If you're looking to improve your writing and make your sentences clearer and more direct, understanding the difference between passive and active voice is essential. In this article, we will explore how to change passive voice to active voice, with practical examples and exercises that will help you sharpen your writing skills.
What is Active Voice and Passive Voice?
Before we dive into examples and exercises, let’s briefly explain the difference between the two voices:
Active Voice: In active voice, the subject carries out the action in the sentence. For example: "The cat chased the mouse."
Passive Voice: The subject receives the action, and the focus is shifted from the doer to the receiver. For example: "The mouse was chased by the cat."
Active voice is generally preferred in writing because it makes sentences more concise, clear, and engaging. In contrast, passive voice can sometimes be vague or unnecessarily complex.
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Why Change Passive to Active Voice?
1. Clarity: Active voice provides a clear understanding of who is doing what, making the sentence easier to follow.
2. Conciseness: Active voice tends to be more direct and to the point.
3. Engagement: Active voice makes writing more lively and engaging, which is especially important for content creation, storytelling, and persuasive writing.
Examples of Passive to Active Voice Conversion
Let’s take a look at some common examples of passive voice and see how they can be changed into active voice.
1. Passive: The book was read by Sarah.
Active: Sarah read the book.
2. Passive: The cake was baked by my mother.
Active: My mother baked the cake.
3. Passive: The report was written by John.
Active: John wrote the report.
4. Passive: The email was sent by Jane.
Active: Jane sent the email.
5. Passive: The documents were signed by the manager.
Active: The manager signed the documents.
Exercise: Change Passive to Active Voice
Now that we've covered some examples, it’s time for you to practice! Below are several passive voice sentences. Your task is to change them into active voice.
1. The car was washed by Tom.
2. The project was completed by the team.
3. The movie was directed by Christopher Nolan.
4. The food was prepared by the chef.
5. The homework was completed by the students.
Answers:
1. Tom washed the car.
2. The team completed the project.
3. Christopher Nolan directed the movie.
4. The chef prepared the food.
5. The students completed the homework.
Read about Active voice to passive voice converter: https://pcrsrpr.blogspot.com/2025/02/TheUltimateGuidetoUsinganActiveVoicetoPassiveVoiceConverterin2025.html
Tips for Changing Passive to Active Voice
Find the subject, verb, and object in the sentence.
Focus on the doer of the action (the subject) and make them the focus of the sentence.
Remove the auxiliary verb “was” or “were” often found in passive voice.
Example:
Passive: The letter was written by Anna.
Active: Anna wrote the letter.
Online active voice to passive voice converter: https://pcrsrpr.blogspot.com/2025/02/TransformYourWritingMasteringtheOnlineActiveVoicetoPassiveVoiceConverter.html
Conclusion
Mastering the art of switching from passive to active voice is a valuable skill that will enhance your writing. Whether you're working on essays, articles, or emails, active voice will help you communicate more effectively and engage your readers. Use the examples and exercises in this post to practice, and soon you’ll be writing with confidence and clarity.