowed to play outside of their house.
The rich man’s servant usually cooked special foods. The children of the poor family just smelled the yummy
aroma of the food from their rich neighbor. They enjoyed doing it everyday until they got strong and healthy while the
rich man’s children got pale and thin.
One day, the rich man filed a case against the father of the poor family for stealing the spirits of his food and
wealth. They all went to court. The father had no lawyer with him while the rich man had. When the judge asked about
the truth of the charge, the father said “yes” to smelling the aroma of the rich man’s food but not to stealing his wealth.
The father, with a hat full of coins, asked permission from the judge to have the tinkling of the coins heard by
the rich man. The father asked if the rich man heard the spirit of the money, which the latter said yes. The father then
said that the charge was paid.
The judge smiled and pounded his gavel and said that the case was dismissed.

Comprehension Questions:
1. What was the rich man’s accusation against the father?
The rich man accused the father for____________________________.
2. How did the father pay the rich man’s accusation?
The father paid the rich man’s accusation with ____________________ .
3. What did the children do with the yummy aroma of the food from a rich man’s house?
The yummy aroma of the food from a rich man’s house ______________ by the children.
4. What did the judge do with the case filed by the rich man?
The case __________________by the judge.

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What is It

In the previous activity (What’s In), the answers to questions 1 and 2 are in
the active voice while the answers in questions 3 and 4 are in the passive voice.

1. I like to watch videos.

2. Many people watch weather reports to know the weather of the day.
3. A documentary is usually watched by adults.
4. Internet-based programs are often watched by millennials.

All underlined words are the subjects of the sentence.

In the first two sentences, the subject is the doer of the action, while in the 3 rd and 4th sentences the subject is
the receiver of the action.
This is the same in your answer to the questions in “What’s New” activity.
1. The rich man (subject) accused (verb) the father (object) for stealing the spirit of rich man’s wealth and food.
2. The father (subject) paid (verb) the rich man’s accusation (object) with sweet tinkle of the coins.
3. The yummy aroma (object) of the food from a rich man’s house was inhaled (verb) by the children (subject).
4. The case (object) was dismissed (verb) by the judge (subject).

All underlined words are the subject of the sentence.

In the first two sentences, the subject is the doer of the action, while in the 3 rd and 4th sentences the subject is
the receiver of the action.
The next pages show a more detailed explanation to make you better understand the concept.

Activity 1 Oh My G! (Grammar Consciousness & Awareness)

The voice of an action verb indicates whether the subject performs or
receives the action.
There are two types of voice: ACTIVE VOICE and PASSIVE VOICE
ACTIVE VOICE
When the subject does or “acts upon” the verb, the sentence is said to be in the active voice.
Formula: Subject + Verb+ Object
(doer of the action)
Study the following examples. These show that the subject is doing the verb’s actions.
1. The rich man’s servant (subject) usually cooked (verb) special food (object).
2. Carlos Bulosan (subject) revealed (verb) the reality about social discrimination in the text
(object).
3. The judge (subject) pounded (verb) the gavel (object).
4. My brothers (subject) threw (verb) a small change in a straw hat (object).
PASSIVE VOICE
When the subject receives the action of the verb, the sentence is said to be in the passive voice.
Formula: Subject + Verb+ Object
(receiver of the action)

These examples show how the subject-verb relationship has changed.

1. Special food (subject) is usually cooked (verb) by the rich man’s servant (object). (active verb-
gives: passive verb-is given)
2. The reality about social discrimination in the text (subject) was revealed (verb) by Carlos Bulosan
(object).
(active verb-revealed: passive verb- was revealed)
3. The gavel (subject) was pounded (verb) by the judge (object).
(active verb- pounded: passive verb- was pounded)

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4. A small change in a straw hat (subject) was thrown (verb) by my brothers (object).
(active verb-threw: passive verb-was thrown)

The object in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice; the subject in the active voice
becomes the object in the passive voice.

This is Good to Know!

1. Identify tenses of verb and change it into

Verb Be+ Past Participle Tense

Active: The government gives relief goods.

Passive: Relief goods are given by the government.

Active: Many boys helped the wounded men.

Passive: Wounded men were helped by many boys.

Active: Someone will take my gadgets.

Passive: My gadgets will be taken by someone.

Tips in Changing Active to Passive:

2. Move the direct object to

the beginning of the sentence

Active: Arthur will send a package .

Passive: A package will be sent by Arthur.

Active: She ena will bring imported go ods.

Passive: Imported good s will be brought by Sheena .

3. Add the preposition “by” before the

subject

Active: He shbon will write a letter.

Passive: A letter will be written by Heshbon .

4. Add an auxiliary verb

“be” before the main verb

Let’s Learn

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Subject Verb Object P Subject Verb Object

1.The sings love songs. 1. Love songs are sung by the

A AS
choir
choir.
C S
2.Cat eats fish. 2. Fish is by cat.

T I eaten

3.The boys will run a race. 3.A race will be by the

I V
run boys.

V 4.Sarah mailed the document. E 4.The was by

document mailed
Sarah
E Voice

5. Wise make many 5.Many are by wise

Voice men inventions. inventions
made men.

What’s More
Activity 2 Self- Assessment

A. Are the sentences below in the Active or Passive Voice? Label them “Active or Passive”. Write your
answers on the space provided below. .

Example:
Active - Every province will follow the new DILG guidelines.

________________1. Emily is using hand sanitizer.

________________ 2. The Municipal Mayor ordered people to stay at home.
________________ 3. The relief goods were given to each household by the LGU.
________________ 4. An Executive Order was issued by the governor.
________________ 5. The builders finished the isolation room for PUIs.
________________ 6. The COVID-19 patient is brought by the medical workers to the
hospital.
________________ 7. The front liners are checking the quarantine pass.
________________ 8. The health professionals were reading the test result.
________________ 9. She is wearing face mask.
________________ 10. Daddy came home after two weeks of being quarantined.

B. Read the given statements properly. If it is in the active voice, look for its passive form in the given choices and
vice versa. Write the letter of your answers on your English Notebook.
Example:
B Laura found a gold bracelet.
a. A gold bracelet is found by Laura.
b. A gold bracelet was found by Laura.
c. A gold bracelet will be found by Laura.

_____11. The President signs the letter.

a. The letter is signed by the president.
b. The letter was signed by the president.
c.The letter will be signed by the president.
_____12. The COVID-19 patient took the bitter medicine.
a. The bitter medicine is taken by the COVID-19 patient.
b. The bitter medicine was taken by the COVID-19 patient.
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c. The bitter medicine will be taken by the COVID-19 patient.

_____13. The cure of COVID-19 is discovered by a Filipino scientist.

a. The Filipino scientist discovers the cure of COVID-19.
b. The Filipino scientist discovered the cure of COVID-19.
c. The Filipino scientist will discover the cure of COVID-19.

_____14. A heavy load during this pandemic time is carried by the world.
a. A heavy load during this pandemic time was carried by the world.
b. The world carries a heavy load during this pandemic time.
c. A heavy load during this pandemic time will be carried by the world.
_____15. God controlled everything in this world.
a. Everything in this world is controlled by God.
b. Everything in this world will be controlled by God.
c. Everything in this world was controlled by God.

You are now ready to learn more!

1.When do we use the active voice?

a. Active voice is used when the doer is more important than the action.
This places the emphasis on the subject of the sentence and makes the sentence more straightforward and
brief.

For example:
 I really love this dog.
 Monkeys live in the jungle.
 She threw the ball to John.
 The dog ran back to the car.
 I made a mistake.

b. Active voice is also used in making commands or requests.

For example:
 Open the window.
 Carry the books.
 Do it alone.
 Catch the ball.
 Feed the dog.

c. Giving instructions can be done in the active voice.

For example:
 Cut the spices in small pieces.
 Interview the barangay officials for the correct data.
 Measure accurately the size of the cloth.
 Turn off the electricity.
 Wear mask in public places.

1. When do we use the passive voice?

The passive voice is used in the following cases:

a. The actor is unknown.

Example: The motorcycle was stolen (maybe by someone).

b. The actor is irrelevant.

Example: A COVID-19 vaccine will be discovered by researchers soon.

c. You want to be indefinite about who is responsible.

Example: Mistakes were made.

d. You are talking about a general truth.

Example: Do unto others what you want others do unto you.

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e. You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on.
Example: The virus that caused COVID-19 was discovered in 2020.

f. You are writing an experiment result/report.

Example: The salt was dissolved in water.

Activity 3 When to use active or passive voice

Write a sentence either in the active or passive voice using the ideas below. Decide on which is more important, the
doer or the action, to determine your answer.
1.Police arresting the COVID-19 protocol violators.
________________________________________

2.The doctor examining the COVID-19 patient

________________________________________

3.Filipino scientists discovering a cure for COVID-19

_______________________________________

4.A nurse wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

_______________________________________

What I Have Learned

In active voice, the focus is on the _______________ of the action, while in the passive, it is on
the _____________ or result.

What I Can Do
Activity 4 Self-Care First
Pretend that you are a health care provider in your barangay. Discuss with your friends some of the best practices one
must observe during the pandemic.
Use active and passive voice of the verb. The first is done for you.

Washing the hands

Active a. Girlie uses a germicidal soap in washing her hands.
Passive b. A germicidal soap is used by Girlie in washing her hands.

Wearing a face mask

Active a. ______________________________________________
Passive b. ______________________________________________

Staying at home
Active a. ______________________________________________
Passive b. ______________________________________________

Observing social- distancing

Active a. ______________________________________________
Passive b. ______________________________________________

Eating healthy foods

Active a. ______________________________________________
Passive b. ______________________________________________

Assessment
Now, let us check what you have learned.
Instructions:
Follow the specified task below. Use active and passive voice of the verbs in your sentences. Write your answer
on the space provided below.

Write a report about a science experiments that you did in your Science class.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Write instructions on how to cook a certain recipe or construct a certain object, etc. that you learn in your TLE class.
_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Additional Activities
Activity 5 PIC TO TELL

The pictures on the next page tell a lot of stories which you can relate to the present time. Using your prior knowledge
about the use of active and passive voice, do the following:

A. Construct three sentences using active voice. Write your answers on the blanks.

1.

________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________

B. Construct three sentences using passive voice.

4._________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________

Congratulations! You have successfully completed Module 3. Please proceed to Module 4 and learn about the
past and past perfect tenses.

References
Fermin, Edison A. and Papango, Marla C. English 7 Learner’s Material. Pasig City Philippines: FEP Printing Corp. 2017, pp 374-379.

Academia Edu “The Use of Active and Passive Voice” Accessed May 27, 2020.
https://www.academia.edu/25892356/ACTIVE_AND_PASSIVE_VOICE

Active Voice Adds Impact to Your Writing-Your Dictionary Accessed May 28, 2020. https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style -and-usage?active-voice-adds-impactto-your-
writing.html.

Carlos Bulosan, “My Father Goes to Court”. Accessed June 8, 2020.

https://incendiaryjaycee.wordpress.com/2017/08/29/summary -reflection-andreview-my-father-goes-to-court-by-carlos-bulosan/

Passive Voice-University of Toronto Advice on Academic Writing Accessed June

9, 2020 https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/revising/passive -voice/

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Whoisthiszy Wordpress “My Father Goes to Court” Accessed June 10, 2020. https://whoisthiszy.wordpress.com/2019/01/03/my -father-goes-to-court-by-carlosbulosan-
summary-reflection-and-review/

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