An active-voice sentence puts the doer first, like “The dog chased the ball,” not “The ball was chased by the dog.”
Some test questions feel sneaky because every option sounds “fine” at a glance. Voice questions fall into that bucket. Once you know what to look for, they turn into quick points.
This page is built for the common classroom prompt: you get a few sentences, then you pick the one written in active voice. You’ll learn the patterns, the traps, and a fast check you can repeat under time pressure.
Active Voice Basics You Can Spot Fast
Active voice is a sentence shape where the subject does the action of the verb. If you can point to “who did it,” and that doer sits in the subject spot, you’re usually looking at active voice.
Many active sentences follow a simple flow: subject → verb → object. That’s not a rule you must follow every time, yet it’s a reliable pattern to test quickly during a quiz.
Start With The Doer
Ask one blunt question: “Who is doing the action?” Then look at the subject of the sentence. When the subject and the doer match, the sentence is active.
In “Maya solved the puzzle,” Maya is both the subject and the solver. The verb “solved” carries the action, and the rest of the sentence receives it.
Know What Passive Voice Looks Like
Passive voice flips the order. The receiver of the action moves into the subject spot, and the doer is pushed later in the sentence or left out.
Passive voice often uses a form of be plus a past participle, like “was written,” “is known,” or “were chosen.” You may also see a “by …” phrase naming the doer.
Picking An Example Of Active Voice In Multiple Choice Questions
On worksheets and exams, you’re being asked to spot a pattern, not to write an essay. So skip the “sounds right” guess. Use a short routine instead.
When you see “which of the following is an example of active voice?” run the same three checks on each option: find the verb chunk, name the doer, then confirm the doer is the subject.
| What To Check | Active Voice Tells | Passive Voice Tells |
|---|---|---|
| Subject’s role | Subject performs the action | Subject receives the action |
| Verb core | Main verb stands on its own (writes, built, approved) | Form of be + past participle (was built, is approved) |
| Doer placement | Doer is usually up front | Doer may appear later or disappear |
| “By …” phrase | Not needed for the basic meaning | Often used to attach the doer (“by the coach”) |
| Quick read feel | Direct and easy to picture | May take a second glance to find the actor |
| Common test shape | “A did B” style | “B was done” style |
| Swap test | Adding “by ___” often sounds odd | Adding “by ___” often sounds natural |
| Sample pair | “The chef baked the bread.” | “The bread was baked by the chef.” |
| Best quick question | “Who did it?” matches the subject | “Who did it?” does not match the subject |
Which Of The Following Is An Example Of Active Voice? Quick Self Check
When this prompt shows up, slow down for one beat. Don’t read all options the same way. Run the same micro-check on each one and you’ll finish faster with fewer errors.
Many wrong choices are built from a small set of traps: passive voice in disguise, “be” verbs that are not passive, and sentences with hidden subjects.
Step 1: Find The Main Verb Chunk
Look for the verb that carries the main action. Ignore extra phrases at first. In “The window was broken during the storm,” the verb chunk is “was broken.”
If you can’t find an action at all, you may be looking at a linking verb sentence, like “The soup tastes salty.” That can still be active because it isn’t passive.
Step 2: Name The Doer In Plain Words
Say the doer out loud: “Who did the action?” If the doer is after the verb in a “by …” phrase, that’s a strong sign of passive voice.
If the sentence hides the doer, ask whether the subject is receiving an action. “The rules were changed” is passive because someone changed them, even if that actor isn’t named.
Step 3: Match Doer To Subject
Now compare the doer with the grammatical subject. If they match, active voice is the safe pick. If the subject is the receiver, you’re in passive territory.
Try a quick rewrite in your head: can you flip it into “Someone did something” without changing meaning? If that rewrite feels natural, your original sentence was likely passive.
Short Practice With Answers
Pick the active sentence in each pair. Then check the answer line right under it.
Pair 1
- A) The coach praised the team.
- B) The team was praised by the coach.
Answer: A is active because the subject “coach” performs “praised.”
Pair 2
- A) The cookies were eaten after lunch.
- B) The kids ate the cookies after lunch.
Answer: B is active because “kids” do the eating.
Common Traps That Make Active Voice Hard To Spot
Voice questions get easier once you know what the test writer is trying to pull. A lot of wrong answers are built with the same parts. Learn those parts and you’ll catch them quickly.
Below are common traps from school worksheets, online quizzes, and entrance tests, plus the fix you can use on the spot.
Trap 1: “Be” Verb Does Not Always Mean Passive
Students often see “is” or “was” and instantly shout “passive!” That’s a common mix-up. Passive voice needs a form of be plus a past participle that works as part of a verb chain.
“The sky is blue” is not passive. It’s a linking verb sentence that describes a state, not an action being done to the sky.
Trap 2: The “By” Phrase Can Be Missing
Some passive sentences include a “by …” phrase: “The trophy was won by Lina.” Others drop it: “The trophy was won.” The voice stays passive either way.
So don’t rely on “by” alone. Use the doer-and-subject match test to be sure.
Trap 3: Hidden Subjects In Commands
Imperatives like “Close the door” hide the subject “you.” That sentence is active: (You) close the door, and “you” is the doer.
On a multiple choice item, imperatives can feel odd next to full statements. Keep calm and run the same check.
Trusted References If You Need One
Purdue OWL gives a clear overview of Active And Passive Voice with sentence pairs and revision tips.
The University of North Carolina Writing Center also explains Passive Voice, including why writers sometimes choose it.
How To Turn A Passive Sentence Into Active Voice
Some assignments go past identification and ask you to revise a sentence. The quickest method is to find the doer, then move that doer into the subject spot.
Use this three-move routine. It works for most classroom sentences, even ones that look messy at first glance.
Move 1: Locate The Action
Find the verb chunk. In “The cake was decorated with sprinkles,” the chunk is “was decorated,” which signals passive voice.
Now name the action word you’ll keep: “decorate.”
Move 2: Identify The Doer
If the sentence includes a “by …” phrase, grab that noun: “by the baker” gives you the doer. If the doer is missing, supply one that fits the context, like “the baker,” “the class,” or “they.”
In exercises, the doer is often clear from the topic of the paragraph or the surrounding sentences.
Move 3: Rebuild In Active Voice
Write the doer as the subject, then use a strong verb: “The baker decorated the cake with sprinkles.” Same meaning, clearer flow.
Watch tense. “Was decorated” is past tense, so keep it past: “decorated,” not “decorates.”
Second Round Practice With Mixed Options
Now try a more test-like set: each item has four options and only one is active voice. After you choose, check the answer and the short reason.
If you can, read the options out loud. Your ear often catches the extra verb parts that signal passive voice.
Item 1
- A) The winner was announced by the host.
- B) The winner was announced.
- C) The host announced the winner.
- D) The winner had been announced by noon.
Answer: C is active because “host” is the subject and does “announced.”
Item 2
- A) The painting was sold at the gallery.
- B) The gallery sold the painting.
- C) The painting had been sold by noon.
- D) The painting was being sold by the gallery.
Answer: B is active because the gallery performs the selling.
| Trap In Choices | What It Often Looks Like | Fast Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Agentless passive | “was + past participle” with no doer | Ask “Who did it?” If someone must exist, it’s passive |
| Linking verb confusion | “is/are/was/were” + adjective | Check for an action being done; if none, it’s not passive |
| Progressive passive | “was being + past participle” | Spot “being” after a form of be; that’s passive |
| Perfect passive | “has been/had been + past participle” | Look for “been” plus a past participle |
| Misleading openers | Long opener that hides the core clause | Strip phrases away and test the core subject + verb |
| Command sentence | Starts with a verb (“Write your name”) | Add “you” in your head; check if “you” is the doer |
| Get-passive | “got + past participle” (“got caught”) | Treat “got” like a passive helper; check for a doer |
| Extra “by” noise | Many prepositional phrases in one line | Ignore the clutter and match doer to subject |
Using The Prompt Without Guessing
When you see “which of the following is an example of active voice?” on a worksheet, treat each option like a tiny puzzle. Find the verb chunk, name the doer, then match the doer to the subject.
One more note: a sentence can start with an extra phrase and still be active. “After class, Jordan emailed the teacher” is active because Jordan does the emailing. So don’t judge by the first few words. Find the subject that matches the doer, then pick with confidence. Underline the verb chunk first when stuck.
Do that in the same order each time and the stress drops. You’ll stop rereading lines that were meant to distract you.
One Last Drill
Pick one paragraph from a book or an article you like. Copy five sentences. Mark the doer and the verb in each one, then rewrite any passive sentence into active voice.
That five-sentence drill builds the skill fast because it uses real writing, not canned workbook lines. After a few rounds, the active voice pattern starts to pop off the page.
Before you submit an assignment, scan for sentences that hide the doer. Swap a few into active voice where clarity matters, and your reader won’t have to hunt for who did what.