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> Passive voice produces a sentence in which the subject receives an action. In contrast, active voice produces a sentence in which the subject performs an action.

Setting aside whether the passive or active voice is better, I'm delighted by this description of what each is.



I can't grok "receives an action".

What does "receives" mean?

Looking at the example, I can only see that the active voice variations have:

- The action after the subject - The action closer to the subject than the passive voice variation - The subject earlier in the sentence than the passive voice variation

Can a sentence specifically be active or passive voice, or are active and passive on opposite ends of a spectrum where one sentence is said to be more active or more passive than another sentence?


>Five people were shot in a police-related incident

is a passive voice. The people receive the action.

>A policeman shot five people today

is active voice. The policeman shoots people.

I use this particular example because it's a prime example of voice for the deflection of responsibility, see https://www.nber.org/papers/w30209


Woulda been awesome if the first sentence were written in passive voice.


Weak writing though. The sentences form a deliberate parallel structure, making it clear how the two voices differ.




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