Let's practise

Tick the sentences to show whether they are written using the active or the passive voice.

Active VoicePassive Voice
The people thronged onto the beach to enjoy the lovely weather.
The sea crashed against the cliffs.
The children were burned by the hot sun.
The ice-creams were melted by the sunshine.

  • Read the question carefully and read it again. What is it asking you to do?
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It is asking you to identify sentences in the active and passive voices.

  • Check whether the first person or thing in the sentence does the action.
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People thronged onto the beach, so people were doing an action = active.
The sea crashed, so the sea was doing an action = active.
The children were burned, so they didn't do anything = passive.
The ice-creams were melted, so the ice-creams didn't do anything = passive.

  • Tick the correct boxes in the table.
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People thronged onto the beach to enjoy the lovely weather. Active
The sea crashed against the cliffs. Active
The children were burned by the hot sun. Passive
The ice-creams were melted by the sunshine. Passive

  • Check your answer.