Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Vocabulary – Grade 8 Practice Test

In an active voice construction, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. For example, in the sentence "The cat chased the mouse," the subject "the cat" is doing the action of chasing. This clear relationship between the subject and the verb demonstrates the active voice, where the focus is on what the subject is doing.

In contrast, passive voice typically emphasizes the action itself or the recipient of the action rather than the doer. While choices like "compound voice" and "indirect voice" do not exist as recognized grammatical categories, they may confuse readers who are not acquainted with conventional terminology. By understanding that the active voice is where the subject actively engages in the action, it becomes clear why this is the correct choice.