From Passive to Active: Changing Problem-Solving Statements

Understanding and effectively using different tenses and voices is a fundamental aspect of clear and effective communication. Any time you attempt to convey the idea of problem-solving, knowing how to shift between passive and active voice can significantly enhance the clarity and impact of your message. This guide will walk you through the process of transforming a passive voice statement into an active one, providing practical examples and insights to ensure your writing aligns with Google SEO standards.

Identifying the Passive Voice

Starting with a sentence in the passive voice is important because it often makes the subject of the sentence the focus of the action rather than the doer. Consider the given sentence: “The problem was solved.” This sentence is in simple past tense in passive voice, where the object ('the problem') is the focus, and the actor (e.g., a person or entity) is not explicitly stated.

Transforming the Passive into Active Voice

To transform this sentence, follow these steps:

1. Identify the Object

In the sentence “The problem was solved,” the object is 'the problem.' What is being acted upon by the action?

2. Find the Tense and Aspect of 'be'

Next, look at the verb in the passive voice. The verb in this sentence is 'was solved,' where 'was' is a form of the auxiliary verb 'be' in the past tense. The main verb in this structure is 'solved,' which is in the simple past tense.

3. Put the Main Verb in the Found Tense

Now, use the main verb 'solved' with the actor in the active voice. This step requires you to determine who performed the action—'someone,' 'Jake,' or any other subject to whom the action is attributed.

4. Change the Passive Subject to the Active Object

Remarkably, the actor in the passive voice is not present, making the transformation to active voice more straightforward. Change the sentence structure to focus on the actor (the subject) rather than the recipient of the action.

For example, if we choose 'Jake,' the sentence would read: “Jake solved the problem.” Other alternatives, such as 'They solved the problem' or 'We solved the problem,' can also be used based on context and subject.

Examples:

They solved the problem. We solved the problem. The government solved the problem.

Demonstrating Transformation with Additional Examples

Let's take the example sentence: “Some problem was solved.” To transform this into an active voice statement, follow these steps:

Identify the Object: The problem. Find the Tense and Aspect of 'be': The sentence is in simple past tense with 'was' as the form of the auxiliary verb 'be.' The main verb is 'solved' in simple past tense. Put the Main Verb in the Found Tense: The main verb 'solved' will be used with an actor. Change the Passive Subject to the Active Object: The sentence will focus on the actor.

For example, if the actor is 'Jake the teacher,' the sentence becomes, "Jake solved the problem."

Passive voice: “The problem was solved.” Active voice: “Jake solved the problem.” Passive voice: “I solved the problem.” Active voice: “I solved the problem.” Passive voice: “Someone solved the problem.” Active voice: “Someone solved the problem.”

It is important to note that in passive voice, there might be an indication of the actor at the end of the sentence, such as “the problem was solved by Jake.” In such cases, you would change the sentence to active voice by placing Jake as the subject: “Jake solved the problem.”

Transforming passive voice to active voice ensures that the subject of the sentence is clear, concise, and engaging, which is highly beneficial for SEO and improving readability.