PASSIVE TO ACTIVE SENTENCES

GENERAL WAYS TO FIX:

AVOID:

• BEGINNING A SENTENCE WITH THERE IS/ARE, WAS/WERE
• HAS/HAVE/HAD BEEN
• ING
• LINKING VERBS: IS, ARE, WAS, WERE

STICK WITH --ED ENDINGS FORPAST TENSE AND ACTIVE VERBS!

EXAMPLES:

PASSIVE:  The composing process is broken down into seven parts.

ACTIVE:  Emig (1971) separated the composing process into seven parts.

 

PASSIVE: The aim of the study was to determine …

ACTIVE: The study aimed to determine …

 

PASSIVE: America has been portrayed as a classless society …

ACTIVE: Spring (2001) portrayed america as a classless society …

 

PASSIVE:  were hoping … was making

ACTIVE:  hoped … made

 

PASSIVE: … calls were made by government for vocational education …

ACTIVE: …government called for vocational education …

 

PASSIVE: … studying … focusing …

ACTIVE: … who studied … which focused …