Verb Voice Examples

Verbs in English have voice, which refers to the relationship between the subject of the sentence and the verb.

There are two verb voices in English:

Active Voice-when the subject of the sentence the person or thing doing the action of the verb or in the state expressed by the verb. This is the voice with which we are most familiar-the subject performs the action of the sentence.

Passive Voice-when the subject of the sentence is being acted upon. The subject of the sentence is not performing the action. Instead, it is receiving the action.

Most writers do not use passive voice. Passive voice should only be used when you need to emphasize the thing that is being acted upon.

To write a sentence in the passive voice, you must use an auxiliary verb, or "helping" verb.

Examples of sentences written in active voice:

1) Joseph threw the ball through the neighbor's window.

2) Alyssa drank the last bottle of water.

3) Katie read the library book.

4) Pamela walks her dog Bucky.

5) The class watched a movie about frogs.

Examples of the same sentences written in passive voice:

1) The ball was thrown through the neighbor's window by Joseph.

2) The last bottle of water was drunk by Alyssa.

3) The library book was read by Katie.

4) Bucky is walked by Pamela.

5) A movie about frogs was watched by the class.