Lesson 4: Understanding

The English Sentence

Bruce Clary, McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

Verb Voice
Verbs in English sentences assume one of two
voices.

Active voice

Passive voice

As a rule, active voice is preferred because it is

more direct and concise and gives a sense of
immediacy to the sentence.

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

Active Voice
The verb is in the active voice when the subject is
performing the action expressed by the verb.

Ex: I love you. You love me.

Ex: Rissa set the flower on the windowsill.

Ex: Seth swung the bat against the fence.

Every sentence we have analyzed in the three

previous lessons was written in the active voice!

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Passive Voice
A verb is in the passive voice when the subject of
the sentence is acted on by the verb. The passive
voice is always constructed from a form of to be
plus the past participle of the substantive verb (often
an -ed verb).

Ex: I am loved.

Ex: The flowers were set on the windowsill by Rissa.

Ex: The bat was swung against the fence by Seth.

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

Practice Revising Passive Voice

The rose was laid on the grave by Bob.

Bob laid the rose on the grave.

The planet Pluto was discovered by a group of

astronomers.

A group of astronomers discovered the planet Pluto.

The boat was capsized by the force of the

hurricane.

The force of the hurricane capsized the boat.

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More Practice
The paper has been edited by Johns tutor.

Johns tutor has edited the paper.

All 10 of his free throws were made by T.J.

T.J. made all 10 of his free throws.

Two small children were hit by the ice cream truck.

The ice cream truck hit two small children.

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Appropriate Uses of Passive Voice

President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed by
an assassin today in Dallas, Texas.

The students were fed hot dogs and hamburgers.

An escaped convict is suspected of robbing the

Seven-Eleven last night.

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Watch for Phantom Passive Voice

After an hour in the oven, the cake was done.

Their lawn was nicely mowed.

The presidential candidates are tired of

campaigning.