Warm Up--Review

Identify at least one grammar rule or revision rule that you learned during the “You Teach” activity

before break.

Announcement:

• Weekly Vocabulary (Prefixes/Suffixes)– Lists posted online– Copy and study– ONE review activity per week in class– Quiz every Thursday (period 2)/Friday (period

5)

Today’s Learning Goal

I will learn how to change sentences that appear in passive voice into sentences that use the active voice by taking notes and completing a practice activity.

Passive Voice(PASSIVE: Accepting or allowing what happens without responsive action)

• Occurs when you make the object of an action into the subject of a sentence.

– Whoever or whatever is performing the action is not the grammatical subject of the sentence.

• Example: Why was the road crossed by the chicken?

– The subject of the example sentence above—the road—is the passive receiver of the action, not the grammatical subject performing the action.

Myths about Myths about Passive VoicePassive Voice

• Use of the passive voice constitutes a grammatical error.– Use of the passive voice is not a grammatical error. It’s a stylistic

issue that pertains to clarity—that is, there are times when using the passive voice can prevent a reader from understanding what you mean.

• You should never use the passive voice.– While the passive voice can weaken the clarity of your writing,

there are times when the passive voice is OK and even preferable

• I can rely on my grammar checker to catch the passive voice.– See Myth #1. Since the passive voice isn’t a grammar error, it’s

not always caught. Typically, grammar checkers catch only a fraction of passive voice usage.

Examples of Passive VoiceExamples of Passive Voice

• The table was set by the waiter.

• The bone was chewed by the dog.

• In order to be successful, changes had to be made by the manager.

• Considerable talent was demonstrated by the singing group.

• We were invited by our neighbors to attend their wedding.

Active Voice

• When a verb is in the active voice, the subject of the sentence is also the doer of the action.

– Example: Why did the chicken cross the road?

– In this example, the subject—the chicken—is also the doer or the thing performing the action. It is NOT the passive receiver of the action.

Examples of Active VoiceExamples of Active Voice

• The waiter set the table.

• The dog chewed the bone.

• In order to be successful, the manager had to make changes.

• The singing group demonstrated considerable talent.

• Our neighbors invited us to attend their wedding.

Practice Practice Instructions:Instructions:

• You will work with your table partner to copy each sentence and identify whether it is in ACTIVE or PASSIVE VOICE.

• If the sentence is in ACTIVE voice, underline the action and the subject or the doer of the action.

• If the sentence is in PASSIVE voice, rewrite into ACTIVE voice.

Due at the end of the period!

1. Seven days a week, Paul ventures onto the subway with his clarinet.

2. The park was visited by all of the local families, and it was loved by all of the community’s children.

3. The water had broken the plate-glass windows of most of the stores along the street and ruined their merchandise.

4. Daisy glanced up and saw me standing there in the doorway.

5. The award for best picture was given to the film Avatar by the Academy leaders.

6. Alex completed her homework diligently while keeping her goals in mind.

7. Malia was teased by the other girls at school for wearing last season’s jeans.

8. The garden was tended by the old woman who was responsible for the community vegetables.

9. Jack saw his father standing there glaring at him and he knew he was in trouble.

10. The meal was made by chef Mario and it was scrumptious.

Practice Practice Identification in a Identification in a

paragraph paragraph (Independent Practice)From the paragraph posted on the next slide,

•Identify any sentences using PASSIVE voice using the sentence number•Rewrite the sentences on your own sheet of paper in the ACTIVE voice•You do not need to copy the entire paragraph!

(1)Last year a hurricane was experienced by my family and me for

the first time. (2)It was Hurricane Ellen, and much damage to our property

and neighborhood was caused by its fierce winds and its heavy rains.

(3)The hurricane uprooted the old oak tree in our backyard and hurled it

across the roof of our house. (4)Our living room was flooded by the water,

which rose to a height of three feet. (5)When we began to think that the

worst of the storm was over, we heard a loud crash and looked out the

window to see that our car had been hit by our neighbor’s fallen tree.

(6)Having recently moved to the East Coast from North Dakota, we thought

that a hurricane was little more than a thunderstorm. (7)Next time, when

people in our area are advised to evacuate by community officials, I’m sure

our family will be the first to leave.

Exit ReflectionExit Reflection

In a brief paragraph, explain the difference between ACTIVE and PASSIVE voice in your own words. Then provide an example sentence for each.