When the subject of the sentence performs the action, the sentence is in
. When the subject of the sentence receives the action, and the person or thing doing the action follows the verb, the sentence is in
.
When the subject of the sentence performs the action, the sentence is in active voice. To determine if a sentence is in active voice, look for the subject of the sentence (the doer of the action) and see if it is performing the action. For example, in the sentence "John threw the ball," John (the subject) performs the action (threw the ball), so the sentence is in active voice.
When the subject of the sentence receives the action, and the person or thing doing the action follows the verb, the sentence is in passive voice. To determine if a sentence is in passive voice, look for the subject of the sentence (the receiver of the action) and see if it is being acted upon. For example, in the sentence "The ball was thrown by John," the ball (the subject) is receiving the action (was thrown), and John (the doer of the action) follows the verb, so the sentence is in passive voice.