Meaning of Voice:

The purpose of 'Voice' in grammar is to highlight the link between the action performed and the main participants in the action. There are two main types of voices: Active and Passive Voice. The classification depends on the location of the subject verb.

Active Voice:

The most commonly used voice in the English language is the 'Active Voice'. It refers to the action performed by the subject which usually comes at the beginning of a sentence. The following examples will make it clear. The words written in bold are the subjects of the sentence.

Example:

1. Rajat ate six doughnuts at lunch.

2. Suresh changed the flat tyre.

3. We are going to the mall tonight.

4. I ran the marathon in record time.

5. I read the novel in one day.

6. The critic wrote a favorable review.

7. I will clean the house every Sunday.

8. She emailed her application for a new job.

9. Jim watered the entire garden.

10. Tommy really enjoyed the cake.

Passive Voice:

Passive voice denotes the importance of the action performed irrespective of the subjects. The 'who' or 'what' part of the sentence is not important. The passive voice of the above examples is as follows. The words written in bold are the subjects of the sentence.

Example:

1. At lunch, six doughnuts were eaten by Rajat.

2. The flat tyre was changed by Suresh.

3. The mall will be visited by us tonight.

4. The marathon was run in record time by me.

5. The novel was read in one day by me.

6. A favorable review was written by the critic.

7. The house will be cleaned by me every Sunday.

8. The application was emailed by her for the new job.

9. The entire garden was watered by Jim.

10. The cake was really enjoyed by Tommy.

Test:

A. Rewrite The following sentences in Passive Voice.

1. Some people raise cattle in Texas.

2. The Koala carried her baby in her pouch.

3. The saltwater eventually corroded his metal beams.

4. The owners remodeled the house to sell it.

5. The team will celebrate their victory tomorrow.

6. Thousands of tourists view the Eifel tower every year.

7. The dentist will give you the instructions.

8. Rajat posted the video on MySpace.

9. Who ate the last cookie?

10. The physics class viewed the reaction.

Answers:

1. Cattle are raised by some people in Texas.

2. Her baby is carried in the pouch by the Koala.

3. His metal beams were eventually corroded by the salt water.

4. The house was remodeled by the owners to sell it.

5. Their victory will be celebrated by the team tomorrow.

6. The Eifel tower is viewed by thousands of tourists every year.

7. Instructions will be given to you by the dentist.

8. The video was posted by Rajat on MySpace.

9. The last cookie was eaten by whom?

10. The reaction was viewed by the physics class.

The same examples will make your concept of voices in English grammar stronger. Practice more such examples with the help of an online English tutor. Correct voice usage is required for framing grammatically correct English sentences.

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