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Writing 17 Online
OpenStudy (anonymous):

how to write that just isn't said in the passive voice?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

how to write what.....?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

that just isn´t said

OpenStudy (anonymous):

The verbs are what need to be active. Look at the difference between "John was eaten by a zombie" and "The zombie began to eat John" Which seems active and which seems passive? Which seems like someone telling a real story and which seems like someone giving a brief summary around the water cooler?

OpenStudy (jagatuba):

An easy way to remember is that for a sentence to be active, the SUBJECT must be performing the action. The ball hit John in the head. The ball is the subject and it is hitting John so this sentence is active. John got hit in the head by the ball. John is the subject, but he is not doing the action. the object in this sentence is doing the action so this sentence is passive. So, your subject is what counts. If your subject is doing the action in the sentence he or it is active, i.e., actively doing something, Hooray! You have and active sentence. If your subject is not performing any action or is the target of the action. He or it is passive or not doing anything, so the sentence is passive.

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