What is Active and Passive Voice?

Each sentence consists of a subject, a verb, and an object. Sometimes the subject of a sentence is also the doer of the sentence meaning the subject performs the action of the verb. This is a sentence in active voice. However, when the subject of the sentence is not the doer of the action but the receiver of the action, and the verb is in the form of the verb be + past participle, then that sentence is in passive voice.

Active and Passive Voice Definition

In the active voice, the subject actively performs the action of the verb, but in the passive voice, the subject passively receives the action of the verb.

Active and Passive Sentences Examples

Active Voice Examples

• Sandy ran for the office a few years ago.
  • Sandy is the subject and doer of the action of the verb run.
• In 2020, many students all around the world studied online.
  • This is an example of an active voice sentence because the subject (students) is the doer of the action of the verb to study (studied.)

An example of a sentence in the active voice.

Passive Voice Examples

• The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was translated by E. Fitzgerald.
  • The verb was translated is a passive verb made up of the verb be in the past (was) and the past participle of the verb to translate (translated). The subject The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is not the doer of the action of the verb to translate but the receiver.
• Many houses and buildings in my city were destroyed in the latest storm.
  • The subject of this sentence is not the doer of the action. Many houses and buildings is a compound subject. The verb is the simple past form of the verb be + the past participle of the verb destroyed.

An example of a sentence in the passive voice.

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice Differences

The main difference between the active and passive voice is the role that the subject plays in a sentence. In an active voice, the subject of a sentence is the same as the doer of the verb in that sentence; however, in the passive voice, the subject is not the doer of the action instead it is the receiver of the action. In the passive voice, in contrast, either the doer is mentioned at the end of the sentence or is not mentioned at all.

The second difference between the active and passive voice lays in the verb structure in each voice. The verb in passive voice must include a form of the verb to be + the past participle of the verb.

• The hurricane destroyed many cities.
  • The hurricane is the subject and the doer of the verb destroyed; hence, the sentence is in active voice.
• Many cities were destroyed by the hurricane.
  • In this example, many cities is the subject of the sentence; however, the subject is not the doer of the action of the verb to destroy. In contrast, the doer of the action is the hurricane which is mentioned at the end of the sentence. Also, the verb is made up of were, the past tense of the verb to be, and the past participle of the verb destroyed. This sentence is in passive voice.

Since writings in active voice are clearer, less wordy, and easier to read there is a preference for the active voice in writings.

When to Use Active and Passive Voice?

It is generally advised to write in the active voice for effective writings as the active voice is clearer. Also, active voice focuses on the doer of the action rather than the receiver of the action. However, the use of passive voice is recommended in certain fields, such as diplomacy and politics when the doer of the action is either too obvious to be mentioned or the focus has to be driven away from the doer of the action.

• In this war mistakes have happened.
  • This is a very common statement uttered by many politicians to avoid naming who made the mistakes.

In many scientific journals, however, it is recommended for the article to be written in the first-person point of view (I and we) to avoid passive voice and vagueness. For example, it is advised to write:

• We checked the cholesterol levels of three hundred patients.

Rather than writing:

• The cholesterol level of three hundred patients was checked.

While it is recommended to write in active voice, it is not always possible to do so as sometimes the doer of the action is unknown.

• My book was stolen from my bag.
  • In this example, the writer does not know who might have stolen her book.

Furthermore, it is an odd practice to write in the first person in passive voice unless the writer intends to draw attention to the action while giving some importance to herself too.

• The dishes were washed by me.
  • This sentence could be written to show it’s true that the dishes are not dirty anymore, but I am the one who washed them.

How to Change a Sentence From Passive Voice to Active Voice?

To change a sentence from passive voice to active voice these steps must be followed.

1. The subject, verb, and object of the sentence must be identified. Usually, the object is preceded by the word by.
2. The subject and object must switch places.
3. “By” must be crossed out.
4. The verb be must be crossed out.
5. The verb must agree with the newly placed subject. The tense of the verb must be the same as the verb to be in the passive voice.

• Passive: This wall was painted by the neighborhood children.
• Active: The neighborhood children painted this wall.
  • The children and this wall switched places. Since was is the simple past of the verb to be, the simple past of to paint i.e., painted must be used. Both was and by were crossed out.

How to Change a Sentence From Active Voice to Passive Voice?

To change a sentence from active to passive voice, the following steps must be taken.

1. The subject, verb, and object of the sentence must be identified.
2. The subject and object must switch places.
3. The new object can be completely crossed out, or it can be preceded by “by” at the end of the sentence.
4. The tense of the verb in the active sentence must be identified.
5. Verb be must be written in that tense (while agreeing with the new subject) followed by the past participle of the verb.

• Sam and Sue have written the schedule.
• The schedule has been written (by Sam and Sue).
  • In this example, Sam and Sue are the subject, have written is the verb in present perfect, and the schedule is the object. Next, the subject (Sam and Sue) and the object (the schedule) switch places. The verb “be” in present perfect is have/has been. Since the new subject is plural (Sam and Sue), have been is the right verb; it will be followed by the past participle of the verb to write: written.

Lesson Summary

The subject of a sentence in active voice is the doer of the action, while the subject in a passive voice sentence is not the doer of the action; it is the receiver of the action. The verb in passive voice is made up of the proper form of the verb + the past participle of the verb.

Since the doer of the action is mentioned in active voice, active voice is clearer, less wordy, and easier to read and understand. However, at times when the receiver of the action is more important than the doer, or when the doer is unknown, the passive voice is the better choice.

Furthermore, writing in first-person active voice prevents vagueness in writings because the reader will know that the writer is the doer of the action.