Active vs Passive Voice

There are two primary types of voices one might use when writing: active and passive voice. Knowing how to use active voice will help you succeed here at Textbroker and beyond. Additionally, many of our Team Orders for managed clients ask for the use of active voice. Using an active voice correctly not only helps improve the clarity and flow of your writing but also combats awkwardness and unconventional phrasing.

What are Active and Passive Voices?

When writing with an active voice, the subject performs the action of the sentence. One example of this would be writing, “The lumberjack demolished the tree.” Here, the lumberjack is the subject, the tree is the direct object,  and the action is “demolished.” However, when writing with a passive voice, the subject is being acted upon instead of performing the action itself. The previous example written passively would be, “The tree was demolished by the lumberjack.” Despite being the same sentence, the lumberjack is no longer the subject. Now the action is still demolished, but the subject has changed to the tree. This alters the meaning of the sentence.

Why Choose an Active Voice?

Active voice has several advantages over the use of passive voice. For starters, active voices are more direct than passive voices. Active voices pack more of a punch and immediately establish who is doing what. Furthermore, active voices also help to reduce filler. An active voice can convey the same message as a passive voice but in fewer words. Passive phrases often contain auxiliary verbs, making them longer and damaging your narrative. An example of this is the sentence, “We will both sign the treaty.” When passive the sentence is, “The treaty will be signed by both of us.” Not only is that sentence long, but it is also awkwardly phrased. When you tighten up your writing with an active voice, it becomes more impactful.

 Moreover, passive voices also lead to awkwardness through awkward prepositional phrases. The sentence, “I will always love you” is active. However, the passive sentence, “You will always be loved by me” is awkward and stilted. Removing the “by me” reduces the awkwardness, but it leads to the next problem of vague and unclear sentences. Who loves the subject of the sentence? This is unclear with passive phrasing if you try to reduce the awkwardness. And finally, some passive statements just sound silly. This shows why it is important to use active phrasing the majoring of the time.

When to Use a Passive Voice?

There are times when passive phrasing is preferred over active voice or even essential to use, depending on the context. As a general rule, if either voice will suffice, always shoot for an active voice. However, on the off-chance that a passive voice makes more sense, go with a passive voice. One example is when the action is more important than the person doing the action. Other reasons why one might use a passive voice include when the actor is unknown, when you want to avoid casting blame, or when it improves clarity or flow. If you’re unsure which voice to use, read both variations out loud and see which has less awkwardness.

How to Spot Passive Voice

In order to eliminate passive voice usage, you need to pinpoint where it is in your writing. The first method to do this is to search your writing for any uses of the verb “to be.” Here is a list of these verbs:  are, am, is, was, were, has, been, and being. Not every usage contains passive voice, but it makes it easier for you to find passive statements by searching for these auxiliary verbs. Alternatively, you can also copy and paste your content into what is known as the Hemingway App. This tool will highlight passive phrases for you.

Switching From Passive to Active Voice

Once you locate instances of unnecessary passive voice, you can easily fix them. Let’s use the following passive statement as an example:

The suspect was apprehended by the officer.

To modify this sentence from passive to active voice:

1) Identify the actor (sometimes called an agent) in the sentence – this is the person, place, thing, or idea that’s causing the action. In other words, this is the do-er rather than the receiver. In this case, the actor is the officer.

2) Rearrange the sentence so that the actor is clearly performing the action. The actor should appear before the verb. In this case:

The officer apprehended the suspect.

This makes the sentence both clearer and more concise.

Going Forward

Now that you’re familiar with the differences between active and passive voice, use the guidelines in this post to make smart decisions about the voice of your sentences. If a client asks for active voice only, you have the tools to make sure you deliver what they want. Otherwise, try to use active voice wherever possible to keep your content clear, to the point, and direct.