Question

4. Uma das frases a seguir faz uso da "Passive
Voice". Identifique-a e explique o porquê da
frase ser considerada "Passive Voice".


Someone ate the cookies.
The cookies were eaten.​

Answer 1

The phrase which is in Passive Voice is:

→ The cookies were eaten.

We use Passive Voice for two reasons:

→ 1. To emphasize the action, not who did the action.

If I say the cookies were eaten, I want to emphasize that THE COOKIES WERE EATEN, not that SOMEONE ate the cookies.

→ 2. To don't let the reader knows who did the action.

If I say "Conve ate the cookies", I am making clear that CONVE ate the cookies. But I also could say "the cookies were eaten", if I say this, you wouldn't know who ate the cookies. But, only if you want, you can let the reader knows who did the action in the Passive Voice too, you just have to say (for ex.) "... by Conve" in the end, like "the cookies were eaten by Conve".

Active Voice structure:

Subject + Verb + Object

Ex.: I did the action.

Passive Voice structure:

Object + Verb + Subject

Ex.: The action was done by me.

Or, Ex.: The action was done.

"... by me" is opicional, you decide if you want to use it (reveal who did the action), or not.

Active Voice often emphasizes who did the action, not the own action.

Hope I've helped, enjoy your studies!