Definition

Noun: 1. A grammatical voice: The active voice is a construction where the grammatical subject of a sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. It directly contrasts with the passive voice, where the subject receives the action.

Usage and Examples

The active voice is the most common and direct way to structure a sentence in English. It clearly shows who or what is performing an action.

• (Here, "the chef" is the subject performing the action "prepared".)
• (The subject "the company" is doing the launching.)
• (The subject "She" performs the action of writing.)

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Clarity and Directness: Using the active voice typically makes writing clearer, more concise, and more vigorous because it emphasizes the agent of the action.
• Contrast with Passive Voice: The key difference is the role of the subject.
  • Active: The dog chased the cat. (Subject = doer)
  • Passive: The cat was chased by the dog. (Subject = receiver of action)
• Forming the Active Voice: It uses the standard verb conjugations without the auxiliary verb "be" + past participle structure required for the passive.

Variants and Related Words

• Active (adjective): Pertaining to or being the active voice. (e.g., "an active sentence construction").
• Passive Voice (noun): The grammatical voice where the subject undergoes the action of the verb.

Synonyms and Related Terms

• Active form
• Active construction

Key Concept

Voice (in grammar): A grammatical category that describes the relationship between the action expressed by the verb and the participants identified by its arguments (subject, object). The two primary voices in English are active and passive.

Noun

1. the voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is performing the action or causing the happening denoted by the verb
   • `The boy threw the ball' uses the active voice