from passive to active

[wildsweetone]

Road signs had been left out, but there were still drivers who preferred to ignore the warnings.


Apparently the above sentence is 100% passive.

1. Why is it passive? Please explain in detail.

2. How do I change it to active?

 

[oggbashan]

Road signs had been left out, but there were still drivers who preferred to ignore the warnings.


Apparently the above sentence is 100% passive.

1. Why is it passive? Please explain in detail.

2. How do I change it to active?

Rough ideas.

Who left the road signs? What are the subjects and the oblects of each clause?

Active voice would read:

Traffic Police put out road signs. Drivers ignored them.

Og

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I may be taking this too serious, but...

Road signs had been left out, but there were still drivers who preferred to ignore the warnings.


Apparently the above sentence is 100% passive.

1. Why is it passive? Please explain in detail.

2. How do I change it to active?

The first part of the sentence is passive because it does not contain any clear subject performing the actions. The second part, however, is active, since we have a subject - the drivers - who are performing an action - preferred.

In order to change the first part of the sentence into an active tense, you'd have to precise who the subject is, or, in layman's terms: who put out the frakin' road signs?

Svenskaflicka
Ex English-teacher and Linguistic Student

 

[wildsweetone]

Thank you both, you've been very helpful. Passive to active always always pushes my buttons the wrong way.

And yes, it was a serious question Svenskaflicka. I am stumbling from one end of a piece of writing to another in order to get it into shape for a competition.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Then I'm glad that I could be of service. For a while there, I thought you had come up with a really devious Exercise for us.

 

[wildsweetone]

i'll put up my exercises when there is a lull i don't mind at all that more exercises are being posted. it's good practise for anyone who wants to learn more about writing.

i do have a few devious ones up my sleeve though

i hope this post works, seems very very slow to spot litland in my browser today.

 

[Croctden]

Passive voice is a way to say something without laying any blame. Politicians do this all the time. Some linguists honestly believe this is what caused its relatively recent surge in use.

Yep, no fun at parties.

 

[Weird Harold]

Road signs had been left out, but there were still drivers who preferred to ignore the warnings.


Apparently the above sentence is 100% passive.

1. Why is it passive? Please explain in detail.

It is passive voice because part of it is passive voice. The phrase "Road Signs had been left out," is the passive voice that makes the whole thing passive voice.

2. How do I change it to active?

There are several ways: but all rely on removing the "had been left" construct.

Add an identifier to show who left the signs out -- Workers left signs out, but drivers ignored the warnings.

I would do a complete reorganization of the thought -- Drivers still ignored the road signs warning of danger.

 

[wildsweetone]

Thanks for your help also WeirdHarold. The complete reorganisation of the sentence sounds more correct to me.

Does knowing that this is part of a Radio short story comp. alter the structure of the sentence?




ps WH do you charge for your lessons? Do you tutor? I think I must owe you big time by now. lol

 

[Weird Harold]

Does knowing that this is part of a Radio short story comp. alter the structure of the sentence?

Not unless there are specific phrases that have to be used as part of the contest rules.

ps WH do you charge for your lessons? Do you tutor? I think I must owe you big time by now. lol

I once told a man who tried to give me a $50 bill for stopping and helping witha breakdown, "No. You're trying to buy back the good feeling I get from helping people."

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I once told a man who tried to give me a $50 bill for stopping and helping witha breakdown, "No. You're trying to buy back the good feeling I get from helping people."

That's beautiful, Harold.

 

[wildsweetone]

Not unless there are specific phrases that have to be used as part of the contest rules.






I once told a man who tried to give me a $50 bill for stopping and helping witha breakdown, "No. You're trying to buy back the good feeling I get from helping people."

No there are no specific phrases required. Thank you

Thank you for your help. I understand that good feeling and I'm glad you enjoy it also.