You ever thought about why some sentences pack a punch while others don’t? Maybe it’s because of something called verb voice. Today, we’re gonna explore passive and active voice.

By the end of this blog, you’ll know when to use each one and how they can improve your writing. Let’s get started!

What is Voice?

Voice is that property of verbs which shows whether the subject acts (active voice) or is being acted upon (passive voice).

What is Active Voice?

An active verb means the subject is the one doing the action.

Examples:

♦ Sagan shot the intruder.
♦ Samantha builds doll houses.
♦ The doctor set my arm

In active voice, normally, you put the subject first, then the verb, and then the object.

♦ Example: The dog (subject) chased (verb) the ball (object).

Active voice makes your writing clear and direct. It keeps readers engaged because they know exactly who is doing what.

What is Passive Voice?

When a verb shows the subject getting or being affected by something, it’s in the passive voice. The action is happening to the subject.

Examples:

♦ The intruder was shot by Sagan.
♦ Dollhouses are built by Samantha.
♦ My arm has been set by the doctor

In a passive voice sentence, the structure is usually object-verb-subject.

♦ Example: The ball (object) was chased (verb) by the dog (subject).

Passive voice can be useful when you want to focus on the action rather than who is doing it. It’s often used in scientific writing or when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

Common Misconceptions

Many people think passive voice is always bad. That’s not true! There are times when passive voice is helpful. For example, in a sentence like Mistakes were made, the focus is on the mistakes, not who made them.

Sometimes, using passive voice can add a sense of mystery or formality. It all depends on what you want to achieve with your writing

Comparing Active and Passive Voice

Let’s look at a side-by-side comparison:

♥ Active: The chef cooked a delicious meal.
♥ Passive: A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.

In the active voice, the sentence feels more direct and energetic. In the passive voice, the focus shifts to the meal rather than the chef. Both sentences are correct, but they emphasize different things.

Exploring the Passive Voice

Let’s discuss the topic of passive voice in more detail.

Forming the Passive Voice

The passive voice of a verb is made by adding a form of the verb to be (is, was, etc.) before the past participle of the verb (chased, cooked, written).

♦ Passive: The ball is thrown by the pitcher.

In passive voice for perfect tenses, the correct form of have is followed by been.

♦ Passive: The homework has been completed by the student.

The passive form of the infinitive is made by adding to be (or to have been for the perfect infinitive) before the past participle.

♦ Present infinitive passive: to be struck.
♦ Perfect infinitive passive: to have been struck.

Pro Tip: Ask yourself if the subject is doing the action or receiving it.

Using the Passive Voice

Any sentence with a transitive verb and an object can be changed from active to passive without changing the meaning.

♦ Active: Sagan shot the bear.
♦ Passive: The bear was shot by Sagan.

When you change the sentence like this:
The object of the active verb (the bear) becomes the subject of the passive verb (was shot).
The subject of the active verb (Sagan) becomes part of a phrase (by Sagan) that modifies the passive verb (was shot).

So, the rule is: The object of the active verb becomes the subject in the passive sentence, and the subject of the active verb becomes a phrase that modifies the verb in the passive sentence.

Related Reading: Exploring Adverbs: Types, Examples, and Uses 

Voice and Tense

The table below shows how to conjugate the verb strike in both active and passive voices across six tenses.

Present Tense

Past Tense

Future Tense

Perfect Tense / Present Perfect

Past Perfect / Pluperfect Tense

Future Perfect Tense

Intransitive Verbs

People usually use intransitive verbs in the active voice only.

Examples:

♦ The teenagers laughed.
♦ The dogs bark.
♦ Snow is falling.

People often use the passive voice when a verb is followed by a preposition, and the object of the preposition becomes the subject of the verb.

Other Examples:

♦ talk about
♦ look or inquire into
♦ reason with
♦ object to
♦ insist on
♦ act on

The Predicate Nominative

Verbs like choose, call, name, make, and think can have a predicate nominative.

♦ Active: We elected Obama president.
♦ Passive: Obama was elected president.

In the active voice, some verbs can have two objects that refer to the same person or thing—a direct object and a predicate object.

♦ Active: The teacher called John a genius.
♦ Direct object: John
♦ Predicate object: a genius

In the passive voice, the direct object becomes the subject, and the predicate object becomes the predicate nominative, matching the new subject.

♦ Passive: John was called a genius by the teacher.
♦ Subject: John
♦ Predicate nominative: a genius

Direct or Indirect Objects

When a verb has both a direct and indirect object, it’s common to keep one after the passive and make the other the subject.

The Indirect Object is Retained

In some sentences, the indirect object stays the same when changing from active to passive voice.

Note: The preposition to is often added in the passive form, especially with a noun.

♦ Example: A small pension was granted to Dr. Kenobi.

Related Reading: Unlocking the Power of Nouns in Writing

The Direct Object is Retained

In other sentences, the direct object stays the same when changing from active to passive voice.

The direct object after a passive verb is often called the retained object.

This structure is common, but many careful writers avoid it because it can make their writing seem heavy and awkward. Instead of He was given permission, you could say He received permission. Instead of I was given this watch by my aunt, you could say My aunt gave me this watch or This watch was a present from my aunt.

Related Reading: Understanding Verbs: The Action Words of Language

Special Case with Ask

The verb ask can have two direct objects—one for the person and one for the thing. Sometimes, the second object stays the same in the passive form.

♦ Active: We asked him his opinion
♦ Passive: He was asked his opinion.

Practice Exercises

Read each sentence carefully and identify the mood of the verb(s). The moods can be indicative, imperative, subjunctive, interrogative, or conditional.

1. The cake was baked by my mom.
2. The dog chased the cat.
3. The book was read by the entire class.
4. The teacher explained the lesson.
5. The movie was watched by the kids.
6. She painted the fence.
7. The letter was written by Sarah.
8. The musician played a beautiful melody.
9. The car was washed by John.
10. The baby drank the milk.
11. The game was won by our team.
12. He completed his homework.
13. The flowers were watered by the gardener.
14. They built a new house.
15. The dinner was cooked by the chef.
16. The storm damaged the roof.
17. The song was sung by the choir.
18. The scientist conducted an experiment.
19. The presentation was given by the student.
20. The artist drew a portrait.

Key Takeaways

1. Use Active Voice for Clarity: Active voice makes your writing clear and direct, helping readers understand who is doing what.
2. Keep Passive Voice for Emphasis: Use passive voice when you want to emphasize the action or the receiver of the action rather than the doer.
3. Active Voice for Stronger Verbs: Active sentences often have stronger, more dynamic verbs, making your writing more engaging.
4. Active Voice for Personal Narratives: When writing personal stories or memoirs, active voice makes the narrative more vivid and engaging.
5. Passive Voice for Formality: In scientific or technical writing, passive voice can add a sense of formality and objectivity.

6. Consider the Subject: Use passive voice when the doer is unknown or unimportant, like in The painting was stolen.
7. Use Active Voice for Commands: When giving instructions or commands, active voice is more direct and effective.
8. Avoid Hidden Subjects: In passive voice, don’t omit the doer if it’s important for the reader to know who performed the action.
9. Use Passive for Politeness: Passive voice can be used to be more polite or diplomatic, such as Mistakes were made.
10. Active Voice for Headlines: When writing headlines or titles, active voice grabs attention and conveys the message quickly.

Last Words on Active and Passive Voice

In summary, remember that both active and passive voice have their place in writing. Knowing when and how to use them will make your writing more effective.

Happy writing!

Linda

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