Active vs Passive Voice

What is Active Voice?

When the subject of a sentence PERFORMS the action.

Frank built the house.

Active Example

The blazing fire blistered the outside walls.

Subject – fire

Verb – blistered

Object – walls

What is Passive Voice

When the subject receives the action.

When the “doer” of the action comes late in the sentence.

The house was built by Frank

Why Does This Matter

Active voice is stronger and more direct.

We know who did something!

More concise

Passive voice is often vague and boring.

Have to read more to find out who did something

Verbose – “to be”

Active is Usually Better

Immediately know the subject

Know the doer of the action

If we WANT to be vague – Passive Voice

Academic writing is NOT to be vague!

Examples

Active

The nymphs dished it out.

Passive

It was dished out by the nymphs

Examples

Active

They broke into the Watergate Hotel.

Passive

The Watergate Hotel was broken into.

By whom? Who ordered it?

Very vague

Clues of Passive Voice

1) A form of the verb “to be”

As, is, are, was, were, etc

2) A past-participle

Past-tense for of a verb

Convicted, stolen

3) The word “by”

If the performer of the action is implied, unknown, or omitted

Scenario

While rough housing with your brother, one of you broke a lamp.

If your brother broke it, you’d say…..

Active voice

If you broke it, you’d say….

Passive voice….

Practice

The art of Lucia Wilcox was admired by artists around the world.

Exhibits of her paintings were shown all over the world.

Her blindness was caused by a tumor near the optic nerve.

Practice Answers

Artists from around the world admired Lucia Wilcox’s work.

Museums showed exhibits of her work.

A tumor near her optic nerve caused her blindness.

Summary

Seek to write in the ACTIVE voice.

More precise

More clear

PASSIVE voice

Feels slow

Feels vague