Understanding and Transforming Passive Sentences to Active Voice in English
Understanding and Transforming Passive Sentences to Active Voice in English
When working with sentences in English, it is important to understand the difference between active and passive voice. The active voice describes the subject performing the action, while the passive voice describes the subject as being acted upon. This article will explore how to transform sentences from the passive voice to the active voice, focusing on nouns and specific sentence structures.
Identifying Agents in Passive Sentences
In some passive voice sentences, an agent—the subject or do-er—is not immediately clear. Consider the following sentences:
Passive Sentences with Missing Agents
We cannot do it.None can do it.They cannot do it.To transform these sentences into active voice, we need to introduce an agent (do-er). For example:
Active: You cannot do it.Active: No one can do it.Active: Nobody can do it.Removing Objects when Not Necessary
Sometimes, the object in a passive sentence can be removed if it is not necessary or clear from the context. Consider:
Passive Sentences with Contextual Objects Removed
It cannot be done.Nothing can be done about it.In these cases, the active version can be:
Active: It cannot be done.Active: It cannot be done.Examples and Transformations
To illustrate the transformation process, let's take the example sentence: “It cannot be done.”
Passive: It cannot be done.Active: You cannot do it.Assume, for the purposes of this transformation, that “It cannot be done” is a passive construction. Alternatively, it could be a linking verb construction with a past participle adjective, as in “It (the cake) cannot be done (baked).”
When Agents are Not Clear
If the agent is not clear and no specific agent can be introduced, the sentence might remain passive. For example:
No one can do it.It cannot be done.No one can do it.Here, the active transformation would be:
Active: No one can do it.Active: It cannot be done.Active: No one can do it.Alternative Passive to Active Transformations
There are times when one might prefer a slightly different active construction. For example:
Possibly: One cannot do it.While this is not grammatically incorrect, it may sound a bit formal or awkward depending on the context.
Summary and Conclusion
By identifying an agent and transforming passive sentences into active voice, clarity and directness can be enhanced. Remember, the active voice is generally clearer and more engaging for the reader. When agents are not clear, removing objects or adjusting the sentence can still achieve the goal of active voice transformation.