Which sentence uses active voice to emphasize the doer?

Which sentence uses active voice to emphasize the doer?

• A. The researchers conducted the experiment to test the hypothesis
• B. The hypothesis was tested by the researchers in the experiment
• C. The testing of the hypothesis occurred by the researchers
• D. The experiment was conducted by the researchers to test the hypothesis

Answer: (A)

Active voice emphasizes who does the action by placing the doer at the front as the subject. In the sentence “The researchers conducted the experiment to test the hypothesis,” the researchers are the subject and they perform the action “conducted” on the object “the experiment.” This direct, agent-focused structure makes it clear who did the work, which is exactly what this item is testing. The other sentences use passive or nominal constructs, which shift focus away from the actor. For example, “The hypothesis was tested by the researchers in the experiment” centers on the hypothesis and only mentions the researchers as the agent in a by-phrase, so the doer isn’t the main focus. “The testing of the hypothesis occurred by the researchers” sounds awkward and still treats the action as something that happened rather than something the researchers did. “The experiment was conducted by the researchers to test the hypothesis” starts with the experiment as the subject, so the doer isn’t foregrounded. So the sentence that best emphasizes the doer through active voice is the one where the researchers perform the action directly.

Active voice emphasizes who does the action by placing the doer at the front as the subject. In the sentence “The researchers conducted the experiment to test the hypothesis,” the researchers are the subject and they perform the action “conducted” on the object “the experiment.” This direct, agent-focused structure makes it clear who did the work, which is exactly what this item is testing.

The other sentences use passive or nominal constructs, which shift focus away from the actor. For example, “The hypothesis was tested by the researchers in the experiment” centers on the hypothesis and only mentions the researchers as the agent in a by-phrase, so the doer isn’t the main focus. “The testing of the hypothesis occurred by the researchers” sounds awkward and still treats the action as something that happened rather than something the researchers did. “The experiment was conducted by the researchers to test the hypothesis” starts with the experiment as the subject, so the doer isn’t foregrounded.

So the sentence that best emphasizes the doer through active voice is the one where the researchers perform the action directly.