Active Voice | Examples, Definition & Use

Sentences can be in the active voice (e.g., “He made the breakfast”) or the passive voice (e.g., “The breakfast was made by him”).

In the active voice, the grammatical subject of the sentence is the “doer” of the action described by the verb (“He made…”), but in the passive voice, the subject is the “recipient” of this action (“The breakfast was made…”).

Active voice examples in a sentence
My friend cuts my hair.

The mail carrier delivered the letter at about 10 a.m.

Did the man pick up the litter?

Who is writing the report?

The dog had eaten everything.

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Passive Voice | Definition, Examples & Use

Sentences can be in the passive voice (e.g., “The window was cleaned”) or the active voice (e.g., “He cleaned the window”). In the active voice, the “doer” of the action described by the verb is the grammatical subject of the sentence (“He cleaned…”), but in the passive voice, the subject is the “recipient” of this action (“The window was cleaned…”).

Choosing the passive voice allows us to make the sentence or clause “about” the recipient rather than the doer (or “agent”).

You construct the passive by using a form of the auxiliary verb be (e.g., “was”) and the past participle of the main verb (e.g., “cleaned”). If you want to mention the agent in the passive voice, it comes after the preposition by (e.g., “…was cleaned by him”).

Passive voice examples in a sentence
All the ingredients are cooled before mixing.

These ones are made by a different company.

It is scheduled for release next week.

They said the delivery had already been made.

When were these windows last cleaned?

The event is going to be held in New York, but the date has yet to be announced.

The movie has been slammed on social media.

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Object Complement | Examples & Definition

An object complement is a noun or adjective that follows a direct object to describe or rename it (e.g., “That makes me angry”).

Object complements are essential to the meaning of the sentence. If they are removed, the sentence is incomplete (e.g., “That makes me”).

Object complement examples
I found the book boring.

They are going to name the baby Ivan.

The neighborhood elected Caroline president of the homeowners’ association.

I don’t consider myself worthy of this honor.

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Either Or | Meaning, Use & Examples

Either … or is a correlative conjunction that is used to present two options or say that one of two things is true (e.g., “I’d like either ramen or sushi”).

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that are used to show the relationship between two words, phrases, or clauses. Others include neither … nor and not only … but also.

Either … or examples
Either Marisol or Asher will lead the meeting.

The movie was divisive: people either hated it or loved it.

Will you either wash the dishes or sweep the floor?

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Neither Nor | Meaning, Use & Examples

Neither … nor is a correlative conjunction that is used to indicate that two things are not true (e.g., “The candidate appeared neither prepared nor interested”).

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that are used to show the relationship between two grammatically equal parts of a sentence. Others include either … or and not only … but also.

Neither … nor examples
Neither the rain nor the wind could stop the match.

The new policy neither addresses employee concerns nor improves productivity.

The committee accepted neither the proposed rule change nor the amended budget.

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Not Only But Also | Examples & Use

Not only … but also is a correlative conjunction—a pair of words that is used to show the relationship between two grammatically equal parts of a sentence (e.g., “The company let down not only its shareholders but also its employees”).

You can use not only … but also when you want to emphasize that in addition to something already known, assumed, or expected (the “not only” phrase), there is something else (the “but also” phrase) that makes the statement more surprising, interesting, terrible, etc.

Not only … but also examples
She has visited not only all 50 states but also 13 countries.

Not only minor celebrities but also true superstars turned out for the event.

The high winds not only downed power lines but also overturned mobile homes.

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Compound-Complex Sentence | Examples & Definition

A compoundcomplex sentence consists of at least two independent clauses joined by a comma and coordinating conjunction or a semicolon and at least one dependent clause.

As the name suggests, compound-complex sentences incorporate elements of both a compound sentence and a complex sentence, two of the other sentence structures in English.

Compound-complex sentence examples
Once this storm is over, our plane can take off, and we can actually begin our vacation.

This necklace is very important to me, so don’t lose it unless you want to see me angry.

The convention was electrifying; many attendees, who came from all over the country, said they didn’t want to leave.

If Ellen doesn’t want to go, I can ask Patrick, or I can just go alone.

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What Is a Compound Sentence? | Example & Definition

A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses (i.e., two simple sentences) joined by a comma and coordinating conjunction or a semicolon (e.g., “I went to the store, and Marcus cooked dinner”).

Compound sentences are one of the four sentence structures in English. The others are simple sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences.

Compound sentence examples
Lisa likes milk, but Evelyn does not.

Can you come by after work, or will you be too busy?

Congress is expected to pass the legislation soon; their summer recess begins Monday.

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What Is a Complex Sentence? | Examples & Definition

A complex sentence consists of an independent clause (e.g., “I will love you”) and one or more dependent clauses (e.g., “until the end of time”).

Complex sentences are one of the four sentence structures in English. The others are simple sentences, compound sentences, and compound-complex sentences.

Complex sentence examples
Star always drinks a smoothie after she works out.

If you go to the store, will you pick up some milk?

My cousin, who lives in Germany, is coming to visit next week.

Lock the door when you leave.

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Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Transition words and phrases are used to connect ideas in your writing and help readers understand your arguments. Also called connecting words, linking words, or transitional words, these words describe the relationship between phrases, sentences, or paragraphs.

Transition words example
Many researchers (e.g., Bates, 2019; Chan, 2022) have argued that the two variables are correlated. Others, however, disagree (Jones and Hernandez, 2023). Thus, the question is not yet settled.

Understanding and using transition words effectively is necessary to produce clear and cohesive writing. Using a paraphraser like QuillBot’s can help you integrate transition words into your writing.

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