Concept 4

Maintain consistent verb voice and avoid illogical shifts.

Core Idea

Keep the sentence in a logical voice and avoid switching between active and passive without a reason.

Understanding

Rule: Active voice is not automatically better in every sentence, but ACT often flags awkward shifts where a sentence starts with a clear active pattern and then slides into passive wording for no purpose.

When the same subject keeps doing the action, a steady active structure is usually the cleanest choice.

Question

Worked Example

Which choice best maintains a consistent voice?

"The volunteers sorted the donated books and then _____ before shelving them."

Select an answer to see the explanation