UNIVERSIDADE UNIPÚNGUE

FACULDADE DE LETRAS, CIÊNCIAS SOCIAIS E HUMANIDADES

DEPARTAMENTO DE LINGUÍSTICA E TRADUÇÃO

CURSO DE LICENCIATURA EM ENSINO DE INGLÊS - 1° ANO - EAD

ACTIVE OR PASSIVE VOICE

Chimoio, April de 2024

 UNIVERSIDADE UNIPÚNGUE

1st Semester
1st year

GROUP VI

Discentes:

Amido Victor

Evelyn Mutemachani

Lister Pandura

Lucinda Gomes

Marília João Domingos Mussona

Valeriano Stingi

Tutor: Dr. Amone Matandaudje

Chimoio, April de 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENT
1. INTRODUTION..................................................................................................................4

1.1. Objectives..........................................................................................................................5
1.3 Specifics.............................................................................................................................5
1.4. Methodology.....................................................................................................................5
2. WHAT IS ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE?.....................................................................6

2.1. What are some examples of active and passive voice?.................................................6

2.2. USING THE AUXILIARY VERB “BE”.....................................................................6
2.3. VERB TENSES USED IN ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE....................................7
3. WHEN TO USE PASSIVE VOICE...................................................................................11

3.1. How and when do writers choose to use active and passive voice?............................12
5. REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................14

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1. INTRODUTION

Voice refers to the form of a verb that indicates when a grammatical subject performs
the action or is the receiver of the action. When a sentence is written in the active voice,
the subject performs the action; in the passive voice, the subject receives the action. In
academic writing, it is generally preferred to choose an active verb and pair it with a
subject that names the person or thing doing or performing the action. Active verbs are
stronger and usually more emphatic than forms of the verb “be” or verbs in the passive
voice.

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1.1. Objectives
1.2. General
 To discuss about active and passive voice

1.3 Specifics
 To define active and passive voice
 Examples of active and passive voice
 To show how to use verb tenses used in active and passive voice
 How and when do writers choose to use active and passive voice

1.4. Methodology
To do this assignment or to fulfil it was possible trough consultation or research of
Bibliographic references which talk about the topic.

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2. WHAT IS ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE?

Definition: In grammar, “Voice” means the form of verb by which the relation of the
subject to the action implied is indicated.

In other words, voice is the form of the verb which indicates whether the subject does
the work or something has been done to it.

Active Voice

When the subject of a sentence is the doer or actor, the Verb is in the Active Voice. It is
so because the subject is active.

Passive Voice

When the subject of a sentence is acted upon, the verb is in Active Voice. It is so
because the subject is passive.

2.1. What are some examples of active and passive voice?

Active Voice

My doctor performed the surgery.

My doctor took out my appendix.

Above, we start with person performing the action followed by the action he or she
performed.

Passive Voice

My appendix was taken out by my doctor.

My appendix was taken out.

Above, the actor comes at the end of the sentence, and in the second sentence, the actor
is absent.

2.2. USING THE AUXILIARY VERB “BE”

The passive voice is formed by using a form of the auxiliary verb “be” (be, am, is, are,
was, were, being, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb. Main

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 Active Passive

He loves me. I am loved.

We took our children to the circus. The children were taken to the circus.

A thief stole my money. My money was stolen.

Notice how the “be” auxiliaries change the meaning of the verbs from action to
condition or from “doing” to “being.”

He remembers his grandmother. (“he” is doing an action: remembering)

His grandmother is remembered. (“she” is in a condition: being remembered)

In this way, the past participle functions very much like an adjective; it describes the
subject.

The woman is pretty. She is a pretty woman

The woman is married. She is a married woman.

2.3. VERB TENSES USED IN ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

The following is a summary of active and passive forms of all verb tenses. Remember
that in active forms the subject of the sentence is the person or thing that does the
action. In passive constructions, the verb is performed by someone or something other
than the subject; often, the action is done to the subject by someone else.

 Present Time

Simple Present

Use the simple present tense to make a generalization, to present a state of being, or to

indicate a habitual or repeated action.

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 Active: Passive:

base form or “-s/-es” form am/is/are + past participle

Professor Brown teaches at Hunter. Sonia is taught by Professor Brown

All humans are equal. All humans are created equal

Maria eats in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is cleaned

 Present Progressive

Use the present progressive to describe an ongoing activity or a temporary action.

Active: Passive:

am/is/are + -ing am/is/are + being + -ed/-en

The students are learning Spanish. Classes are being conducted in Spanish.

I am working at McDonald’s until I finish I am working at McDonald’s.

school.

 Present Perfect

Use the present perfect to describe an action occurring in the past but relevant to the
resent, or extending to the present.

Active: Passive:

has/have + -ed/-en has/have + been + -ed/-en

Hunter has opened a language institute in The language institute has been opened to

East Harlem. relocate students off the main campus..

Hunter has offered E.S.L courses for E.S.L. courses have been offered since the

twenty years. beginning of Open Admissions

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  Past Time

Use the simple past to indicate a general or habitual action occurring in the past or at a

specific time in the past.

Active: Passive:

base + -ed or irregular form was/were + -ed/-en

Our family bought all our clothes at Sears The money was given to me to buy new

when I was young. clothes.

On my fifteenth birthday, my uncle gave We were always driven to the mall by my

me one hundred dollars friend's older brother.

 Past Perfect

Use the past perfect to indicate an action completed prior to a particular time or before

another action in the past.

Active: Passive:

had + -ed/-en had + been + -ed/-en

Completed: Mary had been kissed many times before

Mary's mother was shocked because she that day.

had forbidden her daughter to date.

 Future Time
Simple Future

Use the future to indicate an action that is expected to take place at a future time.

Active: Passive:

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 will + base or or will + be + -ed/-en or am/is/are + going to be
+ -ed/-en
am/is/are going to + base

Paul and Mary will marry in June. They will be married by a priest and a

rabbi.

Mary is going to wear her grandmother's The gown is going to be adjusted to fit

gown. Mary.

 Future Progressive

Use the future progressive to indicate an action in future with emphasis on continuing

action.

Active: Passive:

will + base + -ing will + be + being + -ed/en

Mary and Paul will be spending lots of Note: Not used in the passive voice.

time on the beach.

 Future Perfect Progressive

Use the future perfect progressive to indicate an action projected to have been going on
for a while before a time in the future.

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Active: Passive:

will + have + been + -ing will + have + been + being + -ed/-en

When they celebrate their first Note: Not used in the passive voice.

anniversary, they will have been living

together for a full year.

3. WHEN TO USE PASSIVE VOICE

Although active voice is generally preferred in academic writing, passive voice is

acceptable under certain conditions.

Use passive voice

1. To emphasize the receiver of the action instead of the doer

 Quizzes are given regularly.
 Grades for all students are averaged.
 Questions are encouraged.
2. To keep the focus on the same subject through several sentences or paragraphs

My sister and I grew up and went to school in Jamaica. We were educated according to
the British system. In 1997 we were given the opportunity to come to the United States.
We decided to finish high school before leaving our own country. We were concerned
that the education in this country might not be as good as the one we had there, and we
wanted to improve our English too.

3. When we do not know who performed the action:

 Ray's calculator was made in Germany.
 The answers have been filled in.
4. When we do not wish to mention the doer of the action:
 Many problems have been ignored for too long.
 I was given some bad advice.
5. when we want to sound objective or avoid using the subject “I”

Studies have shown . . .

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It is well-known . . .

Hamlet is considered . . .

It can be assumed . . .

It has been established . .

3.1. How and when do writers choose to use active and passive voice?

While active voice tends to reveal or emphasize the actor of the sentence, passive voice
tends to obscure or de-emphasize the actor. This means that active sentences often
sound more “direct” than passive sentences and are therefore clearer to the reader. This
also means that active sentences often give more information to the reader.

Many writers are told to avoid using passive voice. This might be because passive voice
is sometimes seen as weak or unconfident. It might also be because passive voice is
sometimes used to hide an action’s cause or actor from the reader.

However, passive voice is very useful when you need to emphasize the effects of an
action, rather than its cause or its actor. In fact, it’s required for certain types of
scientific writing, because it emphasizes the processes and results of research, rather
than the choices or biases of the scientists.

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4. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, both the active and passive voices play significant roles in written
communication and can be used effectively depending on the context and purpose of the
text. The active voice is typically more direct and energetic, highlighting the subject as
the agent of the action. On the other hand, the passive voice can be useful when the
focus is on the object of the action or when the agent of the action is to be obscured.
Both forms of voice have their own characteristics and can be applied flexibly to
achieve different stylistic effects and emphasis.

Understanding the differences between the active and passive voices is crucial for using
each appropriately in writing. By mastering the use of both active and passive voices,
writers can enhance the clarity, fluency, and impact of their texts, providing more
effective and engaging communication for the reader. Whether it's to emphasize the
doer of an action or to bring attention to the receiver of the action, choosing the right
voice can significantly influence the tone and effectiveness of the message being
conveyed. Therefore, writers should carefully consider the context and desired effect
when deciding whether to employ the active or passive voice in their writing.

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5. REFERENCES
1. GOURI MITRA T.G.T (ENGLISH). Voice Change.
2. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE. uofl.edu/writingcenter [email protected]
3. GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS, Active and Passive Voice. Murray and Anna C.
Rockowitz Writing Center, Hunter College, City University of New York.

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