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Passive Voice PDF

The document defines active and passive voice and discusses their uses in technical writing. It provides examples of sentences written in active and passive voice. Active voice emphasizes the subject performing the action while passive voice emphasizes the recipient of the action. Technical instructions are usually written in passive voice as the focus is on what needs to be done rather than who does it. The document explains how to change sentences from active to passive voice and provides exercises to practice identifying voices and rewriting sentences.

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Johan Flores
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243 views5 pages

Passive Voice PDF

The document defines active and passive voice and discusses their uses in technical writing. It provides examples of sentences written in active and passive voice. Active voice emphasizes the subject performing the action while passive voice emphasizes the recipient of the action. Technical instructions are usually written in passive voice as the focus is on what needs to be done rather than who does it. The document explains how to change sentences from active to passive voice and provides exercises to practice identifying voices and rewriting sentences.

Uploaded by

Johan Flores
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PASSIVE VOICE IN TECHNICAL WRITING

Aims:
- Define active voice
- Define passive voice
- Identify differences between active voice and passive voice.
- Change sentences in active voice to passive voice.

* What do you need to make sentence in English?


SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
SOMETHING BIT ME

* Important concepts and definitions to consider:


SUBJECT:
The doer or agent that makes an action.
VERB:
The action made by a subject.
OBJECT:
The person, animal or thing that receives an action from the subject. (It’s always part of
the complement.)
ACTIVE VOICE

1) When do we use ACTIVE VOICE?

To give more importance to the subject that makes the action.

2) What do we need to form active sentences?

AGENT
SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT
DOER
Example:

The mechanic fixed the car.


Agent: The mechanic Verb: fixed Object: the car

** Identify agent, verb and object in these sentences.

1. He is putting the metal powder in a die to form a solid mass.


Agent: Verb: Object:
2. People made metal tools by heating iron bars in a fire.
Agent: Verb: Object:
3. Mr. Garcia uses a drill for making circular holes.
Agent: Verb: Object:
4. Manufacturers choose plastic containers for many different reasons.
Agent: Verb: Object:

PASSIVE VOICE

1) When do we use PASSIVE VOICE?

In technical English it is not important who does the work but that it is done. For this
reason most technical instructions are given in the passive voice as the reader of a
technical instruction or the person to be instructed needs exact information on the kind of
work that has to be done and on how the work has to be performed. In this case, it is of no
interest, who the responsible person is.

Example:
A wall plug is inserted in a hole, and a screw or bolt is then screwed into it.
2) What do you need to form passive sentences?

TO BE VERB (PAST PARTICIPLE FORM)


(depending on the tense…) * Third column of the list of verbs *

3) CHANGING ACTIVE TO PASSIVE:

Example of active voice

Part of speech Subject Verb Object

Sentence The foundation supports the steel column securely.

STEP 1: move the object to the subject position

The steel column ...


STEP 2: change the verb to the passive, making sure that BE takes the same tense as the
verb in the active sentence

The steel column is supported ...

STEP 3: drop the subject / agent

Example of passive voice without the subject


The steel column is supported securely.

or move it to a position after the verb adding the word BY before the agent.

Example of passive voice with the agent


The steel column is supported BY the foundation securely.

4) REVIEW OF PAST PARTICIPLES


ACTIVITY: Write the past participle of the verbs
5) PASSIVE VOICE STRUCTURES:
A) Present simple:

OBJECT AM VERB IN
CHANGES TO + IS + PAST
SUBJECT ARE PARTICIPLE

* People speak English in many countries. (Active voice)


English is spoken (by people) in many countries. (Passive voice)
ACTIVITY: Complete the sentences with the present simple passive form of the given
verbs.

COLLECT / GROW / UNDERSTAND / EAT / PAY / WRITE

1. Rice ________________by farmers in Korea.


2. Books ________________ by authors.
3. Small fish ________________ by big fish.
4. Taxes ________________ by the government.
5. I ________________ for my work by my boss.
6. The meaning of a smile ________________ by everyone.
B) Present progressive:

OBJECT AM VERB IN
CHANGES TO + IS + BEING + PAST
SUBJECT ARE PARTICIPLE

* My grandpa is drinking a cup of tea. (Active voice)


A cup of tea is being drunk (by my grandpa) (Passive voice)
ACTIVITY: The following sentences are in active voice. Identify the agent, verb and object.
Then change each into the passive voice.
1. My father isn’t washing the car.
Agent: Verb: Object:
Passive sentence:
2. The postman is delivering the mail.
Agent: Verb: Object:
Passive sentence:
3. Harry Potter is measuring the room.
Agent: Verb: Object:
Passive sentence:
4. The cat is tearing the new book.
Agent: Verb: Object:
Passive sentence:
C) Simple past:

OBJECT WAS VERB IN


CHANGES TO + + PAST
SUBJECT WERE PARTICIPLE
* She sang a song two days ago. (Active voice)
A song was sung (by her) two days ago. (Passive voice)
ACTIVITY: The following sentences are in active voice. Identify the agent, verb and object.
Then change each into the passive voice.
1. Ali and Joko didn’t attend the mechanical conference yesterday.
Agent: Verb: Object:
Passive sentence:
2. Somebody hit me.
Agent: Verb: Object:
Passive sentence:
3. The dog bit the old lady.
Agent: Verb: Object:
Passive sentence:
4. The police arrested the thieves.
Agent: Verb: Object:
Passive sentence:
D) Present perfect:

OBJECT HAVE VERB IN


CHANGES TO BEEN PAST
SUBJECT + HAS + + PARTICIPLE

* Someone has stolen my collection. (Active voice)


My collection has been stolen (by someone) (Passive voice)
ACTIVITY: Complete the sentences with the present perfect passive form of the given
verbs.
READ / SPEAK / VISIT / WEAR

1. The pyramids in Egypt ________________ by millions of tourist.


2. Soanish _____________ by people in Latin America for nearly 600 years.
3. Mark Twain’s books _____________ by millions of people through the years.
4. Perfume _____________ by both men and women since ancient times.
ACTIVITY: Circle ACTIVE if the given sentence is active; circle PASSIVE if it is passive.
Underline the verb and change the active sentences into passive voice.

1. ACTIVE / PASSIVE Many metal tools were made by heating iron bars in a fire, called a
forge.

2. ACTIVE / PASSIVE Civil engineers design bridges.

3. ACTIVE / PASSIVE They are making Rolls Royce cars in Britain.

4. ACTIVE / PASSIVE All the components have been shot-peened, their surface is
significantly harder.

5. ACTIVE / PASSIVE The top edge of the plate is chamfered – at an angle of 45 degrees
with the sides of the plate.
6. ACTIVE / PASSIVE More than 2000 people have climbed Mount Everest.

7. ACTIVE / PASSIVE Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.

8. ACTIVE / PASSIVE A wall plug is inserted in a hole, and a screw or bolt is then
screwed into it.

9. ACTIVE / PASSIVE We tested the samples under various conditions.

10. ACTIVE / PASSIVE A company in Korea manufactures this equipment.

11. ACTIVE / PASSIVE The accident happened while we were cleaning the machine.

12. ACTIVE / PASSIVE The apprentice is cleaning the tools at the moment.

13. ACTIVE / PASSIVE The welding rod is also coated with a material called flux.

14. ACTIVE / PASSIVE The protons are found in the nucleus and the electrons are
located around the nucleus.

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