Active vs Passive Voice

Simple explanation

In active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action.

Active: Riya wrote the report. Passive: The report was written by Riya.

Same information. Different feel. Active is direct and clear. Passive is indirect and often longer.

Why it matters

Most writing is stronger in active voice. It is shorter, more confident, and easier to read. Passive voice has its place — but many writers overuse it, making their writing feel bureaucratic and vague. Knowing when to use each is a mark of a skilled writer.

How to tell them apart

Ask: Who is doing the action?

• If the doer comes first (before the verb) → active
• If the doer comes last (or is missing entirely) → passive

Active	Passive
The manager approved the budget.	The budget was approved by the manager.
She sent the email.	The email was sent by her.
The team completed the project.	The project was completed by the team.
Errors slowed the process.	The process was slowed by errors.

Passive verb pattern: a form of to be (was, were, is, are, been) + past participle (written, sent, approved, completed).

Why active is usually better

Active is:

• Shorter — fewer words, same meaning.
• Clearer — the reader knows immediately who is responsible.
• More confident — strong, direct writing builds trust.

When passive voice is the right choice

Passive is not always wrong. Use it in these situations:

1. When the doer is unknown:

The window was broken. (you don't know who broke it)

2. When the doer is unimportant:

The bridge was built in 1985. (who built it matters less than when)

3. When you want to focus on the result, not the person:

The report has been submitted. (the submission matters, not who submitted it)

4. In formal or scientific writing where the action is more important than the actor:

The samples were analysed under controlled conditions.

5. To be diplomatic — avoiding blame:

Mistakes were made. (instead of naming who made them — sometimes this is appropriate)

How to convert passive to active

Step 1: Find the verb (was/were/is/are + past participle). Step 2: Find who is doing the action (the by... phrase — or add a subject if it is missing). Step 3: Put the doer first, then the verb, then the object.

Passive	Active
The report was reviewed by the manager.	The manager reviewed the report.
Mistakes were made.	We made mistakes. / The team made mistakes.
The form must be submitted before noon.	Please submit the form before noon.
An error has been detected.	The system detected an error.

Daily life usage

1. Email — active: "I have reviewed your proposal and have a few questions." (not: "Your proposal has been reviewed and questions have been raised.")
2. Passive — appropriate: "The original file was deleted." (unknown who deleted it)
3. Report — active: "The team increased sales by 18% this quarter."
4. Apology — passive (diplomatic): "Errors were made in the earlier communication."

Practice quiz

Quick summary

• Active voice: the subject does the action. Direct, clear, shorter. Prefer this by default.
• Passive voice: the subject receives the action. Indirect, sometimes longer. Use when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to focus on the result.
• Passive pattern: was/were/is/are + past participle.
• If your sentence has too many was, were, is, are — you may be overusing passive.