Question

1. Revise and edit the paragraph. Ensure that it uses active voice throughout.

What we learn about our friends on a road trip may be very different from what we learn about them in their homes or at school. When they move from one place to another, characters in a story can undergo change. Setting — the time and place of a story — is used by authors as a device to reveal particular aspects of a character. In John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums," a crucial role in the development of the main character, Elisa, is played by the shift of the setting from the ranch to the road.

Answer 1

... Authors use setting - the time and place of a story - as a device to reveal particular aspects of a character. In John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums," the shift of the setting from the ranch to the road plays a crucial role in the development of the main character, Elisa.

Step-by-step explanation:

Only the two last sentences were originally in the passive voice and needed changing. The passive voice emphasizes the receiver of the action, while the active voice emphasizes the performer of the action. Take a look at the examples below:

Active Voice: I made the cake.

Passive Voice: The cake was made by me.

Thus, when we change a sentence from the passive to the active voice, we must locate the subject. In the active voice, it will become the object. Then, we locate the agent (performer) of the action. It will become the subject in the active voice. Finally, we remove the auxiliary "be" from the sentence.

Let's use one of the sentences in the excerpt as an example:

Passive Voice: Setting (subject) - the time and place of a story - is (auxiliary) used by authors (agent) as a device to reveal particular aspects of a character.

Active Voice: Authors (subject) use (main verb) setting (object) - the time and place of a story - as a device to reveal particular aspects of a character.