What defines "active voice" in sentence structure?

Active voice is defined by the structure where the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb. This means that in an active voice sentence, the subject is at the forefront, driving the action and creating a sense of immediacy and clarity. For example, in the sentence "The dog chased the cat," the dog (the subject) is actively doing the chasing (the action).

This structure is often preferred in writing because it tends to create more engaging and direct sentences. Readers can easily identify who is doing what, which helps maintain clarity in communication.