Here's why:
* Active Voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action. The verb acts directly on the object.
* Example: "The dog chased the ball." (The dog is the subject, "chased" is the transitive verb, and "ball" is the direct object.)
* Passive Voice: The subject of the sentence receives the action. The verb is often followed by a "by" phrase indicating who or what performed the action.
* Example: "The ball was chased by the dog." (The ball is the subject, "was chased" is the passive verb, and "by the dog" is the agent phrase.)
Key Takeaway: Transitive verbs inherently suggest action. When the subject is the actor, the verb is in the active voice.