Special Agent Entrance Practice Exam

What type of voice is used when the subject is acted upon?

1. Active voice

2. Passive voice

3. Subjunctive voice

4. Imperative voice

The correct answer is: Passive voice

The passive voice is employed when the subject of the sentence is acted upon rather than performing the action themselves. In this construction, the focus shifts from the doer of the action to the recipient of the action. This is essential in situations where the emphasis needs to be placed on the result of the action or the effect rather than on who is carrying it out. For instance, in the sentence "The book was read by the student," the subject "the book" is receiving the action, while "the student" is introduced only as an agent in a prepositional phrase. This contrasts with the active voice, where the subject would perform the action, like in "The student read the book." Understanding the difference between these structures helps convey the intended emphasis in communication. Other voices such as subjunctive and imperative serve different purposes: the subjunctive is used for wishes or hypotheticals, while the imperative gives commands or requests, neither of which focuses on the passive nature of the subject being acted upon.