ATLAS OF LANGUAGE

AT-NAV-G02-006 · ATLAS 259

Active voice

Active voice is a grammatical category contrasted with passive within a particular language system.

Part of the subject path Syntax and Grammar

Why is this entry in the Atlas?

G · Foundational concept R2 · Necessary foundation

Active voice is needed as a counterpart for describing passive and other voice alternations. An active clause implies neither actual action nor an invariably agentive subject.

Colours and admission grounds

The rectangular label identifies the entry function: F – linguistic figure or procedure; A – analytical concept; G – foundational concept; E – selected concrete case. The rounded badge indicates the admission ground: R1 – distinctive contribution; R2 – necessary foundation; R3 – justified illustrative case. This editorial rationale explains the current selection rather than claiming an undocumented original selection history.

Explanation

Active voice is a grammatical voice contrasted here with the passive. In a prototypical transitive active clause, the subject corresponds to the agent and the object to an affected participant. This does not define subjecthood: experiencers, causes and changing entities can also be subjects of active clauses. Analysis therefore identifies the verb form and construction before assigning semantic roles. Comparison with an available passive reveals a different mapping of participants to grammatical functions; not every active clause has an equivalent passive.

Movement of thought

1. Identify the verb form and construction. 2. Locate the subject and complements. 3. Describe semantic roles separately. 4. Compare only available passive alternatives.

Scientific use case

A text study could code voice and named participants to compare how reports present events.

Example

Constructed: “Mira opens the door” and “The door is opened by Mira” describe a comparable action with different subjects. “Mira sleeps” is also active.

Counterexample

“Mira suffers a loss” is not passive merely because its subject suffers.

Distinction

Distinguish active voice from activity, intentional agency, transitivity and nominative–accusative alignment.

Effect on thought and perception

The construction can present a participant as the grammatical starting point of the clause.

Resonance

An event acquires a linguistic direction without that direction necessarily expressing intention.

Provenance

Parallel source review reconciled 2026-10-07; human specialist review not claimed.

Cite this entry

Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Active voice“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-NAV-G02-006. ATLAS 259, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-NAV-G02-006

https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-NAV-G02-006

The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. Editorial reading state: 2026-10-15. Include your access date for precise references.