Understanding Different Sentence Voices
Which of the following sentences is written in the active voice?
A) Laura's ankle was sprained by her brother's toy train left on the floor.
B) Laura's sprained ankle was the result of her brother leaving a toy train on the floor.
C) Due to her brother leaving a toy train on the floor, Laura's ankle was sprained.
D) A toy train left on the floor sprained Laura's ankle.
Answer:
A) Laura's ankle was sprained by her brother's toy train left on the floor.
Understanding sentence voices, such as active and passive, is essential for effective communication. In the English language, a sentence is considered in the active voice when the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. On the other hand, a sentence is in the passive voice when the subject is acted upon by the verb.
In the given options, the sentence that is written in the active voice is option A) "Laura's ankle was sprained by her brother's toy train left on the floor." This sentence follows the structure of subject (Laura's ankle) + verb (was sprained) + doer of the action (her brother's toy train). Therefore, it is clear that the subject (Laura's ankle) is directly affected by the action of the doer (her brother's toy train).
It's important to note that the active voice is generally preferred in writing as it typically makes the sentence clearer, more direct, and easier to understand. Passive voice, on the other hand, is often used when the focus is on the action or when the doer of the action is unknown or less important.