5. Sentence Structures

Passive Voice¶

Passive voice is

Passive Sentence: a sentence with a passive sentence pattern Object + Verb + by + Subject

Active voice is

Active Sentence: a sentence with an active sentence pattern. Subject + Verb + Object

Passive Voice	Active Voice
Subject + Verb + Object	Object + Verb + by + Subject
Passive voice includes the use of have, had, will, been, by.	Active voice doesn't use have, had, will, been, by.
Passive voice is indirect.	Active voice is direct.
Passive voice can make sentences more complex, more wordy, and harder to understand.	Active voice can make sentences simpler, shorter, and easier to understand.