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Active and Passive Voice (Using Active and Passive Voice) • Practice 1

Using Active and Passive Voices Use the active voice whenever possible. Use the passive voice to emphasize the receiver of an action or to point out the receiver whenever the performer is unknown, unimportant, or not named in the sentence.

I USES OF ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICES I The touchdown was scored by Martin. (Wordy and weak passive; better as active voice: Martin scored the touchdown.) Mayor Johnson was honored by his colleagues. (Correct passive; emphasizes Mayor Johnson, the receiver of the action.) We were told to leave the building at once. (Correct passive; the performer is not named in the sentence.)

Using Verbs in the Active Voice. Rewrite each sentence below, changing the verb

from passive voice to active voice. Make any necessary word changes. D

EXAMPLE: New coiny e recently urchase4 by o ctioli Our school cently purchbsea new computers.

1. The awards were presented by the principal.

2. During the first act, a solo was performed by Gloria.

3. Our trip to Tucson, Arizona, was planned by Russell and John.

4. A hole in one was shot by Louis on his first try.

5. An important speech was made by the president.

6. A number of pictures have been drawn by me since my arrival.

7. A bright red cap was worn by Harriet.

8. A large CD collection is shared by the members of my family.

9. I have been asked by Mr. Peterson to prepare a short speech.

10. You will be trained by an experienced craftsman.

Avoiding Unnecess

Uses of he Passive Tense. Rewrite the sentences in the

following paragraph. Change passiveye] s to a •ve ones to improve the paragraph. Use a separate

sheet of paper.

EXAMPLE: The Jamestown settlers were hel ed Native Americans. Native Americans helped the J town settlers.

(1) The colony of Jamestown was settled thEng1ish in 1607. (2) One hundred and four men and boys had been sent by a group of merchants /i Englad. (3) The settlers had been instructed by their sponsors to look for gold and other valuable( (4) They 'ere also told by the merchants to find a route to Asia. (5) A difficult beginning was experienc1 by these rly settlers, but eventually they prospered.

© Prentice-Hall, Inc. Active and Passive Voice (Using Active and Passive Voice) • 131

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, Active and Passive Voice (Using Active and Passive Voice) • Practice 2

Using the Active Voice. Rewrite each of the following sentences, changing the verb from the passive voice to the active voice and making whatever other changes are necessary.

EXAMPLE: This old whw_ounc1byn my grandmother's bureau. Ifound this Ia watch in my grandmother's bureau.

1. All the hamburgers were eaten by us in less than five minutes.

2. Television is hardly ever watched by Randy and Caroline.

3. The story was blurted out by the twins to everyone in the room.

4. A decision was suddenly reached by the President.

5. A home run was hit by Andy in his first time at bat.

6. Sequined tank suits were worn by the members of the precision swim team.

7. Many books have been read by me since I got a library card.

8. The javelin was hurled forcefully into the air by Don.

9. A remarkable opportunity was missed by you yesterday.

10. Four languages are spoken by him fluently.

Application of the Passive Voice. Most of the underlined verbs in the following paragrap\ are in the ;ive voice. Rewrite the paragraph changing as many of the passive verbs into active one as you ti

necessary to improve the paragraph. It is

not necessary to change every passive verb. de a sep sheet of paper.

EXAMPLE: Vehicles of many different sorts have be

into space by the United States. The United States has sent vehicles c

different sorts into space.

(1) After years of preparation and many delays, first space shuttle was launched by the United States in 1981. (2) The shuttle had been designed by A engineers to make a number of voyages into outer space. (3) The very first voyage was made bye sp ecraft Columbia on April 12, 1981. (4) The spaceship was manned by astronauts John Young d Ro rt Crippen. (5) These men had been carefully trained for many years by NASA to participate in e spaceuttle program. (6) The Columbia was lifted into space from Cape Canaveral by several rock that coul e reused by the space program. (7) These rockets were later recovered by the Navy from e Atlantic Oce . (8) The spacecraft with its human cargo orbited ffiarth for two days. (9) It was finall guided back to e earth and was landed on the ground at Bakersfield. California, by astronauts Youn d Crippen. (10) e successful flight was heralded by millions of Americans as this country's ret to outer space.

132 • Grammar Exercise Workbook © Prentice-Mall, Inc.