Active and Passive Voice

Gentry

Warm up- related to last week’s grammar lesson

1. Write a complex sentence beginning with a dependent clause.– Example: If I don’t study my grammar lessons, I

will have a hard time passing the CAHSEE.2. Write a sentence with two independent clauses

joined by a semicolon.-Example: Today I going to learn what active and passive voice are; this will help me in my writing.

***Don’t forget the trick: It is possible that…

Learning Objective

• SWBAT:• Compare and contrast between active and

passive voice• Create a conversation using only the passive

voice.

What is Active Voice?

• In the Active voice, the subject performs the action.

For example:Joseph draws a picture.

Joseph is the subject and he is doing something (drawing).

Simple trick for identifying the active voice…

• The subject will be in front of the verb!

• Can you locate the subject and the verb?

• I cooked dinner for my family Saturday night.• John threw the ball to his friend.• Because I wanted to go the game, I did all of

my chores.

What is passive voice?

• In passive voice the subject is acted upon.

For example:The picture was drawn by Joseph.

In this case, the drawing is the subject and it is being acted upon by Joseph.

continued

• Sometimes in passive voice, you don’t even have to mention who or what is doing or did the action.

• Example: All of the pie was eaten.» All of the pie was eaten by the kids.

• Mistakes were made.» Mistakes were made by the players.

• Look at this conversation between a boss and an employer.

“The Lazy Worker”I need two volunteers

• Boss: Susan, did you finish the report I gave you? Worker: I'm sorry, but the reports haven't been finished yet. Boss: What? Are you kidding me? Worker: Sorry! I'll finish the reports right away.

Mrs. G’s trick for identifying passive voice

• Sometimes, not all the time, you can identify passive voice by looking for the word “by.”

• Also look for words like: were, was, are• Let’s practice:• Houses were destroyed by the storm.• The cake was eaten by me.• Inexpensive ways for people to have fun are

provided by parks.• Oxygen was discovered in 1774 by Joseph Priestley.• A kitten was chosen by the family to have as a pet.

Can you rewrite these in active voice?Put the person or thing performing the

action in front of the verb.• Houses were destroyed by the storm.• The storm destroyed houses.• The cake was eaten by me.• I ate the cake.• Inexpensive ways for people to have fun are

provided by parks.• Oxygen was discovered in 1774 by Joseph

Priestley.• A kitten was chosen by the family to have as a

pet.

I made you a video!!!!

• I posted it on the website as well! Check it out!

• “Mr. Passive Voice”•http://goanimate.com/movie/0MdCKU8DKm2o?utm_source=linkshare&uid=0CxyEDb_JXcc