Voice is an essential part of writing. In
grammar, voice shows whether the subject is performing an action (active voice)
or receiving an action (passive voice). Note that voice has a different
definition in grammar than it does in regular English. Both of these types are
important because they are used to emphasize different parts of a sentence.
Although some people think only active voice is useful, both types of
grammatical voice serve important purposes in writing.
In a sentence written in active voice, the subject performs
the action of the verb. This type of voice is called active because the subject
is active and is performing the action specified by the verb. This is
the more common type of voice. Consider the following example:
A cheering crowd of people pushed
Melanie towards the front of the auditorium.
Here, the subject, “crowd”, is performing the action of the
verb, “pushed.” This sentence is in active voice as the subject is performing an
action. Active voice sentences emphasize the performer of the action (crowd of
people).
Passive voice is the other way around. In passive voice, the
subject is receiving the action of the verb. This voice is passive
because the subject is passive, or inactive, while the action is being
done to the subject. For example:
Melanie was pushed toward the front
of the auditorium by a cheering crowd of people.
Here, the subject, “Melanie”, is receiving the action of being
pushed. This sentence uses passive voice because the subject is receiving the
action of the verb. Melanie is inactive; she is being pushed, not
moving herself. Passive voice sentences emphasize the receiver of the action
(Melanie).
For most regular sentences, active voice is the best choice
to use because it is stronger than passive voice. However, passive voice is in
our language for a reason. There are some good uses for passive voice. They
are:
·
When the performer of the action does not need to be known or is
not known. For example:
All work has been canceled for the
day!
The gates were knocked down as the
crowd rushed toward the building.
In the first example, it is not
important for the audience to know who canceled the work; therefore, it
is in passive voice.
In the second example, the specific
performer is not known. The gates were knocked down by one or more people, but
the writer does not know who they were. Therefore, passive voice is used.
For more uses of the passive voice,
see the next level grade concepts.
For information on personal and
impersonal passive voice, see the next level grade concepts.