Active and Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice

ACTIVE / PASSIVE VOICE. In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb. Because the subject does or "acts upon" the verb in such sentences, the sentences are said to be in the active voice. In addition to showing time through tense, action verbs also show whether the subject performs the action or receives the action. This is called a verb’s voice. English verbs have two voices: active and passive. (Linking verbs do not show voice.)

1. A verb is active when the subject performs the action.

We took the package home. (“We” are doing the action.) I served a delicious meal. (“I” am doing the serving.) Notice that in the active voice, the sentence starts with the subject. The first sentence starts with We. The second sentence starts with I.

2. A verb is passive when its action is performed upon the subject.

A package was taken home. (The speaker is not indicated.)
A delicious meal was served by me.

Notice that in the passive voice, the sentence does not start with the subject. The first sentence
starts with the object, “a package.” The second sentence starts with the object, “a delicious meal.”

In general, use the active voice whenever possible because it is more direct and forceful.
Using the active voice makes your writing crisp and powerful. The active verb is one word
rather than two. Further, there is no need for a prepositional phrase beginning with “by” if
you use the active voice.

Using the passive voice is preferable over the active voice under two conditions:

• You don’t want to assign blame.
• A mistake occurred with the filing system.

Not surprisingly, the passive voice is very often found in business writing and speech. This
helps the writer or speaker avoid “finger pointing.”

• You don’t know who did the action.
• A prank phone call was made at 2:00 A.M.

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