Final answer:
To determine if a sentence is in passive voice, identify the subject receiving the action, use a form of 'to be' with the past participle verb, and optionally include 'by' followed by the original subject. An active sentence like 'The teacher will give you directions' becomes 'Directions will be given to you by the teacher' in passive voice.
Step-by-step explanation:
When determining if a sentence is in the passive voice, identifying the subject, verb form, and preposition 'by' (if present) is crucial. The subject of the sentence in a passive construction is not performing the action, but rather is on the receiving end of it. This is clear when examining verbs in Table 4.2 where the difference between active and passive constructions is illustrated.
For example, let's take the sentence 'The teacher will give you directions'. To convert this into passive voice, first identify the subject ('The teacher'), the verb ('will give'), and the direct object ('directions'). In passive voice, the object becomes the focus and the subject gets moved later in the sentence, often introduced by the preposition 'by'. Thus, the sentence in passive voice would be 'Directions will be given to you by the teacher'.
The passive formation typically involves a form of the verb 'to be' along with the past participle of the main verb. In commands and requests, the implied subject 'you' is often omitted, leading to a construction like 'Be seated' instead of 'You are seated by someone'.
It is also important to practice with peers to choose the most effective verb forms depending on the context of the text, whether it's written in present or past tense. This helps in enhancing the quality of writing and understanding the diversity of verb forms and voices.