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Exercise 3-4.1
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Quizzes: How to Revise > Eliminating passive voice

In an active voice sentence, the subject is doing the action. In a passive voice sentence, the subject receives the action.
active: McBride sent the angry letter.
passive: The angry letter was sent by McBride.
Editors value active voice sentences because they:
  • Are shorter. Sentence by sentence, deleting those extra words adds up to extra space for advertisements and other stories.

  • Are easier to understand. Writing in standard subject-verb-object order increases readers' comprehension.

  • Leave less wiggle room. Consider how easy it would be to drop the person responsible in the passive sentence above to "The letter was sent." Journalists tend to hold people responsible for their actions.

Passive voice occasionally is preferable when the object is more important than the subject, as in "The president was struck in the face by a baseball."

In the sentences that follow, mark each sentence as either active or passive. If the sentence is passive, consider how you would rewrite it in order to make it active.






1He was arrested while climbing into the mansion's window.
A)Active
B)Passive



2Retiring treasurer Bill Habib will be replaced by understudy Jenny Baker.
A)Active
B)Passive



3The reporter knew she had to complete her story by the 5 p.m. deadline.
A)Active
B)Passive



4The manager, as seen by the employees, is benevolent but demanding.
A)Active
B)Passive



5I was more angered by how she said it than what she said.
A)Active
B)Passive



6Casting calls were made on the third Friday of the month.
A)Active
B)Passive



7The blast destroyed the row of lockers on the east side of the building.
A)Active
B)Passive



8The overall flavor and texture of the blend was ranked on a scale from 1 to 5.
A)Active
B)Passive



9Catcher Bill Turlock won the game in the 9th inning with a home run.
A)Active
B)Passive



10The letter from the trustee did not include any errors.
A)Active
B)Passive



11After a lively discussion and not a little bickering, Scott was dubbed "Captain Scott," a title that left him feeling slightly uncomfortable but appreciated.
A)Active
B)Passive







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