Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

Pay attention to subject, verb and object in the following active voice sentences and turn the sentences into passive voice:

1. Active: John saw Kevin. Passive:�Kevin was seen by John�
2. Active: Peter gave Sheila a book of poems. Passive:�
3. Active: The father locked the door. Passive:
4. Active: The men drank all the brandy, the women smoked all the cigars. Passive:
5. Active: The night watchman caught the burglar. Passive:
6. Active: Some boys took my car. Passive:
7. Active: No one saw me. Passive:
8. Active: The editor published the commissioner's diary. Passive:

Advice from www.AskOxford.com -�Plain English Guidelines: Prefer the active voice unless there�s a good reason for using the passive.

The active tends to make the writing tighter, more personal, and introduces action earlier in sentences. The passive tends to do the reverse yet it is still valuable in, for example, defusing hostility, focusing attention on the receiver of the action, and evading responsibility.

(1) Converting passives to actives � Though using the active in the example will produce only small gains in clarity and economy, a general preference for active over passive will significantly improve the readability of most documents.

Compare:

1. A recommendation was made by inspectors that consideration be given by the company to the fitting of an interlock trip between the ventilation systems to prevent cell pressurization.
2. Inspectors recommended that the company consider fitting an interlock trip between the ventilation systems to prevent cell pressurization.