English Grammar and Composition for Public Schools

by G. H. Armstrong

Is the same idea expressed by the sentences in each group?—

1.	{I cut the paper.
	{The paper was cut by me.
2.	{John broke the window.
	{The window was broken by John.
3.	{He caught a bird.
	{A bird was caught by him.

With a certain form of the verb, its subject names the actor; with another form of the verb, the subject names the thing acted upon. This change in the form of the verb is called voice.

A transitive verb that represents the person or thing named by its subject as acting is said to be in the active voice; as, James struck the horse.

A transitive verb that represents the person or thing named by its subject as being acted upon is said to be in the passive voice; as, The horse was struck by James.

Note (a).—The object in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice, so that only transitive verbs can properly be used in the passive voice. There are, however, some exceptions to this principle. When an intransitive verb is followed by a phrase made up of a preposition and noun, the intransitive verb may often be used passively with the preposition as an adverbial adjunct; as, I despair of success. Success is despaired of by me. He shot at a bird. A bird was shot at by him.

Note (b).—The agent in the passive voice is indicated by the preposition by.

EXERCISE I.

Name the voice of each verb in the following sentences, and state the reason in each case:—

1.	He found his knife under the table.
2.	This curious bird was brought from Africa by a traveller.
3.	My friend has written two letters.
4.	This ring was given to me by my mother.
5.	The bird flew away into the bush.
6.	The old man was sick and hungry.
7.	Near the moulded arch he saw low, dark grottos within the cavern.
8.	These ample fields
	Nourished their harvests, here their herds were fed,
	Where haply by their stalls the bison lowed,
	And bowed his manèd shoulder to the yoke.—Bryant.