Verbs form sentences and can be active or passive. Active verbs perform the action of the subject, while passive verbs emphasize the object. Passive voice is common in legal and scientific writing, while active voice is more engaging but may appear self-promoting.
Verbs convey an action or state of being and are one of two elements needed to form a sentence. Verb choice and sentence construction determine whether sentences are active or passive in voice. Active verbs perform the actions of the subject. Sentences written in the active voice tend to be more direct and less verbose. Many writers believe that the active voice is more engaging, while other writers believe that active verbs lack the subtlety in meaning that passive sentences can provide.
In the active voice, the subject takes the action, for example: The author has read the last 100 pages aloud. In the passive voice, the emphasis is not on the noun who performed the action, but on the noun who received the action, for example: The last 100 pages were read aloud by the author. The subject and object of the sentence are often swapped when switching between active and passive voice.
Active verbs can usually be recognized if they are referred to in an action form such as running, jumping or hiding. These past tense verbs are also active verbs: ran, jumped and hid. Active verbs usually follow the subject directly: John runs; John ran.
Passive verbs are often constructed using the be form of the active verb with the past participle of the main verb. An example of an active sentence would be: I painted the bus. In the passive verb form, the sentence becomes: The bus was painted by me.
Legal or scientific articles tend to use the passive voice more frequently. The active voice may appear too personal in these environments. A scientist may be more comfortable with the passive sentence: The solution has been prepared. In scientific circles, the use of active verbs can sometimes appear as self-promotion or improper emphasis: I have prepared the solution.
A passive voice may be preferable when the subject of the active version of the sentence should be emphasized rather than the subject. The emphasis is on the defendant at some point in the following sentence: The defendant was seen leaving the area by the witness. The active version of this sentence may cause the listener to focus on the witness rather than the defendant: The witness saw the defendant leave the area.
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