Using the active voice
In the active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action; in the passive voice, the subject receives the action.
In passive sentences, the actor (in this case Hernando) frequently disappears from the sentence.
Recognizing passive voice
All passive voice sentences share three characteristics:
- The subject is not the actor.
- The actor is in a by phrase or is not stated.
- The verb consists of a form of the verb be and a past participle (such as announced, driven).
Preferring active voice
In most cases, you will want to emphasize the actor, so you should use the active voice. To replace a passive verb with an active alternative, make the actor the subject of the sentence.
The active verb (struck) makes the point more forcefully than the passive verb (was struck).
Exercises: