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Active Voice

Definition

Active voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of a sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. It adds clarity and directness to writing.

Related terms

Passive Voice: A grammatical construction where the subject of a sentence receives the action expressed by the verb. It can make your writing sound weak or impersonal.

Subject-Verb Agreement: The rule that states that subjects and verbs must agree in number (singular or plural) within a sentence.

Transitive Verb: A verb that requires an object to complete its meaning. For example, "She ate an apple." The verb "ate" needs an object ("an apple") to make sense.

"Active Voice" appears in:

Study guides (2)

  • AP English Language - 7.4 Exploring how sentence development affects an argument

  • AP English Language - 8.2 Considering how sentence development and word choice affect how the writer is perceived by an audience

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About Us

About Fiveable

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Privacy Policy

CCPA Privacy Policy

Resources

Cram Mode

AP Score Calculators

Study Guides

Practice Quizzes

Glossary

Cram Events

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Crisis Text Line

Help Center

© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.