Exploring Active and Passive Voice in Writing

The video tutorial explains the distinction between active and passive voice, focusing on verbs. It covers how to convert active sentences to passive ones and discusses the use of passive voice in different contexts, including academic writing. The tutorial also addresses the appropriateness of using passive voice and the potential awkwardness of mixing active and passive voices in the same sentence. The key takeaway is to be aware of which voice is being used and its suitability for the context.

What are the two components required to form the passive voice?

• Subject and verb

• Verb 'to be' and past participle

• Object and preposition

• Preposition 'by' and subject

What is an example of changing the verb 'to be' to alter the tense in passive voice?

• 'Bought by'

• 'Buying'

• 'To buy'

• 'Is bought'

Which voice is generally more direct and succinct?

• Passive voice

• Active voice

• Both are equally direct

• Depends on the context

Why might someone choose to use the passive voice?

• To sound less formal

• To avoid using verbs

• To make the sentence longer

• To highlight the action rather than the doer

What is a reason for avoiding the passive voice according to the video?

• It is grammatically incorrect

• It is less direct

• It can make sentences unclear

• It is always awkward

What is a casual alternative to 'was vandalized' mentioned in the video?

• 'Vandalized'

• 'Will be vandalized'

• 'Is vandalized'

• 'Got vandalized'

In which type of writing is passive voice commonly used to sound more abstract?

• News reporting

• Academic prose

• Fictional narrative

• Personal letters

Why might 'I' be discouraged in academic writing?

• It's too informal

• It's too direct

• It makes the writing less objective

• It's grammatically incorrect

What is an awkward passive construction to avoid according to the video?

• 'It was seen'

• 'It has been done'

• 'It is known'

• 'It will be argued'

What is the main takeaway regarding the use of active and passive voice?

• Always use passive voice

• Always use active voice

• Be aware of which voice you're using

• Mixing voices is incorrect