Writing Resources: Passive and Active Voices


What is voice? In an action sentence, one in which the subject acts upon a direct object, there are two different structures used: the active voice and the passive voice. These sentence constructions help focus the reader's attention on different objects in the sentence. A sentence written in the active voice always stresses the person, people, or thing that performs the action. When writing in the active voice remember to always have the doer be the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action be the direct object. The following sentence is written in the active voice:
			Jim hit the ball.
The subject of the sentence is "Jim," the action he performs is "hit," and the object receiving the action is "the ball." A sentence written in the passive voice stresses the object that is acted upon by making it the subject of the sentence. When writing in the passive voice, three elements are essential: Some tense form of the verb "to be." A verb written in the passive form. The preposition "by" preceding the person, people, or thing that does the action in the sentence. Here is the same example sentence written in the passive voice:
			The ball was hit by Jim.
Here "the ball" is the subject although "Jim" is still the person doing the action. We can see all three of these elements incorporated in the example sentence: The past tense of the verb "to be" (was) is used. The passive verb is "hit." The preposition "by" is placed right before the person doing the action, namely, Jim. For the most part, use the active voice in your writing. It focuses your reader's attention on the true subject of the sentence, and it does so by using less words. When to use the passive voice Only use the passive voice in certain cases:
		1. When the person, people, or thing performing the action is not known.
				Chuck was seriously wounded during the riots.
			(We do not know who wounded Chuck.)
	2. When focusing your reader's attention more on the thing being acted upon than on
			the thing performing the action.
				The house was given away to the highest bidder.
			(It is not necessary to say who gave the house away).
A passive sentence is most appropriate without the object responsible for the action. If you find yourself including this element in the sentence, then you should probably do one of two things: Exclude the object from the sentence. Change the sentence into the active voice. When in doubt about whether a passive sentence seems appropriate, change it into the active voice.