7/23/2019 Active Form

1/5

Active Form

In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and

the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]

Examples

Passive Form

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence

and the thing doing the action is optionall! included near the end of the sentence.

"ou can use the passive form if !ou thin# that the thing receiving the action is more

important or should be emphasi$ed. "ou can also use the passive form if !ou do not

#no% %ho is doing the action or if !ou do not %ant to mention %ho is doing the

action.

[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [b!] + [thing doing

action]

Examples

Active / Passive Overview

Tense

&imple 'resent

'resent (ontinuous

&imple 'ast

7/23/2019 Active Form

2/5

'ast (ontinuous

'resent 'erfect

'resent 'erfect (ontinuous

'ast 'erfect

'ast 'erfect (ontinuous

&imple )uture

will

&imple )uture

be going to

)uture (ontinuous

will

)uture (ontinuous

be going to

)uture 'erfectwill

)uture 'erfect

be going to

)uture 'erfect (ontinuous

will

)uture 'erfect (ontinuous

be going to

*sed to

ould l%a!s

)uture in the 'ast

7/23/2019 Active Form

3/5

Would

)uture in the 'ast

Was Going to

-arr! ate six shrimp at dinner. active/

t dinner, six shrimp %ere eaten b! -arr!. passive/

0eautiful gira1es roam the savannah. active/

The savannah is roamed b! beautiful gira1es. passive/

&ue changed the 2at tire. active/

The 2at tire %as changed b! &ue. passive/

e are going to %atch a movie tonight. active/

movie is going to be %atched b! us tonight. passive/

I ran the obstacle course in record time. active/

The obstacle course %as run b! me in record time. passive/

The cre% paved the entire stretch of high%a!. active/

The entire stretch of high%a! %as paved b! the cre%. passive/

Mom read the novel in one da!. active/

The novel %as read b! Mom in one da!. passive/

The critic %rote a scathing revie%. active/

scathing revie% %as %ritten b! the critic. passive/

I %ill clean the house ever! &aturda!. active/The house %ill be cleaned b! me ever! &aturda!. passive/

The sta1 is re3uired to %atch a safet! video ever! !ear. active/

safet! video %ill be %atched b! the sta1 ever! !ear. passive/

&he faxed her application for a ne% job. active/

The application for a ne% job %as faxed b! her. passive/

Tom painted the entire house. active/

The entire house %as painted b! Tom. passive/

The teacher al%a!s ans%ers the students4 3uestions. active/

The students4 3uestions are al%a!s ans%ered b! the teacher. passive/

The choir reall! enjo!s that piece. active/

That piece is reall! enjo!ed b! the choir. passive/

ho taught !ou to s#i5 active/

0! %hom %ere !ou taught to s#i5 passive/

7/23/2019 Active Form

4/5

The forest 6re destro!ed the %hole suburb. active/

The %hole suburb %as destro!ed b! the forest 6re. passive/

The t%o #ings are signing the treat!. active/

The treat! is being signed b! the t%o #ings. passive/

The cleaning cre% vacuums and dusts the o7ce ever! night. active/Ever! night the o7ce is vacuumed and dusted b! the cleaning cre%. passive/

8arr! generousl! donated mone! to the homeless shelter. active/

Mone! %as generousl! donated to the homeless shelter b! 8arr!. passive/

9o one responded to m! sales ad. active/

M! sales ad %as not responded to b! an!one. passive/

The %edding planner is ma#ing all the reservations. active/

ll the reservations %ill be made b! the %edding planner. passive/

&usan %ill ba#e t%o do$en cupca#es for the ba#e sale. active/

)or the ba#e sale, t%o do$en coo#ies %ill be ba#ed b! &usan. passive/

The science class vie%ed the comet. active/

The comet %as vie%ed b! the science class. passive/

ho ate the last coo#ie5 active/

The last coo#ie %as eaten b! %hom5 passive/

lex posted the video on )aceboo#. active/

The video %as posted on )aceboo# b! lex. passive/

The director %ill give !ou instructions. active/Instructions %ill be given to !ou b! the director. passive/

Thousands of tourists vie% the :rand (an!on ever! !ear. active/

The :rand (an!on is vie%ed b! thousands of tourists ever! !ear. passive/

The homeo%ners remodeled the house to help it sell. active/

The house %as remodeled b! the homeo%ners to help it sell. passive/

The team %ill celebrate their victor! tomorro%. active/

The victor! %ill be celebrated b! the team tomorro%. passive/

The salt%ater eventuall! corroded the metal beams. active/

The metal beams %ere eventuall! corroded b! the salt%ater. passive/

The #angaroo carried her bab! in her pouch. active/

The bab! %as carried b! the #angaroo in her pouch. passive/

&ome people raise sugar cane in -a%aii. active/

&ugar cane is raised b! some people in -a%aii. passive

7/23/2019 Active Form

5/5