STYLE
Active vs. Passive Voice: How to Choose the Clearer Construction
Understand active and passive voice, when each is useful, and how to revise sentences without forcing every sentence into active voice.
Active and passive voice are grammatical choices, not simply good versus bad writing. The best choice depends on who should be emphasized and how much context the reader needs.
What active voice does
In an active construction, the grammatical subject performs the action: “The editor revised the article.” This structure often makes responsibility and action immediately clear.
What passive voice does
In a passive construction, the receiver of the action becomes the grammatical subject: “The article was revised by the editor.” Passive voice can be useful when the action or result matters more than the actor, or when the actor is unknown.
Revise selectively
Do not remove passive voice mechanically. First ask whether the sentence hides an important actor, creates unnecessary distance or becomes harder to understand. If so, try an active alternative and compare both versions.
Frequently asked questions
Is passive voice always wrong?
No. Passive voice is useful in many contexts, including scientific, technical and process-focused writing.
How can I find passive voice?
Use the passive-voice checker as a signal, then verify each flagged construction in context.