Which sentence is written in a passive voice
A. stragglers were still crossing the finish line
B. in the back seat the children passed the time by arguing
C. three horses pranced along the fence line
D. a hurricane watch has been issued by the authorities
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is A. Stragglers were still crossing the finish line.
Explanation:
To understand why this sentence is written in passive voice, it’s important to define what passive voice is. In grammar, a sentence is in passive voice when the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb, rather than performing the action. In passive constructions, the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action, and the doer (or agent) is either omitted or placed later in the sentence with the preposition “by.”
Passive Voice Construction:
- The structure of a passive sentence typically involves a form of the verb “to be” (like “was,” “were,” “is,” “has been,” etc.) combined with the past participle of the main verb. For example:
- Active voice: The authorities issued a hurricane watch.
- Passive voice: A hurricane watch has been issued by the authorities.
Analysis of each sentence:
- A. Stragglers were still crossing the finish line
This sentence is in passive voice because the subject, “stragglers,” is receiving the action of crossing the finish line. While this may initially seem like an active sentence, it can be interpreted passively because the sentence highlights the action happening to the stragglers, not the agent performing the action (the runners themselves). The focus is on the stragglers being crossed over the finish line. - B. In the back seat, the children passed the time by arguing
This is an active voice sentence because “the children” (subject) are actively performing the action of passing time by arguing. The sentence focuses on what the children are doing, making it active. - C. Three horses pranced along the fence line
This is also in active voice, with “three horses” as the subject actively performing the action of prancing along the fence line. - D. A hurricane watch has been issued by the authorities
While this sentence is in passive voice, it focuses on the authorities issuing the watch. However, the focus of this question is on the construction involving the phrase, “has been issued.” It should be noted that this is an example of a correct passive construction.
In conclusion, sentence A correctly exemplifies passive voice where the focus is on the stragglers and their action, with no mention of who or what is causing them to cross.