Tasks: Active vs Passive Voice
Practise turning active sentences into passive sentences and passive sentences into active sentences.
Tasks 1:
Rephrase the following sentences from ACTIVE to PASSIVE voice.
(Pay attention to capital letters and full stops at the end of the sentences.)
Task 2:
Rephrase the following sentences from PASSIVE to ACTIVE voice.
(Pay attention to capital letters and full stops at the end of the sentences.)
Below, you will find two examples of the same text, one using the active voice, the other using the passive voice.
Compare the two texts.
How does the switch from active to passive change the text?
Is one text clearer and more direct than the other?
Which text would you use if you were going to:
describe the work of a wine farmer, or
give a general description of wine farming in your country?
Explain why.
Use the two texts, rewrite, and combine them into one. Where would you use the active form, and where would it be natural to use the passive form? Compare your texts in class.
Text a: Active voice
In my country, we produce very good quality wine. We grow the vines mainly in the west of the country, where the winters are milder. Wine farmers pick the grapes at the end of the summer - they have to pick them at exactly the right time. When they have picked them, they have to process the grapes very quickly. We store some wine for a long time to mature it before we bottle it. You can buy my country's wines in many European countries.
Text b: Passive voice
Very good quality wine is produced in my country. The vines are grown mainly in the west of the country, where the winters are milder. The grapes are picked at the end of the summer by the wine farmers - they have to be picked at exactly the right time. When they have been picked, the grapes have to be processed very quickly. Some wine is stored for a long time to mature it before it is bottled. My country's wines can be bought in many European countries.
This passage is a short plot summary of the short story 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl. The entire paragraph is written in the passive voice.
Rephrase the paragraph and put it into the active voice. How does this change the text?
Mary Malone was told some shocking news by her husband. He was then killed by Mary with a frozen leg of lamb. The house was thoroughly searched by the police, but nothing suspicious was found. Mary and the grocer were carefully questioned by detectives. The dreadful leg of lamb was cooked by Mrs Malone, and the murder weapon was eaten by the hungry detectives. The identity of the murderer was not guessed by the police. In fact, Mary was never suspected as the murderer by anyone.
Relatert innhold
What is the difference between passive and active voice? And when should you use them?