Read the three excerpts (A, B, and C) below and answer the questions after each one. In your answers, use only active voice.
Katlina
ActiveandPassiveVoice-TheMusical-24-25.pptxACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE
A Musical
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What Is Passive Voice? Active Voice?
In passive voice, the subject is acted upon:
The beach will be eroded by a hurricane.
The pattern: "to be" verb + past participle
In active voice, the subject acts:
The hurricane will erode the beach.
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Possible Passive Voice Problems
PV hides the actor . The actor is hidden.
PV slows down your prose.
PV can make your sentences difficult to understand.
Mistakes were made. (Passive voice – subject is "done unto.")
The contractor made mistakes. (Active voice – subject is the "doer.")
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Lyrics and Passive Voice
Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. (14 words)
Hey Jude, don't let it be made bad by you, a sad song should be taken by you and should be made better by you. (25 words)
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Change the passive voice lyrics below to active voice
If it was liked by you, a ring should have been put on it by you.
Why can’t your doubtful mind be freed and your cold, cold heart be melted by me?
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In-Class Assignment
Think of at least two lines of a song that you like.
Write them down.
Note if each line uses active or passive voice.
Change active voice sentences to passive voice
Change passive voice sentences to active voice.
Not every sentence (or lyric) will use active or passive voice.
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Revise to Active Voice
A coconut was bought by brother.
It was bought by him for a dime.
Another one was had by sister.
It was paid for by her with a lime.
The lime was put in the coconut by her.
Both of them were drunk up by her.
The lime was put in the coconut by her.
Both of them were drunk up by her.
The lime was put in the coconut by her. Both of them were drunk up by her
Why do passive voice lyrics sound so ridiculous?
It is hard to understand passive voice which makes it sound weird because the subject is acted upon. So it sounds ridiculous when the subject is acting.
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