Active and Passive Voice: A Guide for Clear and Concise Writing

This guide will delve into the nuances of active and passive voice, providing clear explanations, practical examples, and insights from distinguished grammar scholars such as George Orwell and essay writers here at gradeoneessays.com. We’ll explore when and why to use each voice, and how to effectively transition between them for impactful communication.

What is Active and Passive Voice?

Active Voice is the cornerstone of strong, direct writing. It emphasizes the subject performing the action, creating a sense of dynamism and agency. In an active sentence, the subject is the driving force, the initiator of the action.

• Subject + Verb + Object

Example:

• Active: The chef cooked a delicious meal.

Here, “the chef” is the subject, “cooked” is the verb, and “a delicious meal” is the object. The sentence clearly and concisely conveys that the chef is the one responsible for cooking the meal.

Passive Voice, on the other hand, shifts the focus away from the subject and onto the object. It emphasizes the recipient of the action, often creating a more detached or impersonal tone.

• Object + Verb (to be) + Past Participle (of main verb) + (by Subject)

Example:

• Passive: A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.

In this passive sentence, “a delicious meal” becomes the subject, “was cooked” is the verb (using the past participle of “cook”), and “by the chef” indicates the original subject.

Why Use Active Voice?

Active voice is the preferred choice for most writing scenarios due to its numerous advantages:

• Increased Clarity: By placing the subject at the forefront, active voice ensures that the reader immediately understands who or what is performing the action. This clarity is crucial for effective communication, whether you’re writing a research paper, a news article, or a persuasive essay.
• Enhanced Conciseness: Passive voice often introduces unnecessary words and phrases, leading to longer, more convoluted sentences. Active voice, in contrast, is typically more concise and direct, making your writing easier to read and comprehend.
• Stronger Impact: Active voice creates a more forceful and engaging tone. By directly connecting the subject to the action, it adds dynamism and impact to your writing.

George Orwell, a renowned author and advocate for clear and concise writing, famously stated:

“Never use the passive where you can use the active.”

He believed that passive voice can obscure meaning and weaken the impact of writing. By prioritizing active voice, writers can ensure their message is delivered with precision and power.

When to Use Passive Voice

While active voice reigns supreme in most writing situations, there are instances where passive voice can be a valuable tool:

• When the Actor is Unknown or Unimportant:
  • Example: The window was broken. (We don’t know who broke the window.) In this case, focusing on the broken window itself is more important than identifying the culprit.
• When Emphasizing the Object or Recipient of the Action:
  • Example: The award was presented to the outstanding student. Here, the emphasis is on the student receiving the prestigious award.
• To Maintain a Formal or Objective Tone:
  • Example: Mistakes will be corrected in the final version. This passive construction creates a more formal and impersonal tone, which can be appropriate in certain professional contexts.
• To Avoid Assigning Blame or Responsibility:
  • Example: The report was submitted late. This passive construction avoids directly stating who submitted the report late, which might be necessary in certain sensitive situations.

Learn 50 easy grammar rules on our blog.

How to Convert Active Voice to Passive Voice

1. Identify the subject of the active sentence.
2. Make the object of the active sentence the subject of the passive sentence.
3. Use the appropriate form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, been, being) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
4. Add “by” before the original subject (if necessary).

Example:

• Active: The teacher explained the lesson.
• Passive: The lesson was explained by the teacher.

In this example, we’ve shifted the focus from the teacher (subject in the active voice) to the lesson (subject in the passive voice).

How to Convert Passive Voice to Active Voice

1. Identify the object of the passive sentence.
2. Make the object of the passive sentence the subject of the active sentence.
3. Use the appropriate form of the main verb.
4. Remove the “by” phrase (if present).

Example:

• Passive: The book was read by the student.
• Active: The student read the book.

By reversing the process, we’ve restored the original subject (“the student”) and created a more direct and concise sentence.

Active and Passive Voice in Different Writing Styles

• Academic Writing: While active voice is generally encouraged in academic writing, passive voice can be used strategically:
  • To Objectify Research Findings:
    • Example: It was found that… This construction emphasizes the research findings themselves, rather than the researchers who conducted the study, creating a more objective and impersonal tone.
  • To Maintain a Formal and Impersonal Tone:
    • Example: The data will be analyzed using statistical methods. This passive construction helps maintain a formal and objective tone, which is often expected in academic writing.
• Journalistic Writing: Active voice is the cornerstone of strong journalistic writing.
  • To Make News Reports More Engaging and Impactful:
    • Example: The mayor announced a new initiative to address homelessness. This active voice construction clearly identifies the mayor as the source of the information and creates a more dynamic and engaging narrative.
  • To Clearly Identify Who is Responsible for Actions:
    • Example: The police arrested the suspect. This active voice construction clearly establishes the police as the agents of the arrest, ensuring transparency and accountability in news reporting.
• Creative Writing:
  • Active Voice: Creates a more dynamic and engaging narrative.
    • Example: The wind howled, whipping through the trees. This active voice construction vividly portrays the force and intensity of the wind, creating a more immersive and engaging reading experience.
  • Passive Voice: Can be used for stylistic effect, such as creating a sense of mystery or suspense.
    • Example: The door creaked open slowly. The passive voice in this sentence creates a sense of anticipation and suspense, drawing the reader further into the story.

FAQs

How to use active voice and passive voice in a sentence?

• Active: Subject + Verb + Object (e.g., The cat chased the mouse.)
• Passive: Object + Verb (to be) + Past Participle + (by Subject) (e.g., The mouse was chased by the cat.)

What is active and passive voice? What are some examples?

• Active Voice: The subject performs the action.
  • Example: The chef cooked the meal. (The chef is the subject and performs the action of cooking.)
• Passive Voice: The object receives the action.
  • Example: The meal was cooked by the chef. (The meal is the subject, and it receives the action of being cooked.)

What is a passive voice, and how do you use it?

Passive voice emphasizes the object receiving the action. It uses the following structure:

• Object + Verb (to be) + Past Participle + (by Subject)

Example:

• The letter was written by the author.

In this sentence, “the letter” is the subject, “was written” is the verb (using the past participle of “write”), and “by the author” indicates the original subject.

Why are passive voice sentences not recommended?

Passive voice sentences can often be:

• Less clear and concise: They can add extra words and phrases, making the sentence longer and more difficult to understand.
• Less direct and engaging: By de-emphasizing the subject, passive voice can create a less dynamic and impactful sentence.
• More difficult to understand: The convoluted sentence structure can sometimes confuse the reader and make it harder to grasp the intended meaning.

While passive voice has its uses, overuse can lead to unclear, convoluted, and less engaging writing.

Learn how to structure a college-level paper on our blog.

How many verbs should I use in a passive voice?

There’s no strict rule about the number of verbs you can use in the passive voice. However, it’s generally recommended to use passive voice sparingly. Each instance of passive voice should have a clear and justifiable purpose. Overusing passive voice can make your writing unnecessarily wordy and difficult to read.

Why do we convert active voice into passive voice?

There are several reasons why you might choose to convert an active voice sentence into a passive voice sentence:

• To Emphasize the Object: When you want to highlight the object that receives the action, passive voice can be effective.
  • Example: The Nobel Prize was awarded to the scientist. This sentence emphasizes the prestigious award, rather than the committee that awarded it.
• To Avoid Assigning Blame or Responsibility:
  • Example: The report was submitted late. This passive construction avoids directly stating who submitted the report late, which might be necessary in certain sensitive situations where assigning blame could be detrimental.
• To Maintain a Formal or Objective Tone:
  • Example: Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis. This passive construction creates a more formal and impersonal tone, which is often preferred in academic and scientific writing.
• When the Actor is Unknown or Unimportant:
  • Example: The window was broken. In this case, focusing on the broken window itself is more important than identifying the culprit.

What is a passive sentence structure?

The basic structure of a passive sentence is:

• Object + Verb (to be) + Past Participle + (by Subject)
• Object: The recipient of the action becomes the subject of the sentence.
• Verb (to be): This includes forms like “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “been,” and “being.”
• Past Participle: This is the form of the main verb that typically ends in “-ed” (e.g., “broken,” “written,” “cooked”).
• (by Subject): This optional phrase indicates the original subject of the active sentence.

How do I change my passive voice to an active voice?

1. Identify the object of the passive sentence: This is the word or phrase that comes before the verb “to be.”
2. Make the object of the passive sentence the subject of the active sentence: This involves rearranging the sentence to place the object at the beginning.
3. Use the appropriate form of the main verb:
   • For example, if the passive sentence uses “was written,” the active voice will use “wrote.”
4. Remove the “by” phrase (if present): This will eliminate the indication of the original subject and shift the focus to the subject performing the action.

Example:

• Passive: The book was read by the student.
• Active: The student read the book.

How to use active or passive voice in English grammar?

• General Rule: Prioritize active voice whenever possible. It leads to clearer, more concise, and more engaging writing.
• Exceptions: Use passive voice judiciously when it serves a specific purpose, such as emphasizing the object, avoiding blame, maintaining a formal tone, or when the actor is unknown or unimportant.

Is it possible to use the passive voice in personal questions?

Yes, you can use passive voice in personal questions, although it’s less common.

• Example:
  • Passive: “Where was the book found?”
  • Active: “Who found the book?”

While both questions are grammatically correct, the active voice version is generally more direct and concise.

Does the US still use passive voice in official documents?

Yes, passive voice is still used in some official documents in the US, particularly in legal and bureaucratic contexts. However, there’s a growing movement towards using more active voice in government documents to improve clarity, transparency, and accessibility for the public.

Which one is used the most, active or passive?

Active voice is significantly more prevalent in most forms of writing and speech. It is the preferred choice for its clarity, conciseness, and directness.

Why is passive voice considered bad?

Passive voice isn’t inherently “bad,” but it can have some drawbacks:

• Vague and Indirect: Passive voice can make writing seem vague and indirect by obscuring who is responsible for an action.
• Wordy and Cumbersome: Passive constructions often add extra words and phrases, leading to longer and more complex sentences that can be difficult to read and understand.
• Less Engaging for the Reader: Active voice creates a more dynamic and engaging tone by directly connecting the subject to the action. Passive voice can make writing seem detached and impersonal, which can be less engaging for the reader.

How to use passive voice and nominalization properly?

Nominalization is the process of turning a verb into a noun. When used with passive voice, it can create overly complex and wordy sentences.

• Example:
  • Passive with Nominalization: “An investigation was conducted into the matter.”
  • Active: “They investigated the matter.”

The active voice version is significantly more concise and direct.

How to make a sentence in the past tense and passive voice?

To create a passive voice sentence in the past tense:

1. Use the past tense of the verb “to be” (was, were) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

• Example: The letter was written by the author.

Learn about the pomodoro technique for better studying on our blog.

How do you distinguish between passive and active voice?

• Active Voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action.
• Passive Voice: The object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence.

Which is the biggest hint to know passive voice sentences?

The presence of the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, been, being) followed by the past participle of the main verb is a strong indicator of a passive voice sentence.

Why is the passive voice considered incorrect for writing?

Passive voice is not inherently incorrect. However, overuse of passive voice can:

• Weaken the impact of writing: By de-emphasizing the subject, passive voice can make writing less forceful and less engaging.
• Make writing less clear and concise: Passive constructions can add unnecessary words and complexity, making it more difficult for the reader to understand.
• Create a less engaging and direct tone: Passive voice can create a detached and impersonal tone, which may not be suitable for all writing styles.

This guide provides a foundational understanding of active and passive voice. By understanding the nuances of each voice and their respective strengths and weaknesses, you can make informed choices about how to use them effectively in your own writing. By mastering the art of active and passive voice, you can enhance the clarity, conciseness, and impact of your communication.