Active and passive voice are two different ways of constructing sentences in English, and they can have a significant impact on the meaning and clarity of a sentence. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the difference between active and passive voice in English grammar for ESL learners.

1. Active voice: In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. For example, “The dog chased the cat.” In this sentence, “dog” is the subject, and it is performing the action (chasing).
2. Passive voice: In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon. For example, “The cat was chased by the dog.” In this sentence, “cat” is the subject, and it is being acted upon (chased) by the dog.
3. Forming passive voice: To form passive voice, the verb is conjugated with the auxiliary verb “to be” and the past participle of the main verb. For example, “The cake was baked by my mom” (past participle of “bake” is “baked”).
4. When to use passive voice: Passive voice is often used when the focus of the sentence is on the object being acted upon rather than the subject performing the action. It can also be used to create a more formal or objective tone.
5. Active voice is generally preferred: While passive voice has its uses, active voice is generally preferred in English writing as it tends to be more concise and direct. Active voice also emphasizes the subject and can make a sentence more engaging for the reader.

By understanding the difference between active and passive voice, ESL learners can choose the appropriate voice for the context and create more effective and engaging sentences.