Active and Passive Voice – The Fred Effect

In the active voice, the subject of the sentence is performing the action of the verb.

Active Voice
	The shark devoured the baby seal.
	Godzilla demolished the ACT testing center.
	Five beautiful women chased Bernie along the beach

In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence is receiving the action of the verb.

Passive Voice
	The baby seal was devoured by the shark.
	The ACT testing center was demolished by Godzilla.
	Bernie was chased along the beach by five beautiful women.

It doesn’t take long to see that the active voice is cool and the passive voice is lame.

Sometimes standardized tests like the ACT will throw a sentence at you that has no errors, but it is in passive voice. The correct answer choice will often be the active voice alternative.

Use the quiz below to practice recognizing and eliminating the passive voice.

Active and Passive Voice Quiz

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Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

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Question 1

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

The hardwood floor was peed on by my dog.

A	The hardwood floor happened to be peed on by my dog.
B	My dog peed on the hardwood floor.
C	My dog took the opportunity to pee on the hardwood floor.
D	My dog happened to pee on the hardwood floor.

Question 2

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

The dog was hustled out the door by my wife.

A	My wife made an effort to hustle the dog out the door.
B	My wife was quick to hustle the dog out the door.
C	The dog was quickly hustled out the door by my wife.
D	My wife hustled the dog out the door.

Question 3

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

The dog's business was finished in the yard under the forsythia bush.

A	The dog was happy to finish her business in the yard under the forsythia bush.
B	The forsythia bush was where the dog's business was being finished in the yard.
C	The forsythia bush in the yard was where the dog's business was being finished.
D	The dog finished her business in the yard under the forsythia bush.

Question 4

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

The puddle was not wiped up by my wife.

A	My wife was not in the mood to wipe up the puddle.
B	My wife did not happen to be in the mood to wipe up the puddle.
C	The puddle did not get wiped up by my wife.
D	My wife did not wipe up the puddle.

Question 5

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

A dirty towel was taken from the laundry by me.

A	I took a dirty towel from the laundry.
B	I decided to take a dirty towel from the laundry.
C	I knew that a dirty towel was what I should get from the laundry.
D	A dirty towel from the laundry was what I decided to take.

Question 6

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

I was screamed at by my wife while I was wiping up the pee.

A	My wife was compelled to scream at me while I was wiping up the pee.
B	My wife screamed at me while I was wiping up the pee.
C	My wife took the opportunity to scream at me while I was wiping up the pee.
D	I wiped up the pee amidst my wife's screaming.

Question 7

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

My dog was frightened by the scream.

A	The scream was frightening to my dog.
B	The scream was loud it was frightening to my dog.
C	The screamed happened to frighten my dog.
D	The scream frightened my dog.

Question 8

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

Then, the floor was pooped on by my frightened dog.

A	Then, my dog was frightened, pooping on the floor.
B	Then, my frightened dog pooped on the floor.
C	Then, the floor became pooped on by my frightened dog.
D	Then, my frightened dog happened to poop on the floor.

Question 9

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

Then, my pants were almost pooped in by me.

A	Then, I happened to poop in my pants almost.
B	Then, I came very close to pooping in my pants.
C	Then, I almost pooped in my pants.
D	Then, my pants happened to almost be pooped in by me.

Question 10

Select the answer choice which changes the underlined verb from passive to active voice.

My wife's best white towel was being used to wipe up the pee.

A	I was using my wife's best white towel to wipe up the pee.
B	I happened to be using my wife's best white towel to wipe up the pee.
C	I had decided to use my wife's best white towel to wipe up the pee.
D	It was my wife's best white towel that was being used to wipe up the pee.

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