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Active and Passive Voice

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Using Active Versus Passive Voice

In a sentence using active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb.

The sentence, the dog bit the boy, includes a subject (the dog) who performs the action expressed in the verb (biting the boy).

The arrow points from the subject performing the action (the dog) to the individual being acted upon (the boy). This is an example of a sentence using the active voice.

The active voice sentence, scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis, includes the scientists (the sentence subject) performing the action.

Sample active voice sentence with the subject performing the action described by the verb.

The subject of the sentence is performing the action described by the verb in this active voice sentence, watching a framed, mobile world through a car's windshield reminds me of watching a movie or TV.

The active voice sentence subject (watching a framed, mobile world) performs the action of reminding the speaker of something.

Each example above includes a sentence subject performing the action expressed by the verb.

View examples of active verb tenses.