Active vs. passive voice: A Writer’s guide to clarity and impact

Active vs Passive Voice in Your WritingActive vs Passive Voice in Your Writing - Notes

As a writer, one of your primary goals is to communicate clearly and effectively. The choice between active and passive voice plays a crucial role in how your message is received. In this post, we’ll break down the differences between these two grammatical voices, examine their uses, and provide plenty of examples to help you make informed choices in your writing.

Understanding Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. This creates a direct, straightforward sentence structure.

Form:

• Subject + Verb + Object

Examples:

• The dog chased the ball.

• The chef prepared a delicious meal.

• The team celebrated their victory.

• The sun melted the ice.

• She wrote a captivating novel.

Meaning: Active voice emphasizes the doer of the action. It creates a sense of energy and immediacy.

Use:

• When you want to write clearly and concisely.

• To highlight who or what is responsible for an action.

• In most types of writing, especially narrative, persuasive, and instructional writing.

Understanding Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the verb. The focus shifts from the doer of the action to the recipient.

Form:

• Object + “To Be” + Past Participle (+ “By” + Subject)

Examples:

• The ball was chased by the dog.

• A delicious meal was prepared by the chef.

• The victory was celebrated by the team.

• The ice was melted by the sun.

• A captivating novel was written (by her). (Note: the doer is often omitted in passive voice)

Meaning: The passive voice can sound more formal or detached. It emphasizes the action itself or the object of the action.

Use:

• When the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.

• To emphasize the action or the result of the action.

• In scientific writing, where the focus is often on the process or the result.

• When you want to avoid assigning blame or responsibility.

When to Choose Active or Passive

The best choice often depends on the context and your purpose.

• Clarity: Generally, the active voice is clearer and more engaging.

• Emphasis: If the action or the result is more important than the doer, the passive voice might be appropriate.

• Style: Passive voice can be used for variety or to create a more formal tone. However, excessive use can make your writing sound wordy or convoluted.

A Word of Caution:

While the passive voice has its place, overuse can weaken your writing. It’s often best to default to the active voice for clarity and directness, using the passive voice sparingly and intentionally.

Which passive voice verb tenses are used more than others?

In English, some passive voice verb tenses are used more frequently than others. Here’s a breakdown:

Commonly Used Passive Tenses

1. Present Simple Passive:

   • Example: The book is read by many students.

   • Reason: This tense is often used to describe general truths, habitual actions, or states. It’s straightforward and commonly used in both spoken and written English.

2. Past Simple Passive:

   • Example: The letter was written by her.

   • Reason: This tense is frequently used to describe actions that were completed in the past. It’s useful for recounting events or actions where the focus is on the action itself rather than who performed it.

3. Present Perfect Passive:

   • Example: The report has been finished by the manager.

   • Reason: This tense is used to describe actions that have been completed at some point in the past but are relevant to the present. It’s common in both formal and informal contexts.

Less Commonly Used Passive Tenses

1. Present Continuous Passive:

   • Example: The project is being completed by the team.

   • Reason: While useful, this tense is less common because it describes ongoing actions, which are often more naturally expressed in the active voice.

2. Past Continuous Passive:

   • Example: The book was being read by him.

   • Reason: Similar to the present continuous passive, this tense is less frequently used because it describes ongoing past actions, which can often be more clearly conveyed in the active voice.

3. Future Passive Tenses (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous):

   • Examples:

     • Future Simple Passive: The project will be completed by the team.

     • Future Continuous Passive: The book will be being read by the students.

     • Future Perfect Passive: The report will have been finished by the manager.

     • Future Perfect Continuous Passive: The house will have been being painted by the workers.

   • Reason: Future tenses in the passive voice are less common because they can sound awkward and are often replaced by simpler constructions or active voice for clarity.

Rarely Used Passive Tenses

1. Perfect Continuous Passive Tenses (Present, Past, Future):

   • Examples:

     • Present Perfect Continuous Passive: The house has been being painted by the workers.

     • Past Perfect Continuous Passive: The house had been being built by the workers.

     • Future Perfect Continuous Passive: The house will have been being painted by the workers.

   • Reason: These tenses are rarely used because they are complex and can be difficult to understand. They are often replaced by simpler tenses or active voice constructions.

In summary, the present simple, past simple, and present perfect passive tenses are the most commonly used because they are straightforward and versatile. The continuous and perfect continuous passive tenses are less common due to their complexity and the potential for awkwardness in communication.

Examples of the passive voice in each verb tense

Present Simple

1. Cars are made in Japan by engineers.

2. Cakes are baked during Christmas by many families.

3. The house is cleaned every week.

Present Continuous

1. The project is being completed by the team.

2. The song is being sung by the choir.

3. The dinner is being prepared by the chef.

Present Perfect

1. The report has been finished by the manager.

2. The movie has been watched by millions.

3. The letter has been sent by the secretary.

Present Perfect Continuous

1. The house has been being painted by the workers.

2. The song has been being recorded by the artist.

3. The garden has been being tended by the gardener.

Past Simple

1. The letter was written by her.

2. The cake was eaten by the children.

3. The car was repaired by the mechanic.

Past Continuous

1. The book was being read by him.

2. The meal was being cooked by the chef.

3. The room was being cleaned by the maid.

Past Perfect

1. The homework had been completed by the student.

2. The message had been delivered by the courier.

3. The song had been sung by the choir.

Past Perfect Continuous

1. The house had been being built by the workers.

2. The song had been being played by the band.

3. The garden had been being watered by the gardener.

Future Simple

1. The project will be completed by the team.

2. The cake will be baked by my mother.

3. The house will be cleaned by the maid.

Future Continuous

1. The book will be being read by the students.

2. The meal will be being prepared by the chef.

3. The room will be being cleaned by the staff.

Future Perfect

1. The report will have been finished by the manager.

2. The movie will have been watched by millions.

3. The letter will have been sent by the secretary.

Future Perfect Continuous

1. The house will have been being painted by the workers.

2. The song will have been being recorded by the artist.

3. The garden will have been being tended by the gardener.