What are active and passive voice?

Active voice is a grammatical structure in which the subject of a sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. For example, "The dog chased the cat."

Passive voice, on the other hand, is a grammatical structure in which the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the verb. For example, "The cat was chased by the dog." In passive voice, the focus is on the receiver of the action rather than the doer.

Active Voice

- The subject performs the action.
- The verb is in the active form.

Example: The boy kicks the ball.

Passive Voice

- The subject receives the action.
- The verb is in the passive form, which consists of a form of the verb "to be" followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Example: The ball is kicked by the boy.

Key Differences

- Subject's Role: In active voice, the subject is the doer of the action. In passive voice, the subject is the recipient of the action.
- Verb Form: In active voice, the verb is in the active form. In passive voice, the verb is in the passive form.
- Emphasis: Active voice emphasizes the doer of the action, while passive voice emphasizes the recipient of the action.

When to Use Active or Passive Voice

- Active voice: Use active voice when you want to emphasize the doer of the action or when you have a known subject.
- Passive voice: Use passive voice when you want to emphasize the recipient of the action or when you have an unknown subject.

Examples

- Active voice: The students solved the equation.
- Passive voice: The equation was solved by the students.
- Active voice: The earthquake destroyed the building.
- Passive voice: The building was destroyed by the earthquake.