Choosing an appropriate style
The use of Active voice correctly in your writing
Active vs. passive voice in your writing
It may sound strange to hear that written sentences have voices, and even stranger to know that
there are debates on which of the two – passive and active – is the better option when it comes to
writing.
What's the difference between the active and passive voice?
"Voice" refers to the connection between the subject and the object of a sentence, which is linked
through a verb.
The active voice is so called because the subject of the sentence is the doer of an action that
affects the sentence's object.
e.g. Julie baked a cake.
In the above example, the subject/actor (Julie) performed the action (baked) on an object (cake).
The passive voice, on the other hand, is when the object is acted upon by the subject of the
sentence.
e.g. The cake was baked by Julie.
The object (cake) was the recipient of an action (baked), which was performed by the subject
(Julie).
One indicator that a sentence is written in the passive voice is that it comes with a "be" verb
followed by a past participle. However, it is still possible for a sentence to be in the active voice
despite having a form of the "be" verb in it. For instance, "I am eating a pie" is in the active voice
despite the "be" verb ("am"). Another clue to look out for is the absence of an object in the
sentence, which can indicate that this is written using the passive voice, although it is possible to
have an active sentence without an object
When do I use the active or the passive voice?
Some people believe that sentences should be written in the active voice whenever possible. This
might be because doing so can make your writing more concise. As can be seen in the example
above, the passive voice usually requires more words. When improperly written, it can also
sound awkward and vague, especially when the subject of the sentence is only implied and not
deliberately mentioned.
However, this does not necessarily mean that using the passive voice should be avoided at all
costs. It actually has its own uses. For instance, many authors use it as a tool in fiction writing. In
particular, mystery writers are big fans of the passive voice since it allows them to conceal
secrets within their stories.
The lack of emphasis on the actor has also made the passive voice the primary choice when it
comes to scientific or academic writing. While there has now been a shift in terms of allowing
scientists to discuss the actions they have taken in the experiments they have conducted, the
science field remains partial to the passive voice in order to maintain a tone of objectivity. This is
because it does not put particular focus on individual perspective, and instead looks at the actions
undertaken, as well as the results.
In writing, always consider whether you should use the passive or active voice. It will depend on
what you, the writer, want to convey: if you want to draw attention to the doer, use the passive
voice; if your intent is to put the focus on the action, then you should go for the active voice.
Have you ever noticed how some parts of your writing seem to pop, while other parts don't? You
can improve those dull sentences if you take a moment to consider the active and passive voices.
Learn more about the differences between active and passive voice in the video below.
[Link]
The difference between active and passive
There are two voices in writing: Active and passive. In the active voice, the subject of a sentence
acts, like "Neil Armstrong walked on the moon." The active voice is direct, clear, and easy to
read.
With the passive voice, the subject is acted upon, like "The moon was walked on by Neil
Armstrong". Although the passive voice is still grammatically correct, it typically doesn't carry
the same energy or clarity as the active voice. Its structure can feel clumsy and unnatural, which
makes your writing harder to read. It also tends to use more words than the active voice. Over the
course of a document, all those extra words can make your writing drag.
Overall, we recommend using the active voice more often than the passive. This will help keep
your writing snappy and efficient.
Identifying the passive voice
Here's how to spot the passive voice:
First, look for a phrase like "was visited", "has been cleaned", or "will be built". Each one
contains a "to be" verb, like "was", "has been", or "will be".
That phrase is followed by an action that's already happened, like "visited", "cleaned", or "built".
Finally, the person or thing doing the action comes last, if they're mentioned at all.
If you see these parts together, there's a good chance the sentence is in passive voice.
Changing passive into active
Let's change a sentence from passive into active voice.
Our sentence is, "The money was tossed into the air by Jacob". "Jacob" is our subject, and
"tossed" is the verb. Move Jacob to the beginning of the sentence, cut out any unnecessary
words, and rearrange a few others. Our passive example is now, "Jacob tossed the money into the
air". The delivery is more brief, clear, and more immediate.
When passive is best
Although active voice is incredibly useful, the passive voice is occasionally the better choice. For
instance, you may go passive if the actor of a sentence is unknown or irrelevant, like in the
sentence, "The amendments will be approved after a discussion". In this case, we're interested in
the amendments' approval, not who approved them.
Passive voice is also great for creating an authoritative tone, like on a sign requiring employees
to wash their hands. It doesn't matter who requires employees to wash up; they just need to do it!
You may also want to go passive when you don't know who is responsible for the action, like in
this example: "The mystery was never solved."
The voice you use can make a big difference in your writing. The active voice will often add pep
and clarity, but occasionally the passive voice will be your best option. Take some time to
choose the voice that fits best, and your writing will almost certainly grow stronger.