Any time the verb is a form of "to be", it is passive voice. The passive verbs include:
is, are, were, be, being, been, have, had
Additionally, one clue to passive sentences is when the verb is followed by "by". "
Example:
The accidents are witnessed by other motorists every day."
Sometimes, passive sentences are perfectly okay to use when the "actor" (who is doing the action) is unimportant. But too many passive sentences make reading boring, and passive makes longer sentences.
Example, passive
Every day, accidents are witnessed by other motorists. Records of accidents are kept by local police departments and statistics are compiled by State agencies and by insurance companies. As determined by authorities, most accidents are caused by people who are inattentive or distracted.
Example, active.
Other motorists witness accidents every day. Local police departments keep records, which State agencies and insurance companies use to create statistics. These authorities determined that inattentive or distracted drivers cause the most accidents.
Note that the both examples say the same thing but the noun is followed by an active verb (witness; keep; use; determined). Also note that the passive example is longer than the active example. The active example uses fewer words, is easier to read, and still makes the same points.
To change an active sentence to passive, identify the object in the active sentence and make it the subject in the passive sentence. Move the subject of the active sentence to the phrase with "by" and change the verb to its past participle form. To change a passive sentence to active, identify the subject in the passive sentence and make it the subject in the active sentence. Use an appropriate active verb to describe the subject's action and add the original object of the passive sentence as the direct object in the active sentence.
The verb "given" in the sentence "Were you given a second helping" is in the passive voice.
Please provide the sentence so I can determine if the verb is active or passive.
You change passive voice to active voice by making the actor(s) the subject of the sentence, e.g., "the question was asked by the user" (passive) versus, "the user asked the question" (active).
To change a sentence from active to passive voice, move the object of the active sentence to the subject position in the passive sentence and add a form of the verb "to be" along with the past participle of the main verb. For example, "I ate the cake" in active voice becomes "The cake was eaten by me" in passive voice.
To change an active sentence to passive, identify the object in the active sentence and make it the subject in the passive sentence. Move the subject of the active sentence to the phrase with "by" and change the verb to its past participle form. To change a passive sentence to active, identify the subject in the passive sentence and make it the subject in the active sentence. Use an appropriate active verb to describe the subject's action and add the original object of the passive sentence as the direct object in the active sentence.
The sentence "Sentences can be written in active and passive voices" is a declarative sentence written in passive voice.
The verb "given" in the sentence "Were you given a second helping" is in the passive voice.
Please provide the sentence so I can determine if the verb is active or passive.
You change passive voice to active voice by making the actor(s) the subject of the sentence, e.g., "the question was asked by the user" (passive) versus, "the user asked the question" (active).
To change a sentence from active to passive voice, move the object of the active sentence to the subject position in the passive sentence and add a form of the verb "to be" along with the past participle of the main verb. For example, "I ate the cake" in active voice becomes "The cake was eaten by me" in passive voice.
The sentence is passive.
To change a sentence from active voice to passive voice, move the object of the active sentence to the beginning, followed by the verb in the past participle form and the subject at the end with "by" if needed. To change a passive sentence to active, identify the subject of the passive sentence, move it to the position of the subject in the active voice, and make the original subject the object of the active sentence.
This is not an active sentence so it cannot be changed to a passive sentence. Active sentences have a subject and a verb. eg The dog chased the cat. As a passive sentence -- The cat was chased.
That is a passive sentence since the subject noun is last. When the object of the sentence is being acted upon by the subject, it is passive. An active example of this same sentence would be: "Budd nurtured Carver's Creativity."
This is a passive sentence. Passive sentences have a verb phrase -be + past participleThe verb phrase for this sentence is were converted
That is in the passive voice. The active version of the same sentence would be, the teacher confiscated the toy.