Sentences with ____ are more clear and concise.
A: passive voice
B: active voice
B: Active voice sentences are more clear and concise.
B: active voice
To understand why sentences with active voice are more clear and concise, we first need to understand the difference between active and passive voice.
Active voice:
In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. The structure of an active voice sentence is typically subject-verb-object.
Passive voice:
In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action expressed by the verb. The structure of a passive voice sentence is typically object-verb-subject.
Now, let's see why active voice is considered to be clearer and more concise:
1. Clarity:
Active voice clearly identifies the subject performing the action, making it easier for the reader to understand who or what is doing the action. It provides a straightforward and direct way of conveying information. In contrast, passive voice can obscure the subject and make the sentence less clear.
Example:
Active voice: "The cat knocked over the vase."
Passive voice: "The vase was knocked over by the cat."
In the active voice sentence, it's clear that the cat is performing the action of knocking over the vase. In the passive voice sentence, the subject (cat) is hidden at the end, which can lead to confusion about who knocked over the vase.
2. Conciseness:
Active voice tends to be more concise because it eliminates unnecessary words and provides a more direct structure.
Example:
Active voice: "She wrote the report."
Passive voice: "The report was written by her."
The active voice sentence is shorter, more straightforward, and conveys the same meaning as the passive voice sentence. The passive voice sentence includes additional words ("was," "by her") that are not necessary to convey the main idea.
In summary, using active voice in sentences makes them more clear and concise by clearly identifying the subject performing the action and eliminating unnecessary words or constructions.
B: active voice
1. "The orchestra performed Mozart's Symphony in B-flat major." (active voice)
2. "Mozart's Symphony in B-flat major was performed by the orchestra." (passive voice)
3. "She baked a delicious chocolate cake." (active voice)
4. "A delicious chocolate cake was baked by her." (passive voice)