Q&A for How to Fix Passive Voice

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How would I change this sentence from passive voice to active voice? "Science at the time was based on what someone thought."

Donagan

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You could say, "In those days they determined scientific precepts by considering public opinion."

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"Such sessions can be utilized to observe learners progress and to provide feedback to instructors." How do I change this sentence from passive to active?

Donagan

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"You can utilize such sessions to..."

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How would these questions be changed from active voice to passive voice? 1. Will you lock the door this time? 2. Will she attend that meeting? 3. The dog will not bark at them.

Community Answer

1. Will the door be locked by you this time? 2. Will the meeting be attended by her? 3. They will not be barked at by the dog.

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How do I change this to active? "Neptune's history is crammed with much aberration, surprises and some comical circumstances."

Donagan

Top Answerer

For an easier explanation, let's modify the sentence a bit: "History is filled with surprises." That's the passive voice. Active voice would be "surprises fill history." The original sentence could be expressed this way: "Aberration, surprises and some comical circumstances cram Neptune's history."

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What is passive voice? How do I put 'Must I clean the board?' into the passive voice?

Community Answer

Passive voice is a grammatical construct in which the object of a sentence appears as the subject. Let's take your example: "Must I clean the board?" We take the object (the board) and move it to the place of the subject (I) and form the sentence around it. Our final answer is "Must the board be cleaned?"

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Which one of this passive voice sentences is correct: "A shirt will be bought by her next year," or "A shirt will be bought next year by her"?

Donagan

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They're both OK, although the first sentence is less awkward than the second. It would be much better to say, "She will buy the shirt next year."

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How do I write, "Do you polish your shoes by yourself?" in passive voice?

Donagan

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Are your shoes polished by yourself?

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