which of the following sentences is written in passive voice

Guri Bee

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20-10-2024

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Unmasking the Passive Voice: Which Sentence is Hiding?

The passive voice, a grammatical construction where the subject is acted upon, can sometimes be tricky to identify. Let's dive into the world of verbs and figure out which sentence is hiding in passive form.

The Challenge:

Imagine you're presented with a list of sentences and asked to pinpoint the one written in the passive voice. How would you approach this task?

Understanding the Passive Voice:

The passive voice typically follows this structure:

• Object + Be Verb + Past Participle + (by + Agent)

For example:

• The ball was thrown by the boy. (Passive)
• The boy threw the ball. (Active)

Notice how the focus shifts from the actor (the boy) to the action's receiver (the ball) in the passive voice.

Let's Analyze Some Examples:

Let's consider a few examples, inspired by discussions on GitHub [1]:

Example 1:

• "The cake was eaten by the dog."

Here, the cake is the object, "was eaten" is the be verb and past participle combination, and "by the dog" indicates the agent. This sentence is clearly in passive voice.

Example 2:

• "The dog ate the cake."

In this sentence, the dog is the subject performing the action of eating. This sentence is in active voice.

Example 3:

• "The car is being repaired."

The car is the object, "is being repaired" is the be verb and past participle, and the agent is unspecified. This sentence is also in passive voice.

Why Does the Passive Voice Matter?

Identifying the passive voice is important because it:

• Highlights the recipient of the action: It emphasizes the object rather than the actor.
• Can be less direct: It can sometimes be used to avoid mentioning the agent, making the sentence more ambiguous or formal.

Tips for Identifying the Passive Voice:

• Look for a be verb (am, is, are, was, were, been, being) followed by a past participle.
• Ask yourself: "Who or what is doing the action?" If the answer is unclear or missing, the sentence is likely in the passive voice.

Conclusion:

Understanding the passive voice helps us decipher the nuances of sentence structure. By recognizing its distinct form, we can analyze and interpret language more effectively.

References:

[1] GitHub Discussions: [Link to relevant discussion]

Note: Please replace "[Link to relevant discussion]" with the actual link to the GitHub discussion you want to reference.