IXL | Identify active and passive voice

Which sentence is in passive voice?

By 1700, only twelve of the more than one hundred elements had been identified by scientists.

By 1700, scientists had identified only twelve of the more than one hundred elements.

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question

Which sentence is in passive voice?

By 1700, scientists had identified only twelve of the more than one hundred elements.

By 1700, only twelve of the more than one hundred elements had been identified by scientists.

key idea

If a sentence is in active voice, the subject performs the action.

The dog bit the intruder.

The subject, the dog, performs the biting.

If a sentence is in passive voice, the subject receives the action.

The intruder was bitten by the dog.

The subject, the intruder, receives the biting.

In passive voice, the verb phrase includes a form of to be plus a past participle.

In France, the Mona Lisa is called La Joconde.

We should have been notified about the change.

solution

The second sentence is the one in passive voice. The subject receives the action, and the verb phrase had been identified includes a form of to be plus a past participle.

By 1700, only twelve of the more than one hundred elements had been identified by scientists.

The first sentence is in active voice. The subject performs the action, and the verb phrase had identified does not include a form of to be plus a past participle.

By 1700, scientists had identified only twelve of the more than one hundred elements.

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LL.6Choose between the past tense and past participle

JJ.2Identify the complete subject of a sentence

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