Active and Passive Voice
This resource was prepared by the Business Communications Lab at the Sam M. Walton College of Business View All ResourcesGrammar & Mechanics ResourcesVerbs can be in either the active voice or the passive voice. Verbs in the active voice indicate action that the subject of a sentence is doing. Verbs in the passive voice indicate action that the subject is having done to it.
How do I form verbs in the passive voice?
Active Voice Passive Voice
The dog chases. The cat is chased.
Jeremy passed. The test was passed.
We will bake. Pies will be baked.
If the sentence contains an object, the passive voice is formed by adding the conjugated form of the verb to be, the past tense form of the verb, and the word by. Examples:
Active Voice Passive Voice
The dog chases the cat. The cat is chased by the dog.
Jeremy passed the test. The test was passed by Jeremy.
We will bake pies. Pies will be baked by us.
When should I use active voice?
Active voice: Jeremy and Amanda redecorated the apartment. (6 words)
Passive voice: The apartment was redecorated by Jeremy and Amanda. (8 words)
The passive voice may also obscure the subject of a sentence, impeding clarity. Example:
Active voice: The resident assistants recommended new dormitory policies.
Passive voice: New dormitory policies were recommended. (who recommended them?)
When should I use passive voice?
Active voice: The researcher heated the compound and observed the color change.
Passive voice: The compound was heated, and the color change was observed. (what matters most is the process and the observation, not who did the steps)
You may also want to use the passive voice to deliberately obscure the subject, though in some circumstances, the audience may see this as dishonest. Example:
Active voice: The president’s advisors made some critical mistakes.
Passive voice: Some critical mistakes were made. (the speaker may want to avoid implicating the president’s advisors)
Want to download this resource? Click here!
Recently Created Resources
Using ChatGPT Effectively and Ethically
Chat GPT is an AI-powered bot that can generate text based on prompts from a user. Like all tools, it is only as good as its user. ChatGPT can help users generate ideas quickly, create outlines and rough drafts, polish grammar and word choice, and function much like a...
Analyzing and Responding to a Case Study
Case study assignments can feel difficult, especially if this is your first time working on one. In this article, we’re going to discuss what a case study is and some tools you can use to help your assignment feel more manageable.
Managing Your Tone with Word Choice and Sentence Length
Tone denotes the perceived attitude of the writer toward the subject and their intended audience. One of the ways you can modulate your tone is through word choice and sentence length.