Question

Picture walking into your room to find a huge mess.

Now, you’ll describe the scene in two different ways: first using passive voice, and then using active voice. For a refresher on active and passive voice, check out this interactive tutorial.

First, imagine you don’t know who made the mess. Write three sentences in passive voice to describe the state of your room and to emphasize the destruction. (Examples: “My beloved stuffed animals were scattered...” or “My favorite poster was ripped...”)
Now, imagine you find out who the culprit is (maybe a sibling, a pet, or a friend?). Write a new version of your description, using active voice this time to emphasize who made the mess. Keep the details the same! (Examples: “My brother scattered my beloved stuffed animals....” or “My brother ripped my poster...”)

Answer 1

Passive:
1. Clothes were strewn across the floor, forming a chaotic trail from the bed to the door.
2. The shelves were toppled, and books were scattered like fallen leaves across the carpet.
3. My laptop was cracked and its charger was mangled beside a puddle of spilled coffee.

Active:
1. My brother scattered the clothes across the floor, leaving a chaotic trail from the bed to the door.
2. He knocked over the shelves and scattered the books like fallen leaves across the carpet.
3. My brother cracked my laptop and mangled its charger, leaving a puddle of spilled coffee beside it.