Active and PassiveVoice
ACTIVE VOICE:
In sentenceswritten in active voice, the subjectperformsthe actionexpressedin the verb, the
subjectacts.
Scientists have conduded e>:r'+rirnflttt;to test the llypothesis.
lYatching a framed,
of rvatching a rnovie or TV.
PASSIYE VOICE:
In sentenceswritten in passivevoice, the subjectreceivesthe actionexpressedin the verb; the
subjectis actedupon,
You can recognizepassivevoice expressionsbecausethe verb phrasewill always include a form
of be, such as om, is, rrss, were, qre, or been.(The presenceof a De-verb,however, does not
necessarilymeanthat the sentenceis in passivevoice.) Anotherway to recognizepassivevoice
sentencesis that the agentperformingthe action may appearin a "by the . . ." phraseafter the
verb, or may be omitted.The agentperformingthe action,if named,is the object ofthe
prepositionin this phrase.
The lroy was
by tn+.rdii{j.
._q*"
Rerearch will be presentedby Fo+jaat the conference,
**#'t##'ffietubY
?
"^
f xf erirrrs*t'i-iave Seefi ronduclsd to test the lrypothesis.
agentperformingaction hasbeenomitted.)
I am remindedof watching a movie or TV by wFtchrng franred,
through a car'srvindshield-
crld
Sometimesthe use of passivevoice can create awkward sentences,as in the last exampleabove.
In scientificwriting however,passivevoice is more widely acceptedsinceit allows one to write
without using personalpronounsor the namesof particularresearchers
as the subjectsof
sentences(seethe third example above). Therefore, the writing appearsto convey information
that is not limited or biasedby individual perspectivesor personalinterests.
CHOOSING ACTIVE VOICE:
In most nonscientificwriting situations,active voice is preferableto passivesinceactivevoice is
usually more direct.Even in scientific writing, overuseof passivevoice can causereadersto lose
interestor to becomeconfused.
passive(indirect)
active (direct)
4
Over one-third
The entranceexam was failed by oi*er
applicantsto the school
"t$F
fai
t
he
I
ed
entra
nce-exam
.
ane-thir$ cf the eppiicantsto the school.
The brakes were slammed on
the car sped downhill,
e r a5
Shes/ammedon
as the car sped
downhill.
by ?
Your hicyele has
damaged.
(agent omitted)
damaged
hicycle.
Sentencesin active vorceare also more concisethan thosein passivevoice becausefewer words
are requiredto expressaction in activevoice than in passive.
passive(more wordy)
active (more concise)
R\
By then, the soundtrackwfifiave been By then,the soundengn
have
compfetelyremixedby the sdund
compfetelyremixedthesountrack,
engineers,
CIIANGING
PASSTYE TO ACTIVE:
To changepassivevoice to activevoice, find the agentin a "by the..." phrase,or determinewho
or what is perfiormingthe action expressedin the verb. Make that agentthe subject of the
sentence,and changethe verb accordingly. You may needto infer the agentfrom the context of
the surrounding sentences.
Aeent
PassiveVoice
r..r,n\
rhe bBokftein s readby
most CIfthe class,
in
Resulii-yvittbe pubtished
the next issueof the journal.
A polity of
urashingand
cover-up
th€ crA di
advis+rs,
and his close
pursuedby
by?
Mista
nost of the
;lass
Chaneed to Active Voice
Most of the classis readingl e bpok.
lgent not
lpecified;
nost likely
The researcherswill publisfitheir
lgents such
resultsin the next issueof the
ls "the
journal.
'esearchers"
:heCIA
Jirectorand
ris close
ldvisors
rgent not
;pecified;
nost likely
lgents such
The CIA directdr and his
advis<rrshavepursueda p tcy 0f
ng andcover-up.
whitewaslri
We made mistakes.
Istt\,vgtt
CHOOSING PASSIVE VOICE:
While sentencesin active voice are more clear and direct, it is sometimesmore effectiveto use
passivevoice when the writer desiresindirect expression.Passivevoice makessensewhen the
agent performing the action is obvious, unimportant, or unknown or when a writer wishesto
postponeor avoid mentioningthe agentat all. The passivevoice is effectivein these
circumstancesbecauseit highlightsthe action and what is actedupon ratherthan the relatively
unimportantagentperformingthe action.
active
Ihe dispatcherls nolrfying police that
ihreeorisonershave escaDed.
performeda new
Surgeons
successfully
liver-transplant
operation
:xperimental
/esterday.
Dasstve
?oliceare being notifed that three prisoners
rave escaped.
{ new experimentalliver-transplantoperation
uas perfor med successfully yesterday.
CHANGING ACTTVE TO PASSIVE:
If you want to changean active-voice sentenceto passivevoice, consider carefully who or what
is performing the action expressedin the verb, and then make that agentthe object of a "by
the..." phrase.Make what is actedupon the subjectof the sentence,and changethe verb to a form
of be + past participle.Including an explicit "by the..." phraseis optional.
I
t
Active Voice
Chansed to PassiveVoice
Agent
l.a\.
{-\,
The presidin$$ficer yefoed
the csnlnritteYs
racOmmelldation,
The leader$are reekirtg foir
resr;lutionto rhe crisis.
A
5ci6ntisd have discovercd
tracesofYceon the sudace
of Mars.
Ihe
oresiding
rfficer
fhe leaders
The cornmittee'sYecomrn&dation
was vetoed by the presidingtofficer-
A fairoro,ffie
crisisis being
sought. (by the leacters)
Ihe
;cientists
t*frt
icehayebeen
discovered
on the $furfaceof Mars. (bv
scientisrb)
In eachof theseexamples,the passivevoice is useful for highlighting the action and what is
actedupon insteadofthe agent.
SOME SUGGESTIONS:
l. Avoid startinga sentencein active voice and then shifting to passive.
Unnecessarvshift in voice
Vany customersin the restaurant
roundthe coffre too bitter to drink, but
itwas stlll ordered llequently.
fle triecl to act cool when he slipped in
he puddfe,but he was still laughedat
>vthe other students.
Revised
Many customers in the reslaurantfountl the
;offee too bitter to drink, but they sttll ordered it
hequently.
He tried to act cool when he slipped in the
ruddle, but the other students sttll laughed at
rim.
2. Avoid danglingmodifiers causedby the use of passivevoice. A dangling modifier is a
word or phrasethat modifiesa word not clearly statedin the sentence.
Dangline modilier with passivevoice
Revised
fo savetime, the paper wos writlen on
Io savetime, Kristin wrote lhg_papq on a
r computer.(Who was savingtime?
)omputer.
Ihe paper?)
3. Don't trast the grammar-checking programs inword-processing software. Many
grammar checkersflag all passiveconstructions,but you rnay want to keep somethat are
flagged. Trust your judgment, or ask another human being which sentencesoundsbest.
Adaptedfrom:"ActiveandPassive
Voice."ThePurdueUniversit-v
OnlineWritinslab.2AA4.hrrdue
20December
2005<http://owl.english.prdue.edu/trandouts/granmar/g_actpass.html>.
University.