MTEL Communication Literacy Skills : Writing Practice Test

Which example illustrates passive voice?

1. She kicked the winning field goal.

2. The winning goal was scored by him.

3. The team celebrated their victory.

4. He ran the race in record time.

The correct answer is: The winning goal was scored by him.

The example illustrating passive voice is one where the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. In the selected sentence, "The winning goal was scored by him," the focus is on the action being performed on the subject ("the winning goal"), while "he" is merely the doer mentioned at the end of the sentence. This structure emphasizes the action and its recipient, characteristic of passive voice. In contrast, the other sentences place the subject in a position where they are clearly performing the action. For instance, in "She kicked the winning field goal," the subject ("she") actively engages in the action of kicking. Similarly, "The team celebrated their victory" shows the team as the active participants in the celebration, while "He ran the race in record time" highlights that he is the one who performed the action of running. Thus, these sentences are examples of active voice, where the subject carries out the action.