Active or Passive Voice -- Try it yourself...or let it be tried by you!

The active voice shows the action up front! The subject and verb are together, and the subject is actively doing something! 

Example: Tom passed the football.                    The subject is Tom; the verb is passed.         The direct object is football.
Example: John played the game.                        The subject is John; the verb is played.        The direct object is game.
Example: Marissa won the award.                     The subject is Marissa; the verb is won.       The direct object is award.

Now let's look at the passive voice. In this case, the action and true subject are not together. In fact, the subject is now changed, as well. What would have been the subject is now the receiver of the action. It has become the object of a prepositional phrase.

Example: The football was passed by Tom.         The subject is football; the verb is was passed.        There are no direct objects here;
Example: The game was played by John.             The subject is game; the verb is  was played.           instead we have prepositional
Example: The award was won by Marissa.          The subject is award; the verb is was won.                phrases!

Notice that a preposition precedes (goes before) the new receiver of the action. 

The passive voice usually has a helping verb that accompanies the main verb. In the examples above, that helping verb is the word "was." The passive voice takes the focus from the person who is doing the action and instead places the direct object as the subject.

Let's try a few now.
Directions: Decide if the sentences below are in the active or passive voices.

1. The movie was seen by thousands of people.
2. The sport has been played by many athletes.
3. Kelly shopped for hours.
4. The mall was managed by Jeff Smith.
5. Jeff Smith managed the mall.
6. Sam closed the door.
7. The car was driven by Mario.
8. The words were written by the students.
9. The students wrote the words.
10. We will be celebrating the holidays soon.

Now, let's go back and turn passive sentences into active ones, and active sentences into passive ones!