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helen:
whats the difference between active and passive voice? with examples please?

ell:

--- Quote from: helen on September 08, 2008, 07:05:46 pm ---whats the difference between active and passive voice? with examples please?

--- End quote ---

I don't do English Language, but I think it's something like: in active voice, the object or whatever you're talking about is doing the action, e.g.

The man jumped over the fence.

While in passive voice, the action is done by the object, e.g. the sentence would be:

The fence was jumped over by the man.

AppleThief:
That example is correct. However, in active voice, it is the SUBJECT that does the action.

          The     man     jumped     over     the     fence
                  subject     verb                     object

In passive, the subject has the action done to it.

          The     fence     was     jumped     over     by     the     man
                    subject             verb                               object


I thought I may as well also add that you can tell if a sentence is passive if it has a by-phrase (e.g. the ball was thrown BY the boy)

Also, you should probably know agentless passive, which is when the agent is completely omitted. e.g. "the ball was thrown". Note that you can insert a by-phrase, and work out that it is agentless passive.

Mao:

--- Quote from: AppleThief on September 08, 2008, 08:11:12 pm ---
I thought I may as well also add that you can tell if a sentence is passive if it has a by-phrase (e.g. the ball was thrown BY the boy)


--- End quote ---

I killed your theory by the name of God.

ell:

--- Quote from: AppleThief on September 08, 2008, 08:11:12 pm ---That example is correct. However, in active voice, it is the SUBJECT that does the action.

--- End quote ---

Ah yeah, that makes sense. I wish I did English Language. :(

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