Voice
Active voice and passive voice — when and how to use each
What is Voice?
Voice shows whether the subject performs the action (active) or receives it (passive). In active voice, the subject acts. In passive voice, the subject is acted upon.
Active vs Passive Voice
Active Voice
The subject performs the action. Direct, clear, and energetic. Preferred in most writing.
The dog chased the cat.
Passive Voice
The subject receives the action. Form: be + past participle (+ by agent). Used when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or to emphasize the receiver.
The cat was chased by the dog.
The window was broken.
The invitation was accepted by all the guests.
From novelPassive Voice Formation Rules
To form the passive: move the object to subject position, use the appropriate form of "be" + past participle, and optionally add "by + agent". Only transitive verbs (verbs with objects) can be made passive.
Active: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. → Passive: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.