Who is the Hero of your sentence? 🦸
In English, the "Voice" tells us who is doing the work.
Are you shining the spotlight on the Doer (Active)
or the Receiver (Passive)?
⚙️ The Mechanics: The "Flip"
The core difference is simple math. In Active voice, the subject acts. In Passive voice, the subject receives the action. Click the button below to see the grammar transformation happen instantly.
The Monkey
ate
➡️the banana
"The monkey (Subject) is doing the eating. This is direct and energetic."
📊 When do we actually use Passive?
Teachers often say "Avoid passive voice!" But that's not the whole story. Passive voice is a tool. It's useful when:
- 🕵️ The 'Doer' is unknown: "My wallet was stolen." (I don't know who did it).
- 🔬 Scientific objectivity: "The chemicals were mixed." (It doesn't matter *who* mixed them, just that it happened).
- ⚖️ Diplomacy/Politeness: "A mistake was made." (Instead of "YOU made a mistake").
💡 Pro Tip:
If you can add "by zombies" after the verb and it makes sense, it's Passive Voice!
Example: "The town was attacked (by zombies)." ✅ Passive.
Active vs. Passive Frequency by Genre
⏳ The Tense Time Machine
The hardest part of Passive Voice is the verb "To Be". It changes shape depending on when the action happened. Use the sliders to travel through time.
🎭 The Vibe Check: How Voice Changes Meaning
Changing from Active to Passive doesn't just change the grammar; it changes the feeling of the sentence. Select a scenario to analyze the "Vibe Shift".
Select a scenario to see how the voice shifts the focus, responsibility, and empathy levels.