Here's how to tell:
* Subject: Who or what is doing the action?
* Verb: The action word.
* Object: The thing or person that receives the action.
Active Voice Example:
* The dog (subject) chased (verb) the ball (object).
In this sentence, the dog is performing the action of chasing, so it's in active voice.
Passive Voice Example:
* The ball (object) was chased (verb) by the dog (subject).
Here, the ball is the object of the action, and the sentence focuses on the ball being chased, not the dog doing the chasing. This is passive voice.
Key things to remember:
* Active voice is generally more direct, clear, and concise.
* Passive voice can be helpful when the action is more important than the doer or when the doer is unknown.