The Correct Use Of:
Active/Passive Voice Verbs
Sit/Sat and Set
Lie/Lay
Rise/Raise
Using Verbs Correctly
Active Voice: An active voice verb expresses an action done by its subject.
Example: Chester ate all the food. (Notice that the subject CHESTER is ding the action of the verb ATE.)
Passive Voice: A verb that shows action DONE to its subject.
Example: The dog was trained by Mr. Petco. (Notice the verb WAS TRAINED is doing the action to the subject DOG.)
More Examples: What type of verb ACTIVE or PASSIVE is in the following sentences?
Moshi called all of us at the last minute.
My car had been serviced at the new dealership in town.
Mildred and Frankie jogged for about fifty minutes this morning before school.
Correct use of SIT or SAT and SET (Sittng and Setting)
Sit or Sat means that something is in a seated position. A person can SIT. An animal can SIT.
Set means that something is placed or put down. A bowl can be set. You can set your pencil down.
Example: Jennifer was so tired that she SAT down on the chair.
The doctor SET his stethoscope on the examining table.
Correct use of LIE and LAY (Lain, Lying, and Laid):
The verb LIE means to rest or recline. For instance, a person can LIE down on the couch—he/she is resting.
The verb LAY means to put or place something down. You can LAY down a piece of paper on the table.
Example: The runner was so exhausted that he had to LIE down on the cot after his race. (Runner is resting)
Will you LAY down that book and listen to me. (You are placing something down)
Correct use of Rise and Raise (Raised, Risen, and Rose):
The verb RISE (RISEN) means to go up or to get up. A balloon will RISE up into the air. He has RISEN up from his chair.
The verb RAISE means to lift up. My mother DID RAISE the finished turkey in the air for us to see.
Examples: Chester RAISED his little brother up in the air so that he could see the parade. (Brother was lifted.
The wind made the feather RISE high into the sky. (Feather is going up)
NOTE: These verbs can also have helping verbs with them, or they can be in a different tense.
PLEASE LOOK AT THE NOTES AT THE TOP OF EACH WORKSHEET FOR EXAMPLES