Passive Voice

We don't know. In order to make the algorithms work at all a single ideal form of grammar had to be selected and adhered to. It appears that form is 6th grade level English reports. Unfortunately this disregards all intention of a paper, requiring the use of only 'active voice'.

Ex. I like cookies. Milk is good too. I tried them together and decided it is best.

 

Kelly, 

Many students' papers are marked up for passive voice because passive voice is often unclear. But, what is it? Passive voice, simply, is when you transform the object of a sentence into a subject. Here's an example to help you visualise:

Active voice:

"Lightning struck the tree." --> The subject is DOING the action.
(Subject and Actor: lightning, Verb: struck (past simple), Object: the tree)

In the passive voice we take the object of an active sentence and make it the subject of the passive sentence.

Passive voice:

"The tree was struck by lightning." --> The subject is RECEIVING the action
(Subject: The tree, Verb: was struck (past simple passive), Actor: lightning)

Here are examples of the passive in different tenses, compare them with the active voice:

Future simple passive:

- to be (future simple) + past participle.

ex: A cake will be baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky will bake a cake.)

Future progressive passive:

- to be (future progressive passive) + past participle

ex: A cake will be being baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky will be baking a cake.)

Future perfect passive:

- to be (future perfect passive) + past particple

ex: A cake will have been baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky will have baked a cake.)

Present simple passive:

- to be (present simple) + past participle

ex: A cake is baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky bakes a cake.)

Present progressive passive:

- to be (present progressive) + past participle

ex: A cake is being baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky is baking a cake.)

Present perfect passive:

- to be (present perfect) + past participle

ex: A cake has been baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky has been baking a cake.)

Past simple passive:

- to be (past simple) + past participle

ex. A cake was baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky baked a cake.)

Past progressive passive:

- to be (past progressive) + past participle

ex: A cake was being baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky was baking a cake.)

Past perfect passive:

-to be (past perfect) + past participle

ex: A cake had been baked by Becky.
(Active: Becky had baked a cake.)