MAP 8th Grade Reading › Use Active and Passive Voice: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1.B
Read the paragraph below.
Jessie went to the mall and bought a new dress for the school dance. She tried on a few pairs of shoes but didn’t find anything she liked at the first store. At the second store, she found the perfect pair and purchased them. After shopping, Jessie stopped in the food court and two slices of pizza and soda were consumed by her. She met her mother in the parking lot and headed home glad she completed her errands.
Which sentence is written in the passive voice?
After shopping, Jessie stopped in the food court and two slices of pizza and soda were consumed by her.
Jessie went to the mall and bought a new dress for the school dance.
She met her mother in the parking lot and headed home glad she completed her errands.
At the second store, she found the perfect pair and purchased them.
After shopping, Jessie stopped in the food court and two slices of pizza and soda were consumed by her. This sentence is in passive voice while the remaining sentences are in an active voice. “Were consumed by her” shows the subject being acted upon rather than the subject acting.
The Grand Canyon, in Arizona, is visited by thousands of tourists every day.
Which answer choice below changes the passive voice sentence above into the active voice?
Thousands of tourists visit the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, every day.
The Grand Canyon, in Arizona, will be visited by thousands of tourists every day.
In Arizona, the Grand Canyon was visited by thousands of tourists every day.
Every day, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is visited by thousands of tourists.
In the passive voice sentence the phrase “is visited” shows the subject being acted upon. To change the sentence to active voice the subject must perform the action. In the correct sentence choice the phrase “tourists visit” is in active voice and the subject (tourists) is performing the action.
Which sentence is in the passive voice?
Francisco Goya's painting, "Portrait of the Duke of Wellington" was stolen in 1961 by Kempton Bunton and was missing for four years.
Kempton Bunton stole the “Portrait of the Duke of Wellington”, by Francisco Goya, in 1961 and kept it for four years.
In 1961 Kempton Bunton stole the “Portrait of the Duke of Wellington”, by Francisco Goya, and kept it for four years.
For four years the “Portrait of the Duke of Wellington”, by Francisco Goya, was missing because Kempton Bunton stole it.
Francisco Goya's painting, "Portrait of the Duke of Wellington" was stolen in 1961 by Kempton Bunton and was missing for four years. The phrase “was stolen” is written in passive voice. If a sentence is in passive voice, the subject receives the action. In passive voice sentences or phrases, the verb phrase includes a form of to be plus a past participle.
Active voice: Sharon ate a dozen shrimp and a juicy steak for dinner today.
Which answer choice below changes the sentence into a passive voice?
At dinner, a dozen shrimp and a juicy steak were eaten by Sharon.
At dinner, Sharon ate a dozen shrimp and a juicy steak.
Sharon, at dinner today, ate a dozen shrimp and a juicy steak.
For dinner, Sharon had a juicy steak and a dozen shrimp.
At dinner, a dozen shrimp and a juicy steak were eaten by Sharon. This answer choice is written in passive voice. The phrase “were eaten” is in a passive voice and shows the subject being acted upon. The other choices are in active voice and the subject (Sharon) is performing the action: “Sharon ate” or “Sharon had”.
Which of the following sentences is written exclusively in the active voice?
In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted on Sumbawa, an island of modern-day Indonesia, and killed 100,000 people.
100,000 people were killed in 1815 when Mount Tambora erupted on Sumbawa, an island of modern-day Indonesia.
In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted on Sumbawa, an island of modern-day Indonesia, and 100,000 people were killed.
100,000 people on a modern-day island in Sumbawa were killed when Mount Tambora erupted in 1815.
In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted on Sumbawa, an island of modern-day Indonesia, and killed 100,000 people. If a sentence is in an active voice, the subject performs the action. In the correct answer choice, the phrases “Mount Tambora erupted” and “killed” are in an active voice and the subject (Mount Tambora) is performing the action. The other choices are in a passive voice and the subject is receiving the action.
Active voice: Patrick will present his research at the conference today in front of his peers.
Which answer choice below changes the sentence into a passive voice?
The research will be presented at the conference by Patrick in front of his peers.
Today in front of his peers, Patrick will present his research at the conference.
Patrick will present his research in front of his peers today at the conference.
At the conference today in front of his peers Patrick’s presenting his research.
The research will be presented at the conference by Patrick in front of his peers. This answer choice is written in passive voice. The phrase “will be presented” is in a passive voice and shows the subject being acted upon. The other choices are in active voice and the subject (Patrick) is performing the action: “Patrick will present” or “Patrick’s presenting”.
Which sentence is in the active voice?
Nazis stole Pierre Auguste Renoir's "Deux Femmes Dans Un Jardin," painted in 1919, from a Paris bank vault in 1941.
Pierre Auguste Renoir's "Deux Femmes Dans Un Jardin," painted in 1919, was stolen by Nazis from a Paris bank vault in 1941.
Painted in 1919, Pierre Auguste Renoir's "Deux Femmes Dans Un Jardin," was stolen from a Paris bank vault in 1941 by Nazis.
Pierre Auguste Renoir's "Deux Femmes Dans Un Jardin," was painted in 1919 and was stolen by Nazis in 1941 from a Paris bank vault.
Nazis stole Pierre Auguste Renoir's "Deux Femmes Dans Un Jardin," painted in 1919, from a Paris bank vault in 1941. If a sentence is in an active voice, the subject performs the action. In the correct answer choice, the phrase “Nazis stole” is in an active voice and the subject (Nazis) is performing the action. The other choices are in a passive voice and the subject is receiving the action.
Which of the following sentences employs the active voice?
The ball was kicked.
The rule was broken.
The umpire was angry.
The coach was ejected.
Answer: “The umpire was angry” The difference between active and passive voice is that with the active voice, the person/thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence, but with the passive voice the person/thing receiving the action is the subject. Note that with “the ball is kicked” the ball doesn’t do the kicking; it’s the subject of the sentence but the recipient of the action so that is passive voice. Similarly with “the rule was broken” - the rule didn’t do the breaking. And “the coach was ejected” is the same - someone (likely the umpire) ejected the coach, but the coach was the recipient of the action. With “the umpire was angry” the umpire is the actor, the person who is actively being angry. So that is the choice using the active voice.
Which of the following sentences employs the passive voice?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation.
We the people of the United States do ordain and establish this Constitution.
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
Answer:"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." The clause “all men are created equal” uses the passive voice in that the “doer” of the creation is not mentioned, but the recipient of the action of creation (“all men”) is given as the subject of the clause. The passive voice is notable for the use or implication of the phrase “by _______” - here that clause implies that all men are created equal by someone or something, a classic indicator of the passive voice.
Which of the following sentences employs the passive voice?
Frustrated by his test score, John kicked the garbage can on his way out of the classroom.
Recently, a law was passed requiring all drivers under the age of 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Claudia knew that she had passed the test, but she didn’t realize that she had earned the highest grade in the class.
Without regular practice, it is impossible for someone to become truly great at a skill.
Answer: “Recently, a law was passed requiring all drivers under the age of 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.” One way to recognize the passive voice is to see whether 1) the sentence offers a subject for the verb, and 2) if not, can you insert “by _____” after the verb? The passive voice is considered “passive” because the person or thing actually doing the action is either missing (therefore you add “by _____”) or appears to be the recipient of the verb. Here we’re told that “a law was passed” but we don’t know who passed the law (it didn’t just pass itself). You could, however, add “by congress” after the verb “was passed” and it would tell you who did it. This is a classic example of the passive voice.