6.9 Active vs. Passive Voice
Let’s differentiate between active and passive voice. In addition, we will list the benefits of each and discuss when to use passive voice. See Table 6.1 in which arrows and words are used to differentiate between active and passive voice.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| S → V → O | S ← V ← O ← |
| Subject → actively performs the action of the verb → to the object of the sentence | Subject ← passively receives the action of the verb ← from the object |
| Subject → acts → on object | Subject ← is acted upon ← by the object |
Benefits of Active Voice
Clear / Direct / Easy to Understand
Active voice sentences are clear. There’s no mistaking who is performing the action, and what the action is. Clarity is one of the characteristics of effective professional writing, and an active voice contributes to that clarity. See examples below:
Examples
- The marketing group implemented the new marketing strategy at the beginning of the month.
- The department manager scheduled a meeting for Friday, July 19 at 10:00 a.m.
- Iris Smith developed the customer service training manual.
Fewer Words
Active voice sentences often use fewer words than passive voice sentences, thus contributing to the conciseness for which professional communications strive. Passive voice requires two verbs, a form of the verb “to be” (e.g., is, was) plus another verb called a past participle (a verb that ends in -ed and sometimes in -en). Active voice sentences eliminate the need for a two-word verb and often eliminate the need for extra explanatory words. See examples below:
Examples
- Passive voice: In-person consultations with a case worker are preferred by 70% of our clients, in contrast to phone calls or virtual meetings.
- Active voice: 70% of our clients prefer in-person consultations with a case worker to phone calls or virtual meetings.
Uses for Passive Voice
Most communicators choose active voice; however, there are some legitimate uses for passive voice in professional communications. See Table 6.2 for when passive voice is a good choice in professional communication.
| Types of Situations | Examples of Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| When you do not know who or what is responsible for the action | The office supply cabinet lock was picked when the key was lost. |
| When you don’t want to assign blame or responsibility | The potential sales in North Dakota were lost. |
| A mistake was made in the investigation that resulted in the wrong person being fired. | |
| When the person or thing that performed the action is not important | The basement of the office building was flooded all week. |
| When being too direct would make you sound too insensitive | A raise cannot be given at this time. |
| When you want to avoid using a gendered construction, and pluralizing is not an option | If the password is forgotten by the user, a security question will be asked. |
This section is adapted from “Active and Passive Voice” in Communications for Professionals by Susan Oaks, licensed under CC BY-NC: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International, except where otherwise noted.
