verb has changed from rang to was rung. Although the verb is in a different form, it still expresses action; and although the Liberty Bell has changed its place in the sentence, it still receives the action expressed by the verb.

Voice is that modification of a transitive verb which denotes whether the subject names the actor or the thing acted upon.

Only transitive verbs have voice. There are two kinds of voice-active voice and passive voice.

A verb is said to be in the active voice when its subject names the actor.

A verb is said to be in the passive voice when its subject names the thing acted upon.

II

TESTS OF PASSIVE VOICE

1. The subject names the receiver of the act.

2. The verb is made up of some form of the verb be and a past participle.

3. The verb is followed by a phrase introduced by the preposition by followed by the name of the actor or doer of the act, or such a phrase can be added without injuring the meaning of the sentence.

Intransitive verbs have no voice.

Select the verbs in the following sentences and tell whether they are transitive-active, transitive-passive, or intransitive:

1. He threw the ball to the pitcher.

2. They warned the man to keep out of the way.

3. The student has gone to his class.

4. The student recited his lesson.

5. The girl was struck by an automobile.

6. A prize was given by the president of the club. 7. I turned into the next street and lost my way.

8. We are students of language.

9. She is an instructor in the high school.

10. Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky.

11. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.

12. It was signed July 5, 1776.

13. Jefferson lived in Virginia.

14. He moved to Washington when he was elected President.

15. Have you ever seen the Liberty Bell?

Exercise. The verbs in the following sentences are transitive active. Write them in the transitive passive. 1. The Pilgrims settled Plymouth.

2. Miles Standish commanded their army.

3. Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas Eve. 4. The President took the oath of office.

5. The American people welcomed King Albert of Belgium.

Change the transitive passive verbs in the following sentences to the transitive active. Write the sen

tences.

1. The first Atlantic cable was laid by Cyrus W. Field. 2. The flag was lowered by the Girl Scouts.

3. The oath of allegiance was repeated by the school. 4. The corner stone of the Capitol was laid by Washington in 1793.

5. The tree was planted by the children on Arbor Day. Write ten sentences containing intransitive verbs.

137. AGREEMENT OF THE VERB AND ITS SUBJECT 1. A singular subject requires a singular verb.

The bird is singing.

2. Two or more singular subjects connected by and require a plural verb.

The sky and the sea were blue.

3. A plural subject requires a plural verb. Butterflies were flitting here and there.

4. A collective noun requires a singular verb when the group of objects or persons is taken as a whole. The jury has decided the case.

5. A collective noun requires a plural verb when the objects or persons are considered separately.

Our family are in different parts of the country.

6. Two nouns meaning the same person require a singular verb.

A soldier and statesman has died.

7. A noun that is singular in meaning, but plural in form, requires a plural verb.

The scissors are on the table.

8. A noun that is plural in meaning, but singular in form requires a plural verb.

The sheep are on the hillside.

9. Nouns which are modified by the adjectives any, each, every, either, neither, or no always require singular verbs.

Each child has his own book.

10. Names of books, poems, etc., which are plural in form but singular in idea, require a singular verb. Plutarch's Lives is interesting

Lines on Washington was written by Lowell.

11. The pronouns either, neither, each, one, anyone, someone, and everybody require singular verbs.

Neither was to blame.

12. When two singular subjects are connected by or or nor the subject is singular and the singular form of the verb should be used.

Either Mary or Alice has the book.

Neither Mary nor Alice is here.

13. When the verb be has for its subject two or more pronouns in the singular, connected by or or nor, the verb agrees in person with the one nearest it.

Neither you nor I am sure of this.

Either he or they are expected to go.

14. The pronoun you always requires a plural verb. You were late.

Copy the following sentences, supplying the correct verb. Ask the question, "What is the subject?" Make the verb agree with its subject, not with any word that comes between it and the subject.

1. Anyone who wishes to take part
2. All of the children

3. Birds and bees

eligible.

playing basketball. fluttering among the flowers.

4. you going today?

5. Captains Courageous -a good book for boys.
6. Neither Rob nor his brother

7. The daisy

able to row.

a common flower.

8. A company of soldiers in a camp near us.
9. I thought you absent yesterday.

10. Their baggage, including three trunks,

lost.

In writing the verbs in sentences like those you have just been studying you must be very careful to keep

track of the real subject of the sentence and not be misled by some noun in the plural that happens to be near the verb, For instance, in these sentences:

The reading of these stories was delightful.
Every one of the boys and girls was in the room.
The price of corn, wheat, and potatoes is high.
The girl, as well as her parents, is at home.

In each of these sentences you will notice that the subject is singular, although the noun near the verb is plural. Be sure to select the subjects carefully, then see that the verb agrees with it.

138. A MARKET FOR IDEAS

During the year 1925 a great exposition was held near London at the little town of Wembley. It was called the Wembley Exposition.

It was like taking a trip to many countries to visit Wembley. The great industries of Canada, Australia, Africa, and India were represented either by actual machinery or by electrically-run toy machines. You could watch the lumberjacks in the forests of Canada, see how sheep are raised in Australia, or go down into a diamond mine of Africa.

Such an exposition is like a market for ideas. Men and women from the four corners of the world meet and discuss the ways of carrying on the great activities of man.

Oral discussion. Have you ever attended such an exposition? Where was it held? For what purpose was it held? What was it called? What interested you most? Do you think such an exposition beneficial? Why?