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Voice 
Verbs can have two voices, Active and Passive: 
 
Voice
Definition
Example
When to use
Active Voice
A verb written in the active voice presents a subject which or who is doing the action 
The child throws the ball. 
The active voice of a verb adds drama to any sentence.
Passive Voice
The subject of a verb expressed in the passive voice usually receives the action.
The ball was thrown by the child.
The passive voice is far less dramatic than the active voice. However, when the doer of the action is not as important as the action itself or the person/thing receiving the action, the passive form is  best.
 
 
Hint:  It's almost always better to write in the active voice. 
 
     Passive:  The rock was thrown by him.
Use the passive voice when the doer of the action is unknown or is unimportant. You can use the passive voice to focus attention on the action rather than on the doer. 
           The diamond was stolen by someone who worked for the gallery. 
Hint:  Another way to know if the sentence is in the passive voice is that the subject appears in a prepositional phrase beginning with "by".