Understanding the Passive Voice of 'Someone Smashed His Bottle'

What is the Passive Voice?

The passive voice is used to emphasize the action rather than the doer of the action. In the passive voice, the focus shifts to the object of the sentence, which no longer acts as the subject, but rather the receiver of the action. This transformation is often necessary to avoid blaming someone or when the agent of the action is unknown or unimportant.

Active Voice vs Passive Voice

Let's look at the example 'Someone smashed his bottle' and its passive version.

Active Voice

Active Voice: Someone smashed his bottle.

In this sentence, we can see that the subject is 'someone,' and the verb is 'smashed,' with 'his bottle' as the object.

Passive Voice

Passive Voice: His bottle was smashed by someone.

Here, the focus has shifted to the bottle, and it is now the subject of the sentence. The original subject ('someone' in the active voice) is made the object and moved to the end of the sentence, preceded by 'by.'

Transforming 'Someone Smashed His Bottle' to Passive

To transform 'Someone smashed his bottle' into its passive form, follow these steps:

Step 1: Add 'was' or 'were' and the past participle of the verb: Step 2: Swap the object and the subject in the sentence and add 'by': Step 3: If 'who' is used, change it to 'whom' as it becomes the receiver of the action:

Example:

Step 1: His bottle was smashed by someone. Step 2: His bottle was smashed by someone. Step 3: Not applicable as 'who' was not used.

Note that in cases where the agent is vague or unspecified, you can often avoid using 'by someone.' However, if the agent is known and significant, it should be included to maintain clarity.

Understanding the Passive Voice of 'This Jugo Was Broken by Whom'

Now, let's look at another example: 'Who has broken this jug' and its passive form.

Original Question

Original Question: Who has broken this jug?

Passive Transformation

Step 1: Add 'has been' and the past participle of the verb: Who has broken Who has been broken This jug This jug has been broken Step 2: Swap the object and the subject in the sentence and add 'by': This jug has been broken This jug has been broken by Who No changes made. Closing the JSON content block as instructed.```json{ "title": "Understanding the Passive Voice of 'Someone Smashed His Bottle'", "keyword": "passive voice, sentence transformation, active voice, grammar rules", "content": "

Understanding the Passive Voice of 'Someone Smashed His Bottle'

What is the Passive Voice?

The passive voice is used to emphasize the action rather than the doer of the action. In the passive voice, the focus shifts to the object of the sentence, which no longer acts as the subject, but rather the receiver of the action. This transformation is often necessary to avoid blaming someone or when the agent of the action is unknown or unimportant.

Active Voice vs Passive Voice

Let's look at the example 'Someone smashed his bottle' and its passive version.

Active Voice

Active Voice: Someone smashed his bottle.

In this sentence, we can see that the subject is 'someone,' and the verb is 'smashed,' with 'his bottle' as the object.

Passive Voice

Passive Voice: His bottle was smashed by someone.

Here, the focus has shifted to the bottle, and it is now the subject of the sentence. The original subject ('someone' in the active voice) is made the object and moved to the end of the sentence, preceded by 'by.'

Transforming 'Someone Smashed His Bottle' to Passive

To transform 'Someone smashed his bottle' into its passive form, follow these steps:

Step 1: Add 'was' or 'were' and the past participle of the verb: Step 2: Swap the object and the subject in the sentence and add 'by': Step 3: If 'who' is used, change it to 'whom' as it becomes the receiver of the action:

Example:

Step 1: His bottle was smashed by someone. Step 2: His bottle was smashed by someone. Step 3: Not applicable as 'who' was not used.

Note that in cases where the agent is vague or unspecified, you can often avoid using 'by someone.' However, if the agent is known and significant, it should be included to maintain clarity.

Understanding the Passive Voice of 'This Jugo Was Broken by Whom'

Now, let's look at another example: 'Who has broken this jug' and its passive form.

Original Question

Original Question: Who has broken this jug?

Passive Transformation

Step 1: Add 'has been' and the past participle of the verb: Who has broken Who has been broken This jug This jug has been broken Step 2: Swap the object and the subject in the sentence and add 'by': This jug has been broken This jug has been broken by Who Step 3: Change 'who' to 'whom' as it now functions as the object: This jug has been broken by Whom

The final passive form of 'Who has broken this jug' is 'This jug has been broken by whom.'

Remember, the passive voice can be a powerful tool in writing, but it's important to use it thoughtfully to avoid ambiguity or awkward constructions.

Key Points to Remember

The passive voice emphasizes the action and the receiver of the action, not the doer. Use the past participle after 'was' or 'were'. Position the object (the receiver of the action) as the subject of the sentence. Use 'by' and potentially change 'who' to 'whom' if required to maintain clarity.