The passive voice puts the receiver of an action first and can leave out the doer: “The letters were delivered at noon.” Use it when the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant, or to sound objective.
The active voice is usually clearer and more direct: “The postman delivered the letters at noon.” Good writers choose deliberately.
Whatever voice you choose, keep your tense consistent. If a story starts in the past, stay in the past unless there is a reason to change, such as dialogue or a flashback.
Worked example
Fix the tense error: “He walked in and sits down.”
- Walked is past; sits is present.
- Change sits to the past: sat.
Answer:He walked in and sat down.
Key words
- passive voice
- a form where the subject receives the action
- objective
- not showing personal feelings
- consistent
- staying the same
Practise this
New questions every time.