At some point, every writer has been advised to favour the active voice for its clarity and directness. However, being told your sentence “is written in passive voice” can leave you scratching your head, wondering how to spot it and what to do next. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Here’s a quick guide to demystify passive voice, why it matters, and how to easily switch to active voice for writing that’s more compelling and impactful.
1. How to Spot Passive Voice:
Passive voice often uses a form of the verb “to be” – look for: is, am being, are, was, were, or been (see 2) – paired with the past participle of the verb.
Examples:
My sentence **is written** in a passive voice
I **am being considered** for the promotion by the management team
The results **are reviewed** by the committee
The book **was written** by the author
The lights **were turned** off by Alex
2. Forms of “been” in Passive Voice
Passive voice can also use “been” with different helping verbs – look for: have been, had been, has been, and modals (could, might, should, etc.)
Examples:
The repairs **have been completed** by the technician.
The project **had been finished** before the deadline.
The invitation **might have been lost** in the mail
3. Passive Voice Structure
Passive sentences follow this pattern:
Receiver + Action + Subject (the doer)
The cake + was eaten + by the children.
The repairs + have been completed + by Sophie
4. Active Voice Structure
Active voice flips the sentence to:
Subject + Action + Receiver
emphasizing who is performing the action.
The children + ate + the cake.
Sophie + completed + the repairs.
5. How to ‘Fix’ Passive Voice
When you find a sentence written in passive voice, simply swap the subject (the doer) to the beginning of the sentence to make it active.
Here’s how to do this with a “been” example:
Passive: The invitation + might have been lost + in the mail.
Active: The mail + might have lost + the invitation.
An “is” example:
Passive: My sentence + is written + in a passive voice.
Active: I + wrote + my sentence in a passive voice.
6. What If the Subject or “Doer” is Missing?
Passive Voice example (with missing doer):
“The documents were lost.”
Here, we don’t know who lost the documents, leaving the statement vague. This sentence could remain in the passive voice, but if you wish to change it to active voice:
How to Fix It:
1. Add the doer if known:
“The secretary lost the documents.”
This adds clarity and makes the sentence active.
2. Rephrase if the doer is unknown (or isn’t important):
“The documents have gone missing.”
This shifts the focus to the documents without needing to specify the doer.
7. When can I use Passive Voice ?
Not all passive voice is “wrong.” In fact, it’s the norm in academic writing, where it helps maintain an objective tone, emphasizes the research or findings over the researcher, and minimizes personal bias by focusing on the action or results rather than the individual performing the action.
Sometimes, passive voice is simply more practical. For instance, when the “doer” is unknown or irrelevant:
“The building was constructed in 1950.” – Here, who constructed it might not be important.
8. Where does the habit of using passive voice come from?
- A lack of understanding of active vs. passive voice
- The perceived formality it adds to business writing or posts
- The desire to avoid blame or responsibility (often used by journalists)
- Human nature focusing on the receiver, not the doer
- Sometimes it’s just easier!
I hope you found this guide helpful in understanding the active voice in writing. While you don’t need to use active voice for everything, especially in academic and business writing, it can be much more impactful in fiction. As always, everything I share is just a guide. Writing is an evolving skill, and the choice between active and passive voice depends on the context, tone, and clarity you’re aiming for. Keep experimenting and finding what works best for your style!
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