Active and Passive Voice Quick Quiz Answer Key

Quick Quiz Answer Key

1) Are the following versions of the same basic sentence written in the active or passive voice?

a) Many science students choose to study certain English courses because they want to learn how to communicate science more effectively and gain practice in public speaking = ACTIVE

b)Certain English courses are chosen by many science students because communicating science more effectively and gaining practice in public speaking are skills that they wish to learn = PASSIVE

c) Public speaking skills are desired by many students, which is why certain English courses are chosen by such a large number = PASSIVE

2i) Are the following versions of the same basic sentence written in the active or passive voice?

a) In the end, Dan ran out of time to analyze the data properly, which meant our project was a disappointment = ACTIVE

b) In the end our project was a disappointment because sufficient time was not left for the data to be analyzed properly = PASSIVE

2ii) Which of the above options is more suitable for the content of the sentence?

b) The passive version

2iii) Why?

Because it depersonalizes the sentence (removes the blame from Dan while getting the same point across as the active version)

3) The following sentences are all written in the passive voice. Re-write them in the active voice by rearranging the sentences around the same verb (shown in red for you).

Example answers (there are others):

a) The students enjoyed last week’s chemistry-based lectures.

b) They found the topics of beer and liquor production interesting.

c) Afterwards, the course instructor heard that view a number of times.

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