Passive and Active Sentences
Now that we've learned all about the passive, let's look at some main differences between passive and active sentences. So how are they different? Well first of all, the passive form changes the usual order of the subject and object of an active sentence. The object of an active sentence becomes the subject (the main thing that is talked about) in an active sentence!
Active Sentence
Lucy (subject) bought the flowers.
Passive Sentence
The flowers (subject) were bought by Lucy.
In passive sentences, the agent (the thing or person that does the action) is often not even mentioned at all.
Active Sentence
Lucy bought the flowers.
Passive Sentence
The flowers were bought.
When to Use the Passive
Choosing the active or the passive form of a setnence doesn't change the meaning, but it changes the way you think about the information in the sentence! You use an active sentence to focus on who or what is doing the action. You use a passive sentence to focus on the thing receiving the action, or the result of an action.
We tried to get help during the storm, but we couldn't get through on the phone, so we waited until the next morning.
Here, the focus is on "we," the speakers, and what they did during the storm.
Let's look at this passive sentence example:
The next morning, our roof was damaged and the basement was flooded. Next door, the porch was ruined and several windows were broken.
Here, the focus is on the RESULTS of the storm. The sentences don't put much focus on what the speakers did or felt during the storm but focus instead on the damage the storm caused.
Exercise
Please open the exercise to continue.