Active vs. Passive Voice: Choosing the Right Voice for Effective Writing

Study Notes

Active and Passive Voice: Understanding the Differences and Choosing the Right One for Your Writing

Choosing a writing voice is crucial for expressing ideas coherently, maintaining the flow of information, and ensuring clarity for your audience. Two fundamental aspects of English grammar that influence voice are active and passive voice. In essence, active voice puts the focus on the subject performing the action, while passive voice highlights the action's target and the verb acting upon the subject.

Active voice is preferred for most types of writing, including non-scientific texts, due to its straightforwardness and concise nature (source: Purdue OWL). On the other hand, passive voice is commonly employed in scientific and reporting contexts, where the focus is on the action rather than the actor, or when the actor is unknown or unimportant (source: DCU Writing Centre).

Tips for Converting Sentences from Passive to Active Voice

Identify the verb: Analyze the sentence structurally to locate the verb.
Determine the subject: Identify the 'who' or 'what' performing the action. In active voice, this entity serves as the subject.
Make the subject the doer of the action: Move the 'doer' (i.e., the subject) to the beginning of the sentence.
Modify the verb: Change the verb form accordingly based on the type of action and whether the subject is the agent or the patient.

For instance, let's compare the sentence "It is believed by the candidate that Congress must place a ceiling on the budget." (passive) with "The candidate believes that Congress must place a ceiling on the budget." (active).

Advantages of Using Active Voice

Clear communication: With active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action, making it easier for readers to understand who is responsible for the action.
Directness: Active voice allows for a more straightforward representation of events, avoiding unnecessary complexities.
Faster comprehension: Since active sentences tend to be simpler, they are typically quicker to process and comprehend.

However, there are also circumstances where passive voice may be appropriate:

Emphasizing the action: Passive voice can be used when the focus is on the outcome rather than the performer.
Maintaining consistency: Passive voice can help maintain uniformity in tense and subject throughout a text when switching between subjects.
Being tactful: Passive voice can be preferable in situations where naming the actor could be seen as confrontational or unprofessional.
Describing conditions: Passive voice can convey states of existence that are independent of specific agents.
Creating authoritative tone: Passive voice can sometimes give the impression of objectivity and impersonality, which may be desired for certain pieces of writing.

Guidelines on When to Use Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

In general, active voice should be used when you want your reader to focus on who is performing the action. However, there are exceptions where passive voice might be more suitable:

Scientific writing: In scientific reports, passive voice can be helpful for keeping the spotlight on the phenomenon being described rather than on the researcher conducting the study. For example: "Reagent was added to the sample," rather than "Researchers added reagent to the sample."
Emphasizing the object: Passive voice can be used to highlight the object of an action, such as "Google Translate was launched in 2006," instead of "Developers launched Google Translate in 2006."
Unknown or unclear actors: Passive voice can be employed when the actor is unknown or unimportant to the context, as in "Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed as having cancer," rather than "Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed with cancer by doctors."
Creating an authoritative tone: Passive voice can sometimes convey a more formal or authoritative tone, as in "Visitors are not allowed after 9:00 p.m."

When to Avoid Passive Voice

Avoid passive voice when the subject is already clear, as it complicates the sentence structure and may lead to confusion. For instance, instead of "The research which had been undertaken by the university was critiqued from an ethical point of view and was promptly retracted by them," you should use "The university was criticized ethically for its research and promptly retracted it."

The Role of Writing Styles in Active and Passive Voice Usage

Different writing styles may have varying preferences for active and passive voice usage. For example, APA style encourages the use of active voice to enhance clarity and make it clear to readers who is taking action in the sentence. However, it's essential to consider the context and purpose of your writing to decide which voice is more appropriate.

In conclusion, understanding active and passive voice is crucial for effective communication and writing. By choosing the right voice for each situation, you can ensure that your ideas are conveyed clearly and succinctly to your audience.

Description

Learn about the distinctions between active and passive voice in English grammar and when to use each for clear and coherent writing. Understand the advantages of active voice for direct communication and the instances where passive voice can be appropriate. Explore guidelines for converting sentences from passive to active voice and when to avoid passive voice altogether.