Using Active Voice
19
TLC / College of the Canyons
Differences Between Active and Passive Voice:
In a sentence that uses active voice, the subject is completing the action of the verb. For example, in the
sentence, “I throw the ball,” “I” is the subject AND “I” is performing the action of “throwing the ball.”
In a sentence that uses passive voice, the subject is receiving the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence
“the ball was thrown,” “the ball” is the subject BUT “the ball” isn’t doing anything. Instead, it is receiving the
action (being thrown by someone).
One key difference between active and passive voice is sentence length. Sentences in active voice tend to be
shorter. Many readers prefer the concise nature of active voice.
Another key difference is clarity. Because the subject of passive voices are being acted upon, it is not always clear
WHO is doing the acting. In the sentence “the ball was thrown,” readers don’t know who threw the ball. This
may leave the reader confused.
Generally speaking, in academic writing, you should use active voice.
Verb Tense
Simple Present:
A present or active
condition.
Simple Past:
An activity that has
already occurred.
Present Progressive:
An activity in progress.
Future:
An activity or event
that will (or will not)
exist or happen in the
future.
Present Perfect:
Expresses habitual or
continued action.
Future Perfect:
Expresses an action
that will be completed
by or before a
specified time in the
future.
Active Voice
When writing academic papers, you
should use active voice instead of passive
voice. Here are some examples of active
voice:
I throw the ball.
Passive Voice
Passive verbs should be avoided in most
academic papers; however, some writing
in the sciences requires passive voice.
Here are some examples of passive voice:
The ball was thrown.
The ball was thrown by me.
Jim saw a ten-foot anaconda in Maine.
A ten-foot anaconda was seen in Maine.
A ten-foot anaconda was seen in Maine by
Jim.
Our slogan is being rewritten.
Our slogan is being rewritten by the
marketing team.
The project will be named Polar
Apocalypse.
The project will be named Polar
Apocalypse by the evil genius.
The marketing team is rewriting our
slogan.
The evil genius will name her project
Polar Apocalypse.
A Spanish town has held a tomatothrowing food fight for 71 years.
A tomato-throwing food fight has been
held in a Spanish town for 71 years.
By next month, Stacey will have found
homes for her 60 guinea pigs.
By next month, homes for the 60 guinea
pigs will have been found.
Updated August 2016
Student Resources by The Learning Center, College of the Canyons is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License.
Using Active Voice
19
TLC / College of the Canyons
Exceptions: When is the right time to use passive voice?
 Use the passive voice in the hard sciences to emphasize the objectivity of the experimenter and
emphasize the results of the experiment.
 Use the passive voice when you want to discuss a victim. For example, if your main focus is someone who
has been robbed, use the passive voice, like this: Mario’s car was stolen last weekend.
 Use the passive voice in journalism when the subject is unknown. For example, if they are reporting on a
bank robbery, but do not yet know who robbed the bank, they will use passive voice.
Talk to your instructor if you are not sure whether to use passive voice.
Activity:
Instructions: The below sentences are written in passive voice. Rewrite them in active voice.
1. An Olympic gold medal was found in the trash by an Atlanta teenager.
2. A police cruiser was hit by a driver playing Pokemon Go.
3. A rap video was made by a new teacher that wanted to impress his students.
4. Students are taught chemistry by studying craft beers.
5. A 75-pound pearl was hidden underneath a Filipino fisherman’s bed.
Want to check your work? Click here or scan the QR code for answers.
Updated August 2016
Student Resources by The Learning Center, College of the Canyons is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License.