1. Active and Passive Voices

5. Active versus Passive Voice

7. Q: What is the difference between the active and the passive voice?

8. A: In an sentence using the active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action . In a sentence using the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action .

13. Q: So what’s the problem?

14. A: 1. You should not switch (cambiar) active and passive voices in the same sentence ! 2. Be careful with the grammatical construction .

16. Switching voices can confuse the reader. If your reader is confused, then your writing is not effective or efficient.

17. Q: How do I fix (arreglar) it (switching voices)?

18. A: Make all parts of your sentence consistent . Usually, you should change the passive voice to the active voice .

22. Q: How do I fix it (mistaken grammatical construction in the passive voice)?

23. 1. Make sure to know who is receiving the action and who is doing the action . 2. Verify that you have BE + past participle in your sentence! 3. Verify your tenses and your subject-verb agreement !

27. Self Test: Correct the following sentences if there is an inconsistency in voice.

30. Visit the Writing Centre: LIB 272 B Telephone: 416-979-5000 ext. 7192 Website: http://www.ryerson.ca/writing-centre Email address: writingcentre@ryerson.ca