Tom was given a chance shows how the subject sits with a modifying phrase in a passive sentence

What goes first in a sentence—the doer or what’s being done to? It’s a tiny decision, but it reshapes meaning and emphasis. If you’re exploring how PACT-style writing asks you to organize ideas, you’ve already spotted a subtle, but mighty, tool: where the subject sits in relation to a modifying phrase. Let me show you with a clean example and then unpack why it matters in real writing.

The little multiple-choice moment you’ll recognize

Here’s a tidy setup that mirrors what you might encounter in a grammar-focused question:

• A. the teacher gave Tom

• B. Tom was given a chance

• C. the teacher gave a chance

• D. the following week

The correct answer is B: Tom was given a chance.

Why B lands right

This is a matter of how the sentence centers its action. In B, Tom is the one who experiences the action. The verb phrase “was given” is in the passive voice, so the thing Tom receives—the “a chance”—is linked directly to him through the action he’s on the receiving end of. The sentence reads smoothly: Tom is the subject, he experiences the action, and the phrase “a chance” is what he receives.

Let’s dissect a bit more, because the other options aren’t just wrong by whim—they break the expected subject-relationship or leave the sentence feeling incomplete.

• A. the teacher gave Tom

This one feels unfinished. It presents the teacher as the doer, with Tom as a receiving person, but there’s no object to complete the thought. It stops abruptly, like a sentence with a trailing thought. If the goal is to center Tom as the recipient, this one doesn’t deliver that context.

• C. the teacher gave a chance

Here the agent “the teacher” is front and center, and the thing being given is “a chance.” But who’s receiving the chances? Without a recipient, the phrase remains vague. It’s not a clean fit for wanting to position the recipient clearly, and it sort of treats the action as if someone was giving to nobody.

• D. the following week

A time phrase by itself is not a complete sentence. It can modify a sentence, but on its own it leaves you with more questions than answers. It doesn’t establish who’s involved or what happens.

Passive voice as a focused lens

The key move in B is the passive construction: subject + be-verb + past participle + object. In plain terms, we’re shifting the spotlight from the actor to the recipient. In many kinds of writing—news summaries, formal reports, or even narrative summaries—that focus can be exactly what the reader needs. It says: “What matters here is Tom’s experience, not who did the action.” That distinction matters for clarity and emphasis.

Quick note: passive voice isn’t a magical ingredient to sprinkle everywhere. It’s a tool you pull out when you want to highlight a person or thing that’s receiving attention, or when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or already understood from context. In everyday sentences, active voice (The teacher gave Tom a chance) is often clearer and punchier. The trick is knowing which one serves your purpose in a given moment.

A mini tour of what to watch for, next time

If you want to get better at spotting when the subject sits in the right place relative to a modifying phrase, here’s a small, practical checklist you can keep handy:

• Identify the main verb or verb phrase. In Tom was given, the core action is “was given.”

• Find who or what is receiving the action. In this case, Tom is the recipient.

• Check the modifying phrase. “A chance” is the thing given, and it belongs with the verb as the object in passive constructions.

• Decide which version centers your reader where you want them to focus. Do you want Tom’s experience to lead, or the action more than who performs it?

• Try a quick rewrite in active voice if it still sounds natural: The teacher gave Tom a chance. If that rewrite preserves your intended emphasis, you might prefer it for clarity; if not, the passive keeps the focus where you want it.

A couple of quick examples to bring it home

Think of a few sentences you might run into in everyday writing, and apply the same logic:

• Active version: The nurse handed Mia a report.

Passive version: Mia was handed a report by the nurse.

If your aim is to emphasize Mia’s receipt of the report, the passive version is a good fit.

• Active version: The committee approved the proposal last week.

Passive version: The proposal was approved by the committee last week.

Here, you can see the emphasis shift from the actor to the thing being approved.

The broader takeaway: structure helps readers orient quickly

Good writing often feels effortless because it guides readers with clean, predictable rhythm. When you place the subject and the following phrase in a way that makes the relationship obvious, you reduce the cognitive load. Your reader doesn’t have to pause to figure out “who did what to whom?” Instead, the natural order comes through and carries the meaning along.

A little digression that still stays relevant

While we’re talking grammar, it’s worth noting that different genres lean on passive voice to different degrees. Legal or scientific prose tends to lean more on passive constructions to foreground results, methods, or recipients rather than agents. In conversational writing, however, people usually prefer the direct hit of active voice—the kind that makes sentences snap and feel human. The trick is to blend both styles where they fit. A clear report might switch once or twice to emphasize a key outcome before returning to a straight narrative rhythm. And yes, you’ll see some famous authors shift voice mid-sentence for emphasis—a bit of artistry that makes reading feel lively, not robotic.

Let’s connect this to real-world writing choices

You don’t have to be writing for a test to see the value here. When you draft emails, summaries, or briefings, ask yourself: what’s the real star of this sentence? Is it the person who experiences something, or the action itself? If the answer points to the recipient or the outcome, the passive structure might be your friend. If the aim is to highlight who did the action, active voice should lead the way.

A practical, no-fluff diagnostic you can keep in your mental toolkit

• Step 1: Find the main verb. If you can squeeze the sentence into “X did Y to Z,” you’ve likely got an active structure.

• Step 2: Who is receiving the action? If it’s “to X,” you’re looking to place X as the subject, possibly via a passive reconfiguration.

• Step 3: Does the modifying phrase directly relate to the recipient or to the action as a whole? If you want emphasis on the recipient, consider the passive form.

• Step 4: Test both versions. If “X was given Y” reads more naturally, you’ve found a natural fit for the focus you want.

A touch of curiosity about how it sounds

Sometimes the best way to feel the difference is to read the sentence aloud. Listen for the beat, the natural pause, the way the emphasis lands. If you hear the recipient landing squarely at the start, you’re probably hearing a passive structure. If the sentence cruises with the agent leading, you’re in active territory. Both are legitimate tools; your goal is to choose the one that serves your message best.

A few more life-like angles to consider

• Formal contexts: In many reports or formal statements, you’ll see passive voice used strategically to defer responsibility or to emphasize outcomes. That’s not laziness—it’s a design choice that helps readers focus on what happened rather than who did it.

• Narrative voice: Writers often play with voice to vary texture. A scene might start with the action in passive voice to center a character’s experience, then switch to active voice to propel the scene forward.

• Pronoun use: If you’re juggling pronouns, passive constructions can help avoid awkward repetitions. “Tom” repeats can feel heavy; the passive form helps you maintain smooth flow.

Bringing it all back home

To sum it up with a practical wink: the choice between “Tom was given a chance” and “The teacher gave Tom a chance” isn’t just a grammar puzzle. It’s a decision about where you want the reader’s eye to land. Do you want the focus to be on Tom’s experience, or on the action and the agent who performs it? The passive option in our example centers Tom, making “a chance” a thing that comes to him, not something he simply does.

If you’re shaping your writing around messages, reports, or explanations, keep this little tension in mind. The subject placement relative to a modifying phrase isn’t merely a rule to memorize; it’s a practical dial you can turn to shape tone, emphasis, and clarity. And yes, with a few deliberate checks, you can make your sentences feel both precise and human—without overthinking them.

Final takeaway to tuck away

• When the goal is to emphasize the recipient of an action, the passive form often feels natural and clear.

• If the subject’s action is the star of the sentence, lean active.

• In any case, aim for a sentence that your future reader can grasp in a single breath.

If you’re ever unsure, a quick rewrite can reveal the heart of the sentence. Start with the recipient, test a version where the actor leads, and then decide which version reads most cleanly for your purpose. That’s the core of crafting writing that’s both precise and engaging—whether you’re drafting quick notes, drafting a short summary, or shaping a more formal document.

And yes, a touch of playfulness in the process helps, too. After all, language is a conversation with shared understanding, and these tiny structure choices are the little pauses that keep the dialogue natural. If you keep them in mind, you’ll notice your writing becoming clearer, more confident, and, frankly, a bit more enjoyable to read.