Which sentence is written in active voice?

• A. The ball was thrown by Maya.
• B. Maya threw the ball.
• C. The ball has been thrown by Maya.
• D. The ball is throwing by Maya.

Answer: (B)

Active voice highlights the doer of the action, with the subject performing the verb on the object. In the sentence where Maya is the one doing the action and the ball is the recipient, the subject Maya directly performs the action “threw” on “the ball.” That straightforward, agent-first structure is the hallmark of active voice.

The other sentences shift focus to the ball as the subject and use a form like “was thrown by Maya” or “has been thrown by Maya,” which are passive constructions—the action is happening to the ball, not performed by the ball’s subject. The form “the ball is throwing by Maya” isn’t a correct construction at all, because it would imply the ball is doing the throwing, which doesn’t fit the meaning.

So the sentence with the doer of the action in the subject position and the action expressed directly on the object is the active voice—making it the best choice.