Identify the voice used in the sentence:
"Anomalies are dismissed as errors or as problems to be solved within the existing theoretical structure."
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
Passive voice
Explanation
To identify the grammatical voice of the sentence, look at the relationship between the subject and the main verb phrase:
Identify the Verb Phrase: The main verb construction is "are dismissed".
Analyze the Structure: This phrase is formed using a helping verb (a form of 'to be' → are) followed by a past participle V3 → dismissed).
Determine the Action's Direction: The subject of the sentence, "Anomalies," is not performing the action of dismissing. Instead, anomalies are the receivers of the action. The actual doers (scientists or the scientific community) are omitted from the clause. This is the definition of the Passive Voice.
Active equivalent: Scientists initially dismiss anomalies as errors...
Key Points
Formula: Subject + Form of 'to be' (is/are/am/was/were) + Past Participle (V3).
Exam Shortcut: Whenever you see a "to be" verb directly paired with a V3 verb (are dismissed, was written, is evaluated), the voice is instantly passive.