Learn about using the active and passive voices in this episode of 6 Minute Grammar.

It was relatively quiet on the public service vehicle headed for Kakamega from Nairobi when someone’s mobile phone shrilled. After the customary 'hallo', there followed a hearty laugh, then; “You ...

What is the difference between the active and passive voice? We usually try to write in the active voice because it’s easier to understand. In the active voice the subject ‘does’ the action: Notice ...

Writing in the active voice makes the meaning clear while keeping sentences from becoming complicated and wordy. Sentences using passive voice are not necessarily wrong, just less effective than ...

In English, we can express sentences in two different ways: active voice and passive voice. The active voice is used when the focus is on the subject (or agent) of the main verb. This is the person or ...

The passive voice: despised by teachers, maligned by editors, and misunderstood by almost everyone. For over a century, this grammatical construction has been the bogeyman of English writing, blamed ...

So, you’ve gotten your graded essay back, and you weren’t exactly content with the results. Perhaps you’ve gone through the in-line comments that your GSI left you, or perhaps you’re wondering what ...

Alternatives are discussed for a number of assumptions fundamental to established linguistic theories. These alternatives lead to a coherent view of linguistic structure that treats grammar as a ...

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. Leave it to a scientist to finally explain how to kill off bad writing. In his new ...