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1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 12 (from laksa143)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa012.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-active-and-passive-voice/index.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-active-and-passive-voice/index.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-active-and-passive-voice\/index.html","crawl_time":1774840101,"first_indexed_time":1596353753,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"edu,kellogg!www,\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-active-and-passive-voice\/index.html s443","src_root_hash":"13403237280288185012","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Active and Passive Voice | English Composition I","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"There are two main “voices” in English writing: the active voice and the passive voice. You’ve probably heard a lot about them—and you’ve probably been warned away from the passive voice. But what exactly are they?\nIn the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen sings the song.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. Let’s look at a couple more examples of the passive voice:\nI’ve been hit! (\nor\n, I have been hit!)\nJasper was thrown from the car when it was struck from behind.\nYou may have noticed something unique about the previous two sentences: the subject of the sentence is not the person (or thing) performing the action. \nThe passive voice “hides” who does the action. Despite these sentences being completely grammatically sound, we don’t know who hit “me” or what struck the car.\nThe passive is created using the verb \nto be\nand the past participle. When identifying passive sentences, remember that \nto be \nhas other uses than just creating the passive voice. “She was falling” and “His keys were lost” are not passive sentences. In the first,\nto be\n is a continuous past verb, and in the second\nto be\n is past tense linking verb. There are two key features that will help you identify a passive sentence:\nSomething is happening (the sentence has a verb that is not a linking verb).\nThe subject of the sentence is not doing that thing.\nUsage\nAs you read at the two sentences below, think about the how the different voice may affect the meaning or implications of the sentence:\nPassive voice:\nThe rate of evaporation is controlled by the size of an opening.\nActive voice:\nThe size of an opening controls the rate of evaporation.\nThe passive choice slightly emphasizes “the rate of evaporation,” while the active choice emphasizes “the size of an opening.” Simple. So why all the fuss? Because passive constructions can produce grammatically tangled sentences such as this:\nGroundwater flow is influenced by zones of fracture concentration, as can be recognized by the two model simulations (see Figures 1 and 2), by which one can see . . .\nThe sentence is becoming a burden for the reader, and probably for the writer too. As often happens, the passive voice here has smothered potential verbs and kicked off a runaway train of prepositions. But the reader’s task gets much easier in the revised version below:\nTwo model simulations (Figures 1 and 2) illustrate how zones of fracture concentration influence groundwater flow. These simulations show . . .\nTo revise the above, all we did was look for the two buried things (simulations and zones) in the original version that could actually\ndo\nsomething, and we made the sentence clearly about these two nouns by placing them in front of active verbs. This is the general principle to follow as you compose in the active voice: Place concrete nouns that can perform work in front of active verbs.\nPractice\nAre the following sentences in the active or passive voice? How can you tell?\nThe samples were prepared in a clean room before being sent out for further examination.\nKaren was dancing with Joshua when she suddenly realized she needed to leave.\nCarlos was a very serious scientist with unique interests.\nShow Answer\nRevise Weak Passive-Voice Sentences\nAs we’ve mentioned, the passive voice can be a shifty operator—it can cover up its source, that is, who’s doing the acting, as this example shows:\nPassive: \nThe papers\nwill be graded\naccording to the criteria stated in the syllabus.\nGraded by whom though?\nActive: The teacher\nwill grade the papers according to the criteria stated in the syllabus.\nIt’s this ability to cover the actor or agent of the sentence that makes the passive voice a favorite of people in authority—policemen, city officials, and, yes, teachers. At any rate, you can see how the passive voice can cause wordiness, indirectness, and comprehension problems.\nPassive\nQuestion\nActive\nYour figures\nhave been reanalyzed\nin order to determine the coefficient of error. The results\nwill be announced\nwhen the situation is judged appropriate.\nWho analyzes, and who will announce?\nWe\nhave reanalyzed your figures in order to determine the range of error.\nWe\nwill announce the results when the time is right.\nWith the price of housing at such inflated levels, those loans \ncannot be paid\noff in any shorter period of time.\nWho can’t pay the loans off?\nWith the price of housing at such inflated levels,\nhomeowners\ncannot pay off those loans in any shorter period of time.\nAfter the arm of the hand-held stapler\nis pushed\ndown, the blade from the magazine\nis raised by\nthe top-leaf spring, and the magazine and base.\nWho pushes it down, and who or what raises it?\nAfter\nyou\npush down on the arm of the hand-held stapler,\nthe top-leaf spring\nraises the blade from the magazine, and the magazine and base move apart.\nHowever, market share\nis being lost by\n5.25-inch diskettes as is shown in the graph in Figure 2.\nWho or what is losing market share, who or what shows it?\nHowever,\n5.25-inch diskettes\nare losing market share as the graph in\nFigure 2\nshows.\nFor many years, federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping\nhave been ignored\n. Only recently\nhave\ntighter restrictions\nbeen imposed\non the circumstances that warrant it.\nWho has ignored the regulations, and who is now imposing them?\nFor many years,\ngovernment officials\nhave ignored federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping. Only recently has\nthe federal government\nimposed tighter restrictions on the circumstances that warrant it.\nPractice\nConvert these passive voice sentences into the active voice. Why is the active voice a better choice for each of these sentences?\nThe process, which was essential for the experiment’s success, was completed by Enzo.\nThe cake that I worked on all day long is being eaten by Justin.\nAfter the pattern has been applied to the fabric, work on the embroidery can be started.\nShow Answer\nDon’t get the idea that the passive voice is always wrong and should never be used. It is a good writing technique when we don’t want to be bothered with an obvious or too-often-repeated subject and when we need to rearrange words in a sentence for emphasis. The next page will focus more on how and why to use the passive voice.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-active-and-passive-voice\/index.html#main-content)\n\nLumen\n\n[English Composition I](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/index.html \"English Composition I\")\n\nGrammar: Voice\n\n# Active and Passive Voice\nThere are two main “voices” in English writing: the active voice and the passive voice. You’ve probably heard a lot about them—and you’ve probably been warned away from the passive voice. But what exactly are they?\n\nIn the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen sings the song.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. Let’s look at a couple more examples of the passive voice:\n\n- I’ve been hit! (*or*, I have been hit!)\n- Jasper was thrown from the car when it was struck from behind.\n\nYou may have noticed something unique about the previous two sentences: the subject of the sentence is not the person (or thing) performing the action. The passive voice “hides” who does the action. Despite these sentences being completely grammatically sound, we don’t know who hit “me” or what struck the car.\n\nThe passive is created using the verb *to be* and the past participle. When identifying passive sentences, remember that *to be* has other uses than just creating the passive voice. “She was falling” and “His keys were lost” are not passive sentences. In the first, *to be* is a continuous past verb, and in the second *to be* is past tense linking verb. There are two key features that will help you identify a passive sentence:\n\n1. Something is happening (the sentence has a verb that is not a linking verb).\n2. The subject of the sentence is not doing that thing.\n## Usage\nAs you read at the two sentences below, think about the how the different voice may affect the meaning or implications of the sentence:\n\n- **Passive voice:** The rate of evaporation is controlled by the size of an opening.\n- **Active voice:** The size of an opening controls the rate of evaporation.\n\nThe passive choice slightly emphasizes “the rate of evaporation,” while the active choice emphasizes “the size of an opening.” Simple. So why all the fuss? Because passive constructions can produce grammatically tangled sentences such as this:\n\nGroundwater flow is influenced by zones of fracture concentration, as can be recognized by the two model simulations (see Figures 1 and 2), by which one can see . . .\n\nThe sentence is becoming a burden for the reader, and probably for the writer too. As often happens, the passive voice here has smothered potential verbs and kicked off a runaway train of prepositions. But the reader’s task gets much easier in the revised version below:\n\nTwo model simulations (Figures 1 and 2) illustrate how zones of fracture concentration influence groundwater flow. These simulations show . . .\n\nTo revise the above, all we did was look for the two buried things (simulations and zones) in the original version that could actually *do* something, and we made the sentence clearly about these two nouns by placing them in front of active verbs. This is the general principle to follow as you compose in the active voice: Place concrete nouns that can perform work in front of active verbs.\n\n### Practice\nAre the following sentences in the active or passive voice? How can you tell?\n\n1. The samples were prepared in a clean room before being sent out for further examination.\n2. Karen was dancing with Joshua when she suddenly realized she needed to leave.\n3. Carlos was a very serious scientist with unique interests.\n\nShow Answer\n\n1. This sentence uses the passive voice. The action (**prepared**) was done to the subject of the sentence (**samples**). If this sentence were written in the active it would be something like this: “\\[Actor\\] prepared the samples in a clean room before sending them out for further examination.” Since we do not know who prepared the samples, the active sentence is incomplete.\n2. This sentence uses the active voice. In this case *was* indicates that the sentence happened in the past; it does not indicate the passive voice.\n3. This sentence uses the active voice. In this case *was* is acting as a linking verb. It links **Carlos** with the phrase *very serious scientist*.\n## Revise Weak Passive-Voice Sentences\nAs we’ve mentioned, the passive voice can be a shifty operator—it can cover up its source, that is, who’s doing the acting, as this example shows:\n\n- **Passive:** The papers **will be graded** according to the criteria stated in the syllabus.\n  - *Graded by whom though?*\n- **Active: The teacher** will grade the papers according to the criteria stated in the syllabus.\n\nIt’s this ability to cover the actor or agent of the sentence that makes the passive voice a favorite of people in authority—policemen, city officials, and, yes, teachers. At any rate, you can see how the passive voice can cause wordiness, indirectness, and comprehension problems.\n\n| Passive | Question | Active |\n|---|---|---|\n| Your figures **have been reanalyzed** in order to determine the coefficient of error. The results **will be announced** when the situation is judged appropriate. | Who analyzes, and who will announce? | **We** have reanalyzed your figures in order to determine the range of error. **We** will announce the results when the time is right. |\n| With the price of housing at such inflated levels, those loans **cannot be paid** off in any shorter period of time. | Who can’t pay the loans off? | With the price of housing at such inflated levels, **homeowners** cannot pay off those loans in any shorter period of time. |\n| After the arm of the hand-held stapler **is pushed** down, the blade from the magazine **is raised by** the top-leaf spring, and the magazine and base. | Who pushes it down, and who or what raises it? | After **you** push down on the arm of the hand-held stapler, **the top-leaf spring** raises the blade from the magazine, and the magazine and base move apart. |\n| However, market share **is being lost by** 5.25-inch diskettes as is shown in the graph in Figure 2. | Who or what is losing market share, who or what shows it? | However, **5\\.25-inch diskettes** are losing market share as the graph in **Figure 2** shows. |\n| For many years, federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping **have been ignored**. Only recently **have** tighter restrictions **been imposed** on the circumstances that warrant it. | Who has ignored the regulations, and who is now imposing them? | For many years, **government officials** have ignored federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping. Only recently has **the federal government** imposed tighter restrictions on the circumstances that warrant it. |\n\n### Practice\nConvert these passive voice sentences into the active voice. Why is the active voice a better choice for each of these sentences?\n\n1. The process, which was essential for the experiment’s success, was completed by Enzo.\n2. The cake that I worked on all day long is being eaten by Justin.\n3. After the pattern has been applied to the fabric, work on the embroidery can be started.\n\nShow Answer\n\n1. Enzo completed the process, which was essential for the experiment’s success.\n   - In the passive sentence, the *which*\\-clause makes the subject of the sentence excessively long. By converting the sentence to the active voice, the clause is moved to the predicate, which makes the sentence easier to understand.\n2. Justin is eating the cake that I worked on all day long.\n   - The active voice works better in this sentence for the same reasons as sentence one. It is also likely that you would want to put emphasis on Justin in this sentence. After all, he’s doing something that is (most likely) inconsiderate.\n3. After you apply the pattern to the fabric, you can start working on the embroidery.\n   - This sentence is likely found in a set of instructions, which are usually written directly to the reader. Addressing “you” and avoiding the passive voice will make the instructions feel more natural and accessible.\n\nDon’t get the idea that the passive voice is always wrong and should never be used. It is a good writing technique when we don’t want to be bothered with an obvious or too-often-repeated subject and when we need to rearrange words in a sentence for emphasis. The next page will focus more on how and why to use the passive voice.\n\nLicenses and Attributions\n\nCC licensed content, Original\n\n- Revision and Adaptation. **Provided by**: Lumen Learning. **License**: *[CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/)*\n- Practice Activities. **Provided by**: Lumen Learning. **License**: *[CC BY: Attribution](https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/)*\n\nCC licensed content, Shared previously\n\n- The Passive versus Active Voice Dilemma. **Authored by**: Joe Schall. **Provided by**: The Pennsylvania State University. **Located at**: <https:\/\/www.e-education.psu.edu\/styleforstudents\/c1_p11.html>. **License**: *[CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/)*\n- Power-Revision Techniques: Sentence-Level Revision. **Authored by**: David McMurrey. **Located at**: <https:\/\/www.prismnet.com\/~hcexres\/textbook\/hirev2.html#passive>. **License**: *[CC BY: Attribution](https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/)*\n\n[Previous](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-voice\/index.html)   [Next](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-using-the-passive-voice\/index.html)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/engcomp1-wmopen)\n- [Table of Contents](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/table-of-contents\/index.html)\n\n[Close](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-active-and-passive-voice\/index.html)\n\n- ####\n- #### Instructor Resources (available upon sign-in)\n- - [Overview of Instructor Resources](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/overview-of-instructor-resources\/index.html)\n  - [Quiz Survey](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/quiz-survey\/index.html)\n- #### Reading: Types of Reading Material\n- - [Introduction to Reading](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/why-it-matters-reading\/index.html)\n  - [Outcome: Types of Reading Material](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-types-of-writing-1-1\/index.html)\n  - [Characteristics of Texts, Part 1](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-characteristics-of-texts-part-1\/index.html)\n  - [Characteristics of Texts, Part 2](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/texts-characteristics-of-texts-part-2\/index.html)\n  - [Characteristics of Texts, Part 3](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-characteristics-of-texts-part-3\/index.html)\n  - [Characteristics of Texts, Conclusion](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-characteristics-of-texts-conclusion\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Types of Writing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-types-of-writing\/index.html)\n- #### Reading: Reading Strategies\n- - [Outcome: Reading Strategies](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-reading-strategies-1-2\/index.html)\n  - [The Rhetorical Situation](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-the-rhetorical-situation\/index.html)\n  - [Academic Reading Strategies](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-academic-reading-strategies\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Reading Strategies](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-reading-strategies\/index.html)\n- #### Reading: Specialized Reading Strategies\n- - [Outcome: Specialized Reading Strategies](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-specialized-reading-strategies-1-3\/index.html)\n  - [Online Reading Comprehension](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-online-reading-comprehension\/index.html)\n  - [How to Read Effectively in Math](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-how-to-read-effectively-in-math\/index.html)\n  - [How to Read Effectively in the Social Sciences](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-how-to-read-effectively-in-the-social-sciences\/index.html)\n  - [How to Read Effectively in the Sciences](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-how-to-read-effectively-in-the-sciences\/index.html)\n  - [5 Step Approach for Reading Charts and Graphs](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-5-step-approach-for-reading-charts-and-graphs\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Specialized Reading Strategies](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-specialized-reading-strategies\/index.html)\n- #### Reading: Vocabulary\n- - [Outcome: Vocabulary](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-vocabulary-1-4\/index.html)\n  - [Strategies to Improve Your Vocabulary](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-strategies-to-improve-your-vocabulary\/index.html)\n  - [Using Context Clues](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-using-context-clues\/index.html)\n  - [The Relationship Between Reading and Vocabulary](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-the-relationship-between-reading-and-vocabulary\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Vocabulary](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-vocabulary\/index.html)\n- #### Reading: Thesis\n- - [Outcome: Thesis](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-thesis-1-5\/index.html)\n  - [Locating and Evaluating Thesis Statements](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-locating-and-evaluating-thesis-statements\/index.html)\n  - [The Organizational Statement](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-the-organizational-statement\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Thesis](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-thesis\/index.html)\n- #### Reading: Supporting Claims\n- - [Outcome: Supporting Claims](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-supporting-claims-1-6\/index.html)\n  - [Types of Support](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-types-of-support\/index.html)\n  - [Supporting Claims](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/1-4-supporting-claims-text\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Supporting Claims](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-supporting-claims\/index.html)\n- #### Reading: Logic and Structure\n- - [Outcome: Logic and Structure](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-logic-and-structure-1-7\/index.html)\n  - [Rhetorical Modes](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-rhetorical-modes\/index.html)\n  - [Inductive and Deductive Reasoning](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-inductive-reasoning\/index.html)\n  - [Diagramming and Evaluating Arguments](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-diagramming-and-evaluating-arguments\/index.html)\n  - [Logical Fallacies](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-logical-fallacies\/index.html)\n  - [Evaluating Appeals to Ethos, Logos, and Pathos](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-evaluating-appeals-to-ethos-logos-and-pathos\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Logic and Structure](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-logic-and-structure\/index.html)\n- #### Reading: Summary Skills\n- - [Outcome: Summary Skills](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-summary-skills-1-8\/index.html)\n  - [How to Annotate](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-how-to-annotate\/index.html)\n  - [Paraphrasing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-paraphrasing\/index.html)\n  - [Quote Bombs](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-quote-bombs\/index.html)\n  - [Summary Writing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-summary-writing\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Summary Skills](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-summary-skills\/index.html)\n  - [Conclusion to Reading](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/putting-it-together-reading\/index.html)\n- #### Writing Process: Topic Selection\n- - [Introduction to Writing Process](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/why-it-matters-writing-process\/index.html)\n  - [Outcome: Topic Selection](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-topic-selection-2-1\/index.html)\n  - [Starting a Paper](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-where-to-start-a-paper\/index.html)\n  - [Choosing and Developing Topics](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-choosing-and-developing-topics\/index.html)\n  - [Back to the Future of Topics](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-back-to-the-future-of-topics\/index.html)\n  - [Developing Your Topic](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-developing-your-topic\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Topic Selection](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-topic-selection\/index.html)\n- #### Writing Process: Prewriting\n- - [Outcome: Prewriting](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-prewriting-2-2\/index.html)\n  - [Prewriting Strategies for Diverse Learners](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-prewriting-strategies-for-diverse-learners\/index.html)\n  - [Prewriting](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-prewriting\/index.html)\n  - [Rhetorical Context](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-rhetorical-context\/index.html)\n  - [Working Thesis Statements](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-working-thesis-statements\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Prewriting](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-prewriting\/index.html)\n- #### Writing Process: Finding Evidence\n- - [Outcome: Finding Evidence](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-finding-evidence-2-3\/index.html)\n  - [Using Personal Examples](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-using-personal-examples\/index.html)\n  - [Performing Background Research](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-performing-background-research\/index.html)\n  - [Listening to Sources, Talking to Sources](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-listening-to-sources-talking-to-sources\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Finding Evidence](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-finding-evidence\/index.html)\n- #### Writing Process: Organizing\n- - [Outcome: Organizing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-organizing\/index.html)\n  - [Moving Beyond the Five-Paragraph Theme](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-moving-beyond-the-five-paragraph-theme\/index.html)\n  - [Introduction to Argument](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-introduction-to-argument\/index.html)\n  - [The Three-Story Thesis](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-the-three-story-thesis\/index.html)\n  - [Organically Structured Arguments](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-organically-structured-arguments\/index.html)\n  - [Logic and Structure](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-logic-and-structure\/index.html)\n  - [The Perfect Paragraph](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-the-perfect-paragraph\/index.html)\n  - [Introductions and Conclusions](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-introductions-and-conclusions\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Organizing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-organizing\/index.html)\n- #### Writing Process: Drafting\n- - [Outcome: Drafting](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-drafting-2-5\/index.html)\n  - [From Outlining to Drafting](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-from-outlining-to-drafting\/index.html)\n  - [Flash Drafts](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-flash-drafts\/index.html)\n  - [Drafting](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-drafting\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Drafting](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-drafting\/index.html)\n- #### Writing Process: Revising\n- - [Outcome: Revising](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-revising-2-6\/index.html)\n  - [Seeking Input from Others](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-seeking-and-responding-to-input-from-others\/index.html)\n  - [Responding to Input from Others](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-responding-to-input-from-others\/index.html)\n  - [The Art of Re-Seeing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-the-art-of-re-seeing\/index.html)\n  - [Higher Order Concerns](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-higher-order-concerns\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Revising](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-revising\/index.html)\n- #### Writing Process: Proofreading\n- - [Outcome: Proofreading](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-proofreading-2-7\/index.html)\n  - [Lower Order Concerns](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-lower-order-concerns\/index.html)\n  - [Style](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-style\/index.html)\n  - [Proofreading Advice](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-proofreading-advice\/index.html)\n  - [\"Correctness\" in Writing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-correctness-in-writing\/index.html)\n  - [The Importance of Spelling](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-the-importance-of-spelling\/index.html)\n  - [Punctuation Concerns](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-punctuation-concerns\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Proofreading](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-proofreading\/index.html)\n  - [Conclusion to Writing Process](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/putting-it-together-writing-process\/index.html)\n- #### Research Process: Finding Sources\n- - [Introduction to Research Process](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/why-it-matters-research\/index.html)\n  - [Outcome: Finding Sources](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-finding-sources-3-1\/index.html)\n  - [The Research Process](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-the-research-process\/index.html)\n  - [Finding Sources](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-finding-sources\/index.html)\n  - [What are Scholarly Articles?](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-intermediate-research-strategies\/index.html)\n  - [Finding Scholarly Articles and Using Databases](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-finding-scholarly-articles\/index.html)\n  - [Database Searching](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-library-databases\/index.html)\n  - [Advanced Search Strategies](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-advanced-search-strategies\/index.html)\n  - [Preliminary Research Strategies](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-preliminary-research-strategies\/index.html)\n  - [Reading and Using Scholarly Sources](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-reading-and-using-scholarly-sources\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Finding Sources](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-finding-sources\/index.html)\n- #### Research Process: Source Analysis\n- - [Outcome: Source Analysis](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-source-analysis-3-2\/index.html)\n  - [Evaluating Sources](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-evaluating-sources\/index.html)\n  - [CRAAP Analysis](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-evaluating-sources\/index.html)\n  - [Evaluating Websites](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-evaluating-websites-not-sure-if-necessary\/index.html)\n  - [Synthesizing Sources](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-synthesizing-sources\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Source Analysis](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-source-analysis\/index.html)\n- #### Research Process: Writing Ethically\n- - [Outcome: Writing Ethically](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-writing-ethically-3-3\/index.html)\n  - [Academic Integrity](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/video-academic-integrity\/index.html)\n  - [Defining Plagiarism](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-defining-plagiarism\/index.html)\n  - [Avoiding Plagiarism](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-avoiding-plagiarism\/index.html)\n  - [Using Sources in Your Writing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-using-sources-in-your-writing\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Writing Ethically](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-writing-ethically\/index.html)\n- #### Research Process: MLA Documentation\n- - [Introduction to MLA Documentation](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-introduction-to-mla-documentation\/index.html)\n  - [Outcome: MLA Documentation](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-mla-documentation\/index.html)\n  - [MLA Document Formatting](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-mla-document-formatting\/index.html)\n  - [MLA Works Cited](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-mla-works-cited\/index.html)\n  - [Creating MLA Citations](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-creating-mla-citations\/index.html)\n  - [MLA In-Text Citations](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-mla-in-text-citations\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: MLA Documentation](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-mla-documentation\/index.html)\n  - [Conclusion to Research Process](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/putting-it-together-research\/index.html)\n- #### Grammar: Nouns and Pronouns\n- - [Introduction to Grammar](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/why-it-matters-grammar\/index.html)\n  - [Outcome: Nouns and Pronouns](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-nouns-and-pronouns\/index.html)\n  - [Nouns](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-nouns\/index.html)\n  - [Pronoun Cases and Types](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-pronoun-cases-and-types\/index.html)\n  - [Pronoun Antecedents](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-pronoun-antecedents\/index.html)\n  - [Try It: Nouns and Pronouns](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/try-it-nouns-and-pronouns\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Nouns and Pronouns](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-nouns-and-pronouns\/index.html)\n- #### Grammar: Verbs\n- - [Outcome: Verbs](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-verbs\/index.html)\n  - [Verb Types](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-verb-types\/index.html)\n  - [Verb Tenses and Agreement](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-verb-tenses-and-agreement\/index.html)\n  - [Non-Finite Verbs](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-non-finite-verbs\/index.html)\n  - [Complex Verb Tenses](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-complex-verb-tenses\/index.html)\n  - [Try It: Verbs](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/try-it-verbs\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Verbs](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-verbs\/index.html)\n- #### Grammar: Other Parts of Speech\n- - [Outcome: Other Parts of Speech](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-other-parts-of-speech\/index.html)\n  - [Comparing Adjectives and Adverbs](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-comparing-adjectives-and-adverbs\/index.html)\n  - [Adjectives and Adverbs](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-adjectives-and-adverbs\/index.html)\n  - [Conjunctions](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-conjunctions\/index.html)\n  - [Prepositions](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-prepositions\/index.html)\n  - [Articles](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-articles\/index.html)\n  - [Try It: Other Parts of Speech](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/try-it-other-parts-of-speech\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Other Parts of Speech](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-other-parts-of-speech\/index.html)\n- #### Grammar: Punctuation\n- - [Outcome: Punctuation](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-punctuation\/index.html)\n  - [End Punctuation](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-end-punctuation\/index.html)\n  - [Commas](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-commas\/index.html)\n  - [Hyphens and Dashes](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-hyphens-and-dashes\/index.html)\n  - [Apostrophes and Quotation Marks](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-apostrophes-and-quotation-marks\/index.html)\n  - [Brackets, Parentheses, and Ellipses](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-brackets-parentheses-and-ellipses\/index.html)\n  - [Semicolons and Colons](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-semicolons-and-colons\/index.html)\n  - [Try It: Punctuation](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/try-it-punctuation\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Punctuation](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-punctuation\/index.html)\n- #### Grammar: Sentence Structure\n- - [Outcome: Sentence Structure](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-sentence-structure\/index.html)\n  - [Parts of a Sentence](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-parts-of-a-sentence\/index.html)\n  - [Common Sentence Structures](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-common-sentence-structures\/index.html)\n  - [Run-on Sentences](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-run-on-sentences\/index.html)\n  - [Sentence Fragments](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-sentence-fragments\/index.html)\n  - [Parallel Structure](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-parallel-structure\/index.html)\n  - [Try It: Sentence Structure](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/try-it-sentence-structure\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Sentence Structure](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-sentence-structure\/index.html)\n- #### Grammar: Voice\n- - [Outcome: Voice](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/outcome-voice\/index.html)\n  - [Active and Passive Voice](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-active-and-passive-voice\/index.html)\n  - [Using the Passive Voice](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/text-using-the-passive-voice\/index.html)\n  - [Conclusion to Grammar](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/putting-it-together-grammar\/index.html)\n  - [Try It: Voice](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/try-it-voice\/index.html)\n  - [Self Check: Voice](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/self-check-voice\/index.html)\n- #### Success Skills\n- - [Introduction to Success Skills](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/introduction-to-success-skills\/index.html)\n  - [Habits for Success](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/habits-for-success\/index.html)\n  - [Critical Thinking](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/critical-thinking\/index.html)\n  - [Time Management](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/time-management\/index.html)\n  - [Writing in College](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/index.html)\n  - [Computer-Based Writing](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/computer-based-writing\/index.html)\n  - [Conclusion to Success Skills](https:\/\/www.kellogg.edu\/upload\/eng151text\/chapter\/conclusion-to-success-skills\/index.html)\n- ####","attrs_readable_markdown":"There are two main “voices” in English writing: the active voice and the passive voice. You’ve probably heard a lot about them—and you’ve probably been warned away from the passive voice. But what exactly are they?\n\nIn the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen sings the song.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. Let’s look at a couple more examples of the passive voice:\n\n- I’ve been hit! (*or*, I have been hit!)\n- Jasper was thrown from the car when it was struck from behind.\n\nYou may have noticed something unique about the previous two sentences: the subject of the sentence is not the person (or thing) performing the action. The passive voice “hides” who does the action. Despite these sentences being completely grammatically sound, we don’t know who hit “me” or what struck the car.\n\nThe passive is created using the verb *to be* and the past participle. When identifying passive sentences, remember that *to be* has other uses than just creating the passive voice. “She was falling” and “His keys were lost” are not passive sentences. In the first, *to be* is a continuous past verb, and in the second *to be* is past tense linking verb. There are two key features that will help you identify a passive sentence:\n\n1. Something is happening (the sentence has a verb that is not a linking verb).\n2. The subject of the sentence is not doing that thing.\n## Usage\nAs you read at the two sentences below, think about the how the different voice may affect the meaning or implications of the sentence:\n\n- **Passive voice:** The rate of evaporation is controlled by the size of an opening.\n- **Active voice:** The size of an opening controls the rate of evaporation.\n\nThe passive choice slightly emphasizes “the rate of evaporation,” while the active choice emphasizes “the size of an opening.” Simple. So why all the fuss? Because passive constructions can produce grammatically tangled sentences such as this:\n\nGroundwater flow is influenced by zones of fracture concentration, as can be recognized by the two model simulations (see Figures 1 and 2), by which one can see . . .\n\nThe sentence is becoming a burden for the reader, and probably for the writer too. As often happens, the passive voice here has smothered potential verbs and kicked off a runaway train of prepositions. But the reader’s task gets much easier in the revised version below:\n\nTwo model simulations (Figures 1 and 2) illustrate how zones of fracture concentration influence groundwater flow. These simulations show . . .\n\nTo revise the above, all we did was look for the two buried things (simulations and zones) in the original version that could actually *do* something, and we made the sentence clearly about these two nouns by placing them in front of active verbs. This is the general principle to follow as you compose in the active voice: Place concrete nouns that can perform work in front of active verbs.\n\n### Practice\nAre the following sentences in the active or passive voice? How can you tell?\n\n1. The samples were prepared in a clean room before being sent out for further examination.\n2. Karen was dancing with Joshua when she suddenly realized she needed to leave.\n3. Carlos was a very serious scientist with unique interests.\n\nShow Answer\n## Revise Weak Passive-Voice Sentences\nAs we’ve mentioned, the passive voice can be a shifty operator—it can cover up its source, that is, who’s doing the acting, as this example shows:\n\n- **Passive:** The papers **will be graded** according to the criteria stated in the syllabus.\n  - *Graded by whom though?*\n- **Active: The teacher** will grade the papers according to the criteria stated in the syllabus.\n\nIt’s this ability to cover the actor or agent of the sentence that makes the passive voice a favorite of people in authority—policemen, city officials, and, yes, teachers. At any rate, you can see how the passive voice can cause wordiness, indirectness, and comprehension problems.\n\n| Passive | Question | Active |\n|---|---|---|\n| Your figures **have been reanalyzed** in order to determine the coefficient of error. The results **will be announced** when the situation is judged appropriate. | Who analyzes, and who will announce? | **We** have reanalyzed your figures in order to determine the range of error. **We** will announce the results when the time is right. |\n| With the price of housing at such inflated levels, those loans **cannot be paid** off in any shorter period of time. | Who can’t pay the loans off? | With the price of housing at such inflated levels, **homeowners** cannot pay off those loans in any shorter period of time. |\n| After the arm of the hand-held stapler **is pushed** down, the blade from the magazine **is raised by** the top-leaf spring, and the magazine and base. | Who pushes it down, and who or what raises it? | After **you** push down on the arm of the hand-held stapler, **the top-leaf spring** raises the blade from the magazine, and the magazine and base move apart. |\n| However, market share **is being lost by** 5.25-inch diskettes as is shown in the graph in Figure 2. | Who or what is losing market share, who or what shows it? | However, **5\\.25-inch diskettes** are losing market share as the graph in **Figure 2** shows. |\n| For many years, federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping **have been ignored**. Only recently **have** tighter restrictions **been imposed** on the circumstances that warrant it. | Who has ignored the regulations, and who is now imposing them? | For many years, **government officials** have ignored federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping. Only recently has **the federal government** imposed tighter restrictions on the circumstances that warrant it. |\n\n### Practice\nConvert these passive voice sentences into the active voice. Why is the active voice a better choice for each of these sentences?\n\n1. The process, which was essential for the experiment’s success, was completed by Enzo.\n2. The cake that I worked on all day long is being eaten by Justin.\n3. After the pattern has been applied to the fabric, work on the embroidery can be started.\n\nShow Answer\n\nDon’t get the idea that the passive voice is always wrong and should never be used. It is a good writing technique when we don’t want to be bothered with an obvious or too-often-repeated subject and when we need to rearrange words in a sentence for emphasis. The next page will focus more on how and why to use the passive voice.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	There are two main “voices” in English writing: the active voice and the passive voice. You’ve probably heard a lot about them—and you’ve probably been warned away from the passive voice. But what exactly are they? In the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen sings the song.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. Let’s look at a couple more examples of the passive voice: I’ve been hit! ( or , I have been hit!) Jasper was thrown from the car when it was struck from behind. You may have noticed something unique about the previous two sentences: the subject of the sentence is not the person (or thing) performing the action. The passive voice “hides” who does the action. Despite these sentences being completely grammatically sound, we don’t know who hit “me” or what struck the car. The passive is created using the verb to be and the past participle. When identifying passive sentences, remember that to be has other uses than just creating the passive voice. “She was falling” and “His keys were lost” are not passive sentences. In the first, to be is a continuous past verb, and in the second to be is past tense linking verb. There are two key features that will help you identify a passive sentence: Something is happening (the sentence has a verb that is not a linking verb). The subject of the sentence is not doing that thing. Usage As you read at the two sentences below, think about the how the different voice may affect the meaning or implications of the sentence: Passive voice: The rate of evaporation is controlled by the size of an opening. Active voice: The size of an opening controls the rate of evaporation. The passive choice slightly emphasizes “the rate of evaporation,” while the active choice emphasizes “the size of an opening.” Simple. So why all the fuss? Because passive constructions can produce grammatically tangled sentences such as this: Groundwater flow is influenced by zones of fracture concentration, as can be recognized by the two model simulations (see Figures 1 and 2), by which one can see . . . The sentence is becoming a burden for the reader, and probably for the writer too. As often happens, the passive voice here has smothered potential verbs and kicked off a runaway train of prepositions. But the reader’s task gets much easier in the revised version below: Two model simulations (Figures 1 and 2) illustrate how zones of fracture concentration influence groundwater flow. These simulations show . . . To revise the above, all we did was look for the two buried things (simulations and zones) in the original version that could actually do something, and we made the sentence clearly about these two nouns by placing them in front of active verbs. This is the general principle to follow as you compose in the active voice: Place concrete nouns that can perform work in front of active verbs. Practice Are the following sentences in the active or passive voice? How can you tell? The samples were prepared in a clean room before being sent out for further examination. Karen was dancing with Joshua when she suddenly realized she needed to leave. Carlos was a very serious scientist with unique interests. Show Answer Revise Weak Passive-Voice Sentences As we’ve mentioned, the passive voice can be a shifty operator—it can cover up its source, that is, who’s doing the acting, as this example shows: Passive: The papers will be graded according to the criteria stated in the syllabus. Graded by whom though? Active: The teacher will grade the papers according to the criteria stated in the syllabus. It’s this ability to cover the actor or agent of the sentence that makes the passive voice a favorite of people in authority—policemen, city officials, and, yes, teachers. At any rate, you can see how the passive voice can cause wordiness, indirectness, and comprehension problems. Passive Question Active Your figures have been reanalyzed in order to determine the coefficient of error. The results will be announced when the situation is judged appropriate. Who analyzes, and who will announce? We have reanalyzed your figures in order to determine the range of error. We will announce the results when the time is right. With the price of housing at such inflated levels, those loans cannot be paid off in any shorter period of time. Who can’t pay the loans off? With the price of housing at such inflated levels, homeowners cannot pay off those loans in any shorter period of time. After the arm of the hand-held stapler is pushed down, the blade from the magazine is raised by the top-leaf spring, and the magazine and base. Who pushes it down, and who or what raises it? After you push down on the arm of the hand-held stapler, the top-leaf spring raises the blade from the magazine, and the magazine and base move apart. However, market share is being lost by 5.25-inch diskettes as is shown in the graph in Figure 2. Who or what is losing market share, who or what shows it? However, 5.25-inch diskettes are losing market share as the graph in Figure 2 shows. For many years, federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping have been ignored . Only recently have tighter restrictions been imposed on the circumstances that warrant it. Who has ignored the regulations, and who is now imposing them? For many years, government officials have ignored federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping. Only recently has the federal government imposed tighter restrictions on the circumstances that warrant it. Practice Convert these passive voice sentences into the active voice. Why is the active voice a better choice for each of these sentences? The process, which was essential for the experiment’s success, was completed by Enzo. The cake that I worked on all day long is being eaten by Justin. After the pattern has been applied to the fabric, work on the embroidery can be started. Show Answer Don’t get the idea that the passive voice is always wrong and should never be used. It is a good writing technique when we don’t want to be bothered with an obvious or too-often-repeated subject and when we need to rearrange words in a sentence for emphasis. The next page will focus more on how and why to use the passive voice.
Markdown	[Skip to main content](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-active-and-passive-voice/index.html#main-content) Lumen [English Composition I](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/index.html "English Composition I") Grammar: Voice # Active and Passive Voice There are two main “voices” in English writing: the active voice and the passive voice. You’ve probably heard a lot about them—and you’ve probably been warned away from the passive voice. But what exactly are they? In the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen sings the song.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. Let’s look at a couple more examples of the passive voice: - I’ve been hit! (or, I have been hit!) - Jasper was thrown from the car when it was struck from behind. You may have noticed something unique about the previous two sentences: the subject of the sentence is not the person (or thing) performing the action. The passive voice “hides” who does the action. Despite these sentences being completely grammatically sound, we don’t know who hit “me” or what struck the car. The passive is created using the verb to be and the past participle. When identifying passive sentences, remember that to be has other uses than just creating the passive voice. “She was falling” and “His keys were lost” are not passive sentences. In the first, to be is a continuous past verb, and in the second to be is past tense linking verb. There are two key features that will help you identify a passive sentence: 1. Something is happening (the sentence has a verb that is not a linking verb). 2. The subject of the sentence is not doing that thing. ## Usage As you read at the two sentences below, think about the how the different voice may affect the meaning or implications of the sentence: - Passive voice: The rate of evaporation is controlled by the size of an opening. - Active voice: The size of an opening controls the rate of evaporation. The passive choice slightly emphasizes “the rate of evaporation,” while the active choice emphasizes “the size of an opening.” Simple. So why all the fuss? Because passive constructions can produce grammatically tangled sentences such as this: Groundwater flow is influenced by zones of fracture concentration, as can be recognized by the two model simulations (see Figures 1 and 2), by which one can see . . . The sentence is becoming a burden for the reader, and probably for the writer too. As often happens, the passive voice here has smothered potential verbs and kicked off a runaway train of prepositions. But the reader’s task gets much easier in the revised version below: Two model simulations (Figures 1 and 2) illustrate how zones of fracture concentration influence groundwater flow. These simulations show . . . To revise the above, all we did was look for the two buried things (simulations and zones) in the original version that could actually do something, and we made the sentence clearly about these two nouns by placing them in front of active verbs. This is the general principle to follow as you compose in the active voice: Place concrete nouns that can perform work in front of active verbs. ### Practice Are the following sentences in the active or passive voice? How can you tell? 1. The samples were prepared in a clean room before being sent out for further examination. 2. Karen was dancing with Joshua when she suddenly realized she needed to leave. 3. Carlos was a very serious scientist with unique interests. Show Answer 1. This sentence uses the passive voice. The action (prepared) was done to the subject of the sentence (samples). If this sentence were written in the active it would be something like this: “\[Actor\] prepared the samples in a clean room before sending them out for further examination.” Since we do not know who prepared the samples, the active sentence is incomplete. 2. This sentence uses the active voice. In this case was indicates that the sentence happened in the past; it does not indicate the passive voice. 3. This sentence uses the active voice. In this case was is acting as a linking verb. It links Carlos with the phrase very serious scientist. ## Revise Weak Passive-Voice Sentences As we’ve mentioned, the passive voice can be a shifty operator—it can cover up its source, that is, who’s doing the acting, as this example shows: - Passive: The papers will be graded according to the criteria stated in the syllabus. - Graded by whom though? - Active: The teacher will grade the papers according to the criteria stated in the syllabus. It’s this ability to cover the actor or agent of the sentence that makes the passive voice a favorite of people in authority—policemen, city officials, and, yes, teachers. At any rate, you can see how the passive voice can cause wordiness, indirectness, and comprehension problems. \| Passive \| Question \| Active \| \|---\|---\|---\| \| Your figures have been reanalyzed in order to determine the coefficient of error. The results will be announced when the situation is judged appropriate. \| Who analyzes, and who will announce? \| We have reanalyzed your figures in order to determine the range of error. We will announce the results when the time is right. \| \| With the price of housing at such inflated levels, those loans cannot be paid off in any shorter period of time. \| Who can’t pay the loans off? \| With the price of housing at such inflated levels, homeowners cannot pay off those loans in any shorter period of time. \| \| After the arm of the hand-held stapler is pushed down, the blade from the magazine is raised by the top-leaf spring, and the magazine and base. \| Who pushes it down, and who or what raises it? \| After you push down on the arm of the hand-held stapler, the top-leaf spring raises the blade from the magazine, and the magazine and base move apart. \| \| However, market share is being lost by 5.25-inch diskettes as is shown in the graph in Figure 2. \| Who or what is losing market share, who or what shows it? \| However, 5\.25-inch diskettes are losing market share as the graph in Figure 2 shows. \| \| For many years, federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping have been ignored. Only recently have tighter restrictions been imposed on the circumstances that warrant it. \| Who has ignored the regulations, and who is now imposing them? \| For many years, government officials have ignored federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping. Only recently has the federal government imposed tighter restrictions on the circumstances that warrant it. \| ### Practice Convert these passive voice sentences into the active voice. Why is the active voice a better choice for each of these sentences? 1. The process, which was essential for the experiment’s success, was completed by Enzo. 2. The cake that I worked on all day long is being eaten by Justin. 3. After the pattern has been applied to the fabric, work on the embroidery can be started. Show Answer 1. Enzo completed the process, which was essential for the experiment’s success. - In the passive sentence, the which\-clause makes the subject of the sentence excessively long. By converting the sentence to the active voice, the clause is moved to the predicate, which makes the sentence easier to understand. 2. Justin is eating the cake that I worked on all day long. - The active voice works better in this sentence for the same reasons as sentence one. It is also likely that you would want to put emphasis on Justin in this sentence. After all, he’s doing something that is (most likely) inconsiderate. 3. After you apply the pattern to the fabric, you can start working on the embroidery. - This sentence is likely found in a set of instructions, which are usually written directly to the reader. Addressing “you” and avoiding the passive voice will make the instructions feel more natural and accessible. Don’t get the idea that the passive voice is always wrong and should never be used. It is a good writing technique when we don’t want to be bothered with an obvious or too-often-repeated subject and when we need to rearrange words in a sentence for emphasis. The next page will focus more on how and why to use the passive voice. Licenses and Attributions CC licensed content, Original - Revision and Adaptation. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: [CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) - Practice Activities. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: [CC BY: Attribution](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) CC licensed content, Shared previously - The Passive versus Active Voice Dilemma. Authored by: Joe Schall. Provided by: The Pennsylvania State University. Located at: <https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/c1_p11.html>. License: [CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) - Power-Revision Techniques: Sentence-Level Revision. Authored by: David McMurrey. Located at: <https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/hirev2.html#passive>. License: [CC BY: Attribution](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) [Previous](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-voice/index.html) [Next](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-using-the-passive-voice/index.html) - [Home](https://courses.lumenlearning.com/engcomp1-wmopen) - [Table of Contents](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/table-of-contents/index.html) [Close](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-active-and-passive-voice/index.html) - #### - #### Instructor Resources (available upon sign-in) - - [Overview of Instructor Resources](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/overview-of-instructor-resources/index.html) - [Quiz Survey](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/quiz-survey/index.html) - #### Reading: Types of Reading Material - - [Introduction to Reading](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/why-it-matters-reading/index.html) - [Outcome: Types of Reading Material](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-types-of-writing-1-1/index.html) - [Characteristics of Texts, Part 1](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-characteristics-of-texts-part-1/index.html) - [Characteristics of Texts, Part 2](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/texts-characteristics-of-texts-part-2/index.html) - [Characteristics of Texts, Part 3](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-characteristics-of-texts-part-3/index.html) - [Characteristics of Texts, Conclusion](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-characteristics-of-texts-conclusion/index.html) - [Self Check: Types of Writing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-types-of-writing/index.html) - #### Reading: Reading Strategies - - [Outcome: Reading Strategies](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-reading-strategies-1-2/index.html) - [The Rhetorical Situation](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-the-rhetorical-situation/index.html) - [Academic Reading Strategies](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-academic-reading-strategies/index.html) - [Self Check: Reading Strategies](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-reading-strategies/index.html) - #### Reading: Specialized Reading Strategies - - [Outcome: Specialized Reading Strategies](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-specialized-reading-strategies-1-3/index.html) - [Online Reading Comprehension](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-online-reading-comprehension/index.html) - [How to Read Effectively in Math](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-how-to-read-effectively-in-math/index.html) - [How to Read Effectively in the Social Sciences](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-how-to-read-effectively-in-the-social-sciences/index.html) - [How to Read Effectively in the Sciences](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-how-to-read-effectively-in-the-sciences/index.html) - [5 Step Approach for Reading Charts and Graphs](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-5-step-approach-for-reading-charts-and-graphs/index.html) - [Self Check: Specialized Reading Strategies](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-specialized-reading-strategies/index.html) - #### Reading: Vocabulary - - [Outcome: Vocabulary](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-vocabulary-1-4/index.html) - [Strategies to Improve Your Vocabulary](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-strategies-to-improve-your-vocabulary/index.html) - [Using Context Clues](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-using-context-clues/index.html) - [The Relationship Between Reading and Vocabulary](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-the-relationship-between-reading-and-vocabulary/index.html) - [Self Check: Vocabulary](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-vocabulary/index.html) - #### Reading: Thesis - - [Outcome: Thesis](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-thesis-1-5/index.html) - [Locating and Evaluating Thesis Statements](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-locating-and-evaluating-thesis-statements/index.html) - [The Organizational Statement](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-the-organizational-statement/index.html) - [Self Check: Thesis](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-thesis/index.html) - #### Reading: Supporting Claims - - [Outcome: Supporting Claims](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-supporting-claims-1-6/index.html) - [Types of Support](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-types-of-support/index.html) - [Supporting Claims](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/1-4-supporting-claims-text/index.html) - [Self Check: Supporting Claims](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-supporting-claims/index.html) - #### Reading: Logic and Structure - - [Outcome: Logic and Structure](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-logic-and-structure-1-7/index.html) - [Rhetorical Modes](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-rhetorical-modes/index.html) - [Inductive and Deductive Reasoning](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-inductive-reasoning/index.html) - [Diagramming and Evaluating Arguments](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-diagramming-and-evaluating-arguments/index.html) - [Logical Fallacies](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-logical-fallacies/index.html) - [Evaluating Appeals to Ethos, Logos, and Pathos](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-evaluating-appeals-to-ethos-logos-and-pathos/index.html) - [Self Check: Logic and Structure](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-logic-and-structure/index.html) - #### Reading: Summary Skills - - [Outcome: Summary Skills](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-summary-skills-1-8/index.html) - [How to Annotate](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-how-to-annotate/index.html) - [Paraphrasing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-paraphrasing/index.html) - [Quote Bombs](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-quote-bombs/index.html) - [Summary Writing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-summary-writing/index.html) - [Self Check: Summary Skills](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-summary-skills/index.html) - [Conclusion to Reading](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/putting-it-together-reading/index.html) - #### Writing Process: Topic Selection - - [Introduction to Writing Process](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/why-it-matters-writing-process/index.html) - [Outcome: Topic Selection](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-topic-selection-2-1/index.html) - [Starting a Paper](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-where-to-start-a-paper/index.html) - [Choosing and Developing Topics](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-choosing-and-developing-topics/index.html) - [Back to the Future of Topics](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-back-to-the-future-of-topics/index.html) - [Developing Your Topic](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-developing-your-topic/index.html) - [Self Check: Topic Selection](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-topic-selection/index.html) - #### Writing Process: Prewriting - - [Outcome: Prewriting](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-prewriting-2-2/index.html) - [Prewriting Strategies for Diverse Learners](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-prewriting-strategies-for-diverse-learners/index.html) - [Prewriting](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-prewriting/index.html) - [Rhetorical Context](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-rhetorical-context/index.html) - [Working Thesis Statements](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-working-thesis-statements/index.html) - [Self Check: Prewriting](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-prewriting/index.html) - #### Writing Process: Finding Evidence - - [Outcome: Finding Evidence](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-finding-evidence-2-3/index.html) - [Using Personal Examples](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-using-personal-examples/index.html) - [Performing Background Research](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-performing-background-research/index.html) - [Listening to Sources, Talking to Sources](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-listening-to-sources-talking-to-sources/index.html) - [Self Check: Finding Evidence](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-finding-evidence/index.html) - #### Writing Process: Organizing - - [Outcome: Organizing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-organizing/index.html) - [Moving Beyond the Five-Paragraph Theme](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-moving-beyond-the-five-paragraph-theme/index.html) - [Introduction to Argument](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-introduction-to-argument/index.html) - [The Three-Story Thesis](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-the-three-story-thesis/index.html) - [Organically Structured Arguments](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-organically-structured-arguments/index.html) - [Logic and Structure](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-logic-and-structure/index.html) - [The Perfect Paragraph](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-the-perfect-paragraph/index.html) - [Introductions and Conclusions](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-introductions-and-conclusions/index.html) - [Self Check: Organizing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-organizing/index.html) - #### Writing Process: Drafting - - [Outcome: Drafting](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-drafting-2-5/index.html) - [From Outlining to Drafting](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-from-outlining-to-drafting/index.html) - [Flash Drafts](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-flash-drafts/index.html) - [Drafting](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-drafting/index.html) - [Self Check: Drafting](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-drafting/index.html) - #### Writing Process: Revising - - [Outcome: Revising](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-revising-2-6/index.html) - [Seeking Input from Others](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-seeking-and-responding-to-input-from-others/index.html) - [Responding to Input from Others](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-responding-to-input-from-others/index.html) - [The Art of Re-Seeing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-the-art-of-re-seeing/index.html) - [Higher Order Concerns](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-higher-order-concerns/index.html) - [Self Check: Revising](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-revising/index.html) - #### Writing Process: Proofreading - - [Outcome: Proofreading](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-proofreading-2-7/index.html) - [Lower Order Concerns](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-lower-order-concerns/index.html) - [Style](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-style/index.html) - [Proofreading Advice](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-proofreading-advice/index.html) - ["Correctness" in Writing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-correctness-in-writing/index.html) - [The Importance of Spelling](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-the-importance-of-spelling/index.html) - [Punctuation Concerns](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-punctuation-concerns/index.html) - [Self Check: Proofreading](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-proofreading/index.html) - [Conclusion to Writing Process](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/putting-it-together-writing-process/index.html) - #### Research Process: Finding Sources - - [Introduction to Research Process](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/why-it-matters-research/index.html) - [Outcome: Finding Sources](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-finding-sources-3-1/index.html) - [The Research Process](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-the-research-process/index.html) - [Finding Sources](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-finding-sources/index.html) - [What are Scholarly Articles?](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-intermediate-research-strategies/index.html) - [Finding Scholarly Articles and Using Databases](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-finding-scholarly-articles/index.html) - [Database Searching](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-library-databases/index.html) - [Advanced Search Strategies](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-advanced-search-strategies/index.html) - [Preliminary Research Strategies](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-preliminary-research-strategies/index.html) - [Reading and Using Scholarly Sources](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-reading-and-using-scholarly-sources/index.html) - [Self Check: Finding Sources](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-finding-sources/index.html) - #### Research Process: Source Analysis - - [Outcome: Source Analysis](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-source-analysis-3-2/index.html) - [Evaluating Sources](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-evaluating-sources/index.html) - [CRAAP Analysis](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-evaluating-sources/index.html) - [Evaluating Websites](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-evaluating-websites-not-sure-if-necessary/index.html) - [Synthesizing Sources](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-synthesizing-sources/index.html) - [Self Check: Source Analysis](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-source-analysis/index.html) - #### Research Process: Writing Ethically - - [Outcome: Writing Ethically](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-writing-ethically-3-3/index.html) - [Academic Integrity](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/video-academic-integrity/index.html) - [Defining Plagiarism](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-defining-plagiarism/index.html) - [Avoiding Plagiarism](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-avoiding-plagiarism/index.html) - [Using Sources in Your Writing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-using-sources-in-your-writing/index.html) - [Self Check: Writing Ethically](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-writing-ethically/index.html) - #### Research Process: MLA Documentation - - [Introduction to MLA Documentation](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-introduction-to-mla-documentation/index.html) - [Outcome: MLA Documentation](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-mla-documentation/index.html) - [MLA Document Formatting](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-mla-document-formatting/index.html) - [MLA Works Cited](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-mla-works-cited/index.html) - [Creating MLA Citations](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-creating-mla-citations/index.html) - [MLA In-Text Citations](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-mla-in-text-citations/index.html) - [Self Check: MLA Documentation](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-mla-documentation/index.html) - [Conclusion to Research Process](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/putting-it-together-research/index.html) - #### Grammar: Nouns and Pronouns - - [Introduction to Grammar](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/why-it-matters-grammar/index.html) - [Outcome: Nouns and Pronouns](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-nouns-and-pronouns/index.html) - [Nouns](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-nouns/index.html) - [Pronoun Cases and Types](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-pronoun-cases-and-types/index.html) - [Pronoun Antecedents](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-pronoun-antecedents/index.html) - [Try It: Nouns and Pronouns](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/try-it-nouns-and-pronouns/index.html) - [Self Check: Nouns and Pronouns](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-nouns-and-pronouns/index.html) - #### Grammar: Verbs - - [Outcome: Verbs](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-verbs/index.html) - [Verb Types](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-verb-types/index.html) - [Verb Tenses and Agreement](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-verb-tenses-and-agreement/index.html) - [Non-Finite Verbs](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-non-finite-verbs/index.html) - [Complex Verb Tenses](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-complex-verb-tenses/index.html) - [Try It: Verbs](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/try-it-verbs/index.html) - [Self Check: Verbs](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-verbs/index.html) - #### Grammar: Other Parts of Speech - - [Outcome: Other Parts of Speech](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-other-parts-of-speech/index.html) - [Comparing Adjectives and Adverbs](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-comparing-adjectives-and-adverbs/index.html) - [Adjectives and Adverbs](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-adjectives-and-adverbs/index.html) - [Conjunctions](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-conjunctions/index.html) - [Prepositions](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-prepositions/index.html) - [Articles](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-articles/index.html) - [Try It: Other Parts of Speech](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/try-it-other-parts-of-speech/index.html) - [Self Check: Other Parts of Speech](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-other-parts-of-speech/index.html) - #### Grammar: Punctuation - - [Outcome: Punctuation](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-punctuation/index.html) - [End Punctuation](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-end-punctuation/index.html) - [Commas](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-commas/index.html) - [Hyphens and Dashes](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-hyphens-and-dashes/index.html) - [Apostrophes and Quotation Marks](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-apostrophes-and-quotation-marks/index.html) - [Brackets, Parentheses, and Ellipses](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-brackets-parentheses-and-ellipses/index.html) - [Semicolons and Colons](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-semicolons-and-colons/index.html) - [Try It: Punctuation](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/try-it-punctuation/index.html) - [Self Check: Punctuation](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-punctuation/index.html) - #### Grammar: Sentence Structure - - [Outcome: Sentence Structure](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-sentence-structure/index.html) - [Parts of a Sentence](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-parts-of-a-sentence/index.html) - [Common Sentence Structures](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-common-sentence-structures/index.html) - [Run-on Sentences](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-run-on-sentences/index.html) - [Sentence Fragments](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-sentence-fragments/index.html) - [Parallel Structure](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-parallel-structure/index.html) - [Try It: Sentence Structure](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/try-it-sentence-structure/index.html) - [Self Check: Sentence Structure](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-sentence-structure/index.html) - #### Grammar: Voice - - [Outcome: Voice](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/outcome-voice/index.html) - [Active and Passive Voice](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-active-and-passive-voice/index.html) - [Using the Passive Voice](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/text-using-the-passive-voice/index.html) - [Conclusion to Grammar](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/putting-it-together-grammar/index.html) - [Try It: Voice](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/try-it-voice/index.html) - [Self Check: Voice](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/self-check-voice/index.html) - #### Success Skills - - [Introduction to Success Skills](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/introduction-to-success-skills/index.html) - [Habits for Success](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/habits-for-success/index.html) - [Critical Thinking](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/critical-thinking/index.html) - [Time Management](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/time-management/index.html) - [Writing in College](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/writing-in-college/index.html) - [Computer-Based Writing](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/computer-based-writing/index.html) - [Conclusion to Success Skills](https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151text/chapter/conclusion-to-success-skills/index.html) - ####
Readable Markdown	There are two main “voices” in English writing: the active voice and the passive voice. You’ve probably heard a lot about them—and you’ve probably been warned away from the passive voice. But what exactly are they? In the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen sings the song.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct. Let’s look at a couple more examples of the passive voice: - I’ve been hit! (or, I have been hit!) - Jasper was thrown from the car when it was struck from behind. You may have noticed something unique about the previous two sentences: the subject of the sentence is not the person (or thing) performing the action. The passive voice “hides” who does the action. Despite these sentences being completely grammatically sound, we don’t know who hit “me” or what struck the car. The passive is created using the verb to be and the past participle. When identifying passive sentences, remember that to be has other uses than just creating the passive voice. “She was falling” and “His keys were lost” are not passive sentences. In the first, to be is a continuous past verb, and in the second to be is past tense linking verb. There are two key features that will help you identify a passive sentence: 1. Something is happening (the sentence has a verb that is not a linking verb). 2. The subject of the sentence is not doing that thing. ## Usage As you read at the two sentences below, think about the how the different voice may affect the meaning or implications of the sentence: - Passive voice: The rate of evaporation is controlled by the size of an opening. - Active voice: The size of an opening controls the rate of evaporation. The passive choice slightly emphasizes “the rate of evaporation,” while the active choice emphasizes “the size of an opening.” Simple. So why all the fuss? Because passive constructions can produce grammatically tangled sentences such as this: Groundwater flow is influenced by zones of fracture concentration, as can be recognized by the two model simulations (see Figures 1 and 2), by which one can see . . . The sentence is becoming a burden for the reader, and probably for the writer too. As often happens, the passive voice here has smothered potential verbs and kicked off a runaway train of prepositions. But the reader’s task gets much easier in the revised version below: Two model simulations (Figures 1 and 2) illustrate how zones of fracture concentration influence groundwater flow. These simulations show . . . To revise the above, all we did was look for the two buried things (simulations and zones) in the original version that could actually do something, and we made the sentence clearly about these two nouns by placing them in front of active verbs. This is the general principle to follow as you compose in the active voice: Place concrete nouns that can perform work in front of active verbs. ### Practice Are the following sentences in the active or passive voice? How can you tell? 1. The samples were prepared in a clean room before being sent out for further examination. 2. Karen was dancing with Joshua when she suddenly realized she needed to leave. 3. Carlos was a very serious scientist with unique interests. Show Answer ## Revise Weak Passive-Voice Sentences As we’ve mentioned, the passive voice can be a shifty operator—it can cover up its source, that is, who’s doing the acting, as this example shows: - Passive: The papers will be graded according to the criteria stated in the syllabus. - Graded by whom though? - Active: The teacher will grade the papers according to the criteria stated in the syllabus. It’s this ability to cover the actor or agent of the sentence that makes the passive voice a favorite of people in authority—policemen, city officials, and, yes, teachers. At any rate, you can see how the passive voice can cause wordiness, indirectness, and comprehension problems. \| Passive \| Question \| Active \| \|---\|---\|---\| \| Your figures have been reanalyzed in order to determine the coefficient of error. The results will be announced when the situation is judged appropriate. \| Who analyzes, and who will announce? \| We have reanalyzed your figures in order to determine the range of error. We will announce the results when the time is right. \| \| With the price of housing at such inflated levels, those loans cannot be paid off in any shorter period of time. \| Who can’t pay the loans off? \| With the price of housing at such inflated levels, homeowners cannot pay off those loans in any shorter period of time. \| \| After the arm of the hand-held stapler is pushed down, the blade from the magazine is raised by the top-leaf spring, and the magazine and base. \| Who pushes it down, and who or what raises it? \| After you push down on the arm of the hand-held stapler, the top-leaf spring raises the blade from the magazine, and the magazine and base move apart. \| \| However, market share is being lost by 5.25-inch diskettes as is shown in the graph in Figure 2. \| Who or what is losing market share, who or what shows it? \| However, 5\.25-inch diskettes are losing market share as the graph in Figure 2 shows. \| \| For many years, federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping have been ignored. Only recently have tighter restrictions been imposed on the circumstances that warrant it. \| Who has ignored the regulations, and who is now imposing them? \| For many years, government officials have ignored federal regulations concerning the use of wire-tapping. Only recently has the federal government imposed tighter restrictions on the circumstances that warrant it. \| ### Practice Convert these passive voice sentences into the active voice. Why is the active voice a better choice for each of these sentences? 1. The process, which was essential for the experiment’s success, was completed by Enzo. 2. The cake that I worked on all day long is being eaten by Justin. 3. After the pattern has been applied to the fabric, work on the embroidery can be started. Show Answer Don’t get the idea that the passive voice is always wrong and should never be used. It is a good writing technique when we don’t want to be bothered with an obvious or too-often-repeated subject and when we need to rearrange words in a sentence for emphasis. The next page will focus more on how and why to use the passive voice.
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