Active and Passive Voice

Name     : Cipto P. Sutkikno

Class     : 3SA05
NPM       : 18611407

Subject : Softskill 7 - Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris Berbantuan Komputer

Definition of Active Voice

According to Manser (1991:301), he stated that active is a grammar of the verb form used when the subject of a sentence does the action. Active voice is the form of the verb that shows its subject as the doer the action. Active voice refers to the agent that does an action (Chandra, 1994: 206). For example :

The boy kicked the ball

Meanwhile, according to Nuryanto active voice is the form of sentence, which is used to emphasize that the agent is the most important part. Because of that the agent becomes the subject of the sentence (Nuryanto, 1990: 86).

Definition of Passive Voice

      Passive is a grammar of the verb form used when the subject of a sentence is affected by the action (Manser, 1991: 301). In additional, passive voice is the form of verb that shows its as passive or as the receiver of the action (Chandra, 1994: 266). For example :

The ball was kicked by the boy

Besides, according to Nuryanto passive voice is the form of sentence that the sufferer that the sufferer or receiver is the most important part (Nuryanto, 1990: 80). 

Here is the conversion of Active Voice into Passive Voice according to Chandra :

	ACTIVE VOICE	PASSIVE VOICE
Simple Present	S+V(-s/-es) + O	O + is/am/are + V3+ S
	She writes a letter	A letter is written by her
Present Continuous	S+ is/am/are+ V ing+ O	O+ is/am/are+ being+V3+ S
	She is writing a letter	A letter is being written by her
Present Perfect	S+ has/have + V3+ O	O+ has/have+ been+ V3+ S
	She has written a letter	A letter has been written by her
Simple Past	S+ V2+ O	O+ was/were+V3+ S
	She wrote a letter	A letter was written by her
Past Perfect	S+ had+ V3+ O	O+ had been+ O+ S
	She had written a letter	A letter had been written by her
Future	S+ will/shall + V1+ O	O+ will/shall +be +V3 +S
	She will write a letter	A letter will be written by her

The agent is preceded by the preposition “by” (Chandra, 1994: 269). For example: A letter is written by her.

Active Voice

1.    However, today, the Internet has become the most powerful tool for people around the world.

This sentence includes active voice. According to Manser (1991:301), he stated that active is a grammar of the verb form used when the subject of a sentence does the action. Meanwhile, according to Nuryanto active voice is the form of sentence, which is used to emphasize that the agent is the most important part. Because of that the agent becomes the subject of the sentence (Nuryanto, 1990: 86).

      The subject from the sentence above is the internet. The subject isn’t categorized as a subject which does the action, but that subject (the internet) emphasizes that the agent is the most important part. Then, a verb of the sentence above is become and the tense is simple present perfect.   The pattern of simple present perfect is subject + has/have + past participle. Therefore, the sentence above is active voice.

2.    Our earth has virtually reduced in size and has attained the form of a global village.

The sentence shows active voice obviously. Active voice refers to the agent that does an action (Chandra, 1994: 266). The agent which does an action from that sentence is our earth. Our earth is the subject of the sentence. Then, it consists of two verbs. They are reduce and attain. The tense of sentence above is also simple present perfect tense.

3.    Today, we can initiate real-time communication with someone who is in another part of the world.

It also includes active voice. Because of the sentence has an agent which does the action and it is the most important part of the sentence. A subject or an agent is we. Also, can as a modal from that sentence and a verb is initiate

.

4.    The Internet has given us a common platform and medium through which we are able to explore other cultures and ideologies.

The sentence above also contains active voice. It has an agent which does the action. The agent is the internet. Not only that, the internet also as the important part of the sentence. Besides, it has a verb. The verb is give. Then, the tense of sentence above is simple present perfect.

5.    Search engines make information accessible on various subject matters such as, government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market information, new innovations and technical support, and even dispense advice on love and relationships matters.

We can see directly and obviously that the sentence above also contains active voice. It shows the sentence contains a subject which does the action and important part of the sentence. A subject is search engine and a verb is make. A subject does the action.

Passive Voice

1.    The Internet can be explained as a network of computers, designed to receive and send data in the form of e-mails, blogs, webcasts, etc.

 According to Nuryanto passive voice is the form of sentence that the sufferer or receiver is the most important part (Nuryanto, 1990: 80).

From the sentence above, we can see that it is passive voice because it contains a pattern be+ V3. However, the subject is still in the beginning of a sentence. It is not preceded by an object. A subject is still before the verb. Then, the form of passive voice form that sentence is showed by the receiver is the most important part. The receiver of that sentence is the internet.

2.     To put it simply, it can be likened to a super-massive server, armed with a plethora of information which is used by billions of people simultaneously.

It also includes passive voice. Because of the verb form used when the subject of a sentence is affected by the action, so it includes passive voice. Referring to the conversion active voice into passive voice by Chandra, we can see that the pattern of passive voice is preceded by object. So, the sentence which contains passive voice is preceded by an object. It is same with this sentence. The position of the subject is located in the end of a sentence with preposition “by”.

3.     All modern technologies are connected by the Internet, thereby leaving no stone unturned.

This sentence also can be categorized in passive voice. The reason is because the subject is influenced by the action. Then, it includes passive voice because the verb shows the subject as receiver of the action. Referring to the conversion of active voice into passive voice by Chandra that passive voice is preceded by an object. An object of the sentence is located in the beginning of the sentence and the subject is located in the end of a sentence. The tense of this passive voice is simple present.

4.    However, like every other innovation in science and technology, the Internet comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, which have been discussed in this Buzzle article.

In this sentence, we can define that it includes passive voice too. The verb of sentence above shows passive and the pattern from its sentence is to be + past participle/V3. However, the subject is still in the beginning of the sentence. It is not in the end of the sentence like number 2,3,5.

5.    The credibility of this form of education and whether it is safe, secure, and trustworthy, is usually proven through the quality and authenticity of content presented by each website.

This also contains passive voice sentence. If we can see thoroughly, the verb show that the subject of that sentence as the sufferer or receiver. The subject of sentence above is “each website”. The subject is located in the end of that sentence and as the receiver or sufferer. Then the object as the agent. The object is preceded in the beginning of the sentence.