Suggestions for using Active and Passive voice

There are two main ways to write a sentence: active voice and passive voice. Both have their benefits, but it is important to know the difference between the two so that you can use them correctly. In this article, we will discuss the differences between active and passive voice, as well as when it is best to use each one. 

What Is Active Voice?

Active voice is when a sentence has a subject that acts upon its verb. This construction tends to appear more direct and vigorous than passive voice, as the subject-verb relationship is clear, specific, and unambiguous. Here are examples of active constructions:

• The dog bit the mailman on his leg. (The doer is The dog, the receiver of the action is the mailman.)
• I will finish my homework. (The doer of this action is I.)

That last example illustrates another aspect of active voice: It often uses helping verbs such as will and would to indicate future tense or conditional tense. If a sentence doesn’t include one of these “helping verbs,” it is generally considered active.

What Is Passive Voice?

Passive voice, on the other hand, uses a form of the verb to be plus the past participle of another verb (usually one indicating an action) and indicates that the subject receives—rather than performs—the action. Here are some examples:

The mailman was bitten on the leg by the dog. (This sentence is passive because The mailman receives the action of being bitten; it has been moved to after the verb and transformed into an object.)

My homework will be finished by me. (Since this sentence uses a form of to be, it indicates that I receive rather than do the action of finishing my homework.)

Again, passive voice is often signalled by the use of a form of to be. If there’s no form of to be in the sentence, it’s generally active.

Why Do We Use Active and Passive Voice?

There are pros and cons to using either active or passive voice, but for the most part, active voice is considered the more desirable option.

Some reasons to use active voice include:

• It’s more concise and straightforward than passive voice.
• It creates a sense of immediacy or dynamism.
• It can make your writing sound more assertive.

Passive voice, on the other hand, has its pros too:

• It can make your writing sound more objective and impartial.
• It can emphasise the receiver of an action rather than the doer.
• It can be useful for emphasising negative actions or outcomes.

What Are Active and Passive Voice Rules?

• The active voice is a sentence structure that emphasises the person who performs an activity. For example, it is evident that the mice are acting in the statement “The mice inhaled the tobacco-infused aerosol.”
• In contrast, passive voice describes a sentence format that emphasises the receiver of an action—like in this example: “The tobacco-infused aerosol was inhaled by the mice.”
• You can use both active and passive voice in academic writing, but most professors agree that you should default to the active voice. That’s because the passive voice can often be wordy and confusing.

How to Identify Active and Passive Voice

The easiest way to identify active and passive voice is by looking at the verb tense. Inactive verbs will always be in the past tense, whereas active verbs can be in any tense. For example: “I ate a sandwich” (active voice) vs “A sandwich was eaten by me” (passive voice).

The passive voice also contains a form of the verb to be (e.g., “was,” “is”) followed by a past participle: (“eaten”). If you think about it, this makes sense because the receiver of action would have already been affected by that action in some way.

The Difference between Active Voice and Passive Voice

There are a couple of key differences between active and passive voice.

First, the agents (doers) of action get de-emphasized in passive voice. You can even omit them entirely—as long as it’s clear who is acting. For example, “The tobacco-infused aerosol was inhaled by the mice” is just as clear as “The mice inhaled the tobacco-infused aerosol.”

Second, passive voice can be used to make writing sound more objective. This happens when you want to avoid naming a specific person or group as the agent of an action. For example, instead of writing “I ate a sandwich,” you might write “A sandwich was eaten.” This lets your reader know that someone ate the sandwich, but it doesn’t specify who.

In general, though, active voice allows for more direct and engaging language than passive voice does. For this reason (plus the fact that it’s easier to understand), it’s best to use the active voice whenever possible.

Conclusion

The next time you’re writing, be sure to use the active voice. It will make your writing more concise and powerful. And don’t forget to always use proper grammar; it makes a big difference in how your readers perceive you. Remember, good writing is essential for strong communication – whether you’re composing an email, report, or thesis paper.