Rewrite the sentences, using active voice when it’s desirable and possible. Use only the information supplied in the sentences. That is, don’t add material during the rewriting unless it is obvious. Some sentences are fine as they are; write OK beside them.

1. Big buckets of water were guzzled by the exhausted team.

2. Old songs that cheered their hearts were sung by the choir.

3. The game was played without him.

4. After the packages were wrapped by them, and the tree decorated, they sang Christmas carols.

5. The company’s chief executive officer was removed by an overwhelming vote of the stockholders.

6. Police were called out to direct traffic at major intersections.

7. The desserts were lined up by us, and then we ate three of them.

8. She was bored by his constant babble.

9. The family was awakened by a barking dog, and everyone escaped the fire.

10. All details will be reported on the evening news.

11. A 1936 Ford Roadster inside the warehouse was destroyed by the fire.

12. The death of the 8-year-old girl was caused when a station wagon was driven through the wall of her bedroom.

13. Whether to fly the flag at half-staff is being considered.

14. His injury was caused when he was hit on the head by a falling tree limb.

15. Power was restored shortly before dawn.

16. Candles and lanterns are being bought by the dozens before the storm hits.

17. An unknown gunman shot at the president on the White House lawn this morning and then escaped through a barrage of security officers.

18. The meal was eaten in silence.

19. The cars were sold to the highest bidder.

20. A scholarship to play tennis at the university was offered to Vincent by a coach visiting France.

21. A young girl was killed and a man injured when a tornado touched down six miles south of town last night.

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Verb Exercise: Active Voice

Strengthen the following sentences by replacing the underlined verb or verb phrase with a stronger, more precise choice. You can add or drop a word or two if necessary.

1. He parked his Cadillac sedan in a space reserved for compacts.

2. Anthony walked down the hall.

3. Elizabeth ate a huge hamburger.

4. Lois and Clark talked all night.

5. The Grovers beat the Squirrels in last night’s game.

6. The exam bothered him.

7. The applicant worked hard to impress her interviewer.

8. They jumped into the lake.

9. She drove down the street.

10. The students left the classroom.

1. She went to Concordia College, where she majored in art.

2. Her spare time was reserved for studying.

3. Linda was a student at the Unversity of North Dakota and was on the university soccer team.

4. Diedra has a dog, Hector, which she loves.

5. He went to Minot, which is 300 miles from Moorhead, for a vacation.

6. Bruce is a vegetarian. Meat is not on his diet.

7. There were eight boys present at the Scout meeting.

8. Completing her master’s degree is a goal she hopes to attain.

9. Elvis was by far the top vote-getter in the Rock Hall of Fame balloting.

10. Having bright, talented leaders is what the world needs right now.

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Suggest three more vivid synonyms or more specific variations for the following verbs. Be sure to suggest verbs, not adverbs or adjectives!

1. Apprehended

2. Confused 

3. Got

4. Hit 

5. Disappeared 

6. Drank

7. Looked 

8. Insulted 

9. Sang 

10. Screamed 

11. Slept 

12. Organized 

13. Requested 

14. Turned 

15. Wrote