to emphasize an action?

passive voice
active voice

1 answer

To emphasize an action, you can use both passive and active voice, but they achieve this emphasis in different ways.

  1. Active Voice: In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. This form often creates a more direct and dynamic statement, emphasizing the actor and the action itself.

    • Example: "The chef prepared a delicious meal."
    • Emphasis: The chef's action is clear and direct.
  2. Passive Voice: In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. This construction can shift the focus from the doer to the action or the recipient of the action, which can in some contexts emphasize the action itself or its outcome.

    • Example: "A delicious meal was prepared by the chef."
    • Emphasis: The focus is on the meal that was prepared rather than on the chef. This can make the action feel more significant or important.

In summary, if you want to emphasize the action itself, you might use the passive voice, but if you want to focus on who is performing the action, you would use the active voice. The choice between the two depends on what aspect you want to highlight.