Active vs. Passive Voice: When and How to Use Them (PDF)
Understanding the difference between active and passive voice can greatly improve your writing clarity and effectiveness. In this article, we’ll explore what active and passive voice are, when to use each, and how to form them correctly.
Active voice focuses on the doer of the action, while passive voice emphasizes the action or the recipient. Active: “I made a cake” Passive: “A cake is made by me.” Passive sentences often use a form of “to be” with a past participle.
What is Active Voice?
In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. Active sentences are direct, clear, and concise.
Example:
Active: The cat (subject) chased (verb) the mouse (object).
What is Passive Voice?
In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. The focus is on the action itself or the object of the action, rather than who or what is performing the action. Passive voice often uses a form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, being, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Example:
Passive: The mouse (subject) was chased (verb) by the cat (agent).
When to Use Active Voice
Clarity and Directness
Active voice is generally preferred because it makes sentences clear and direct. It leaves no uncertainty about who is performing the action.
Example:
- Active: The teacher (subject) explained (verb) the lesson (object).
Engaging and Dynamic Writing
Active voice can make your writing more engaging and dynamic, which is especially useful in storytelling, persuasive writing, and instructions.
Example:
- Active: The hero (subject) saved (verb) the town (object).
When to Use Passive Voice
Emphasizing the Action or Object
Use passive voice when you want to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action rather than who performed it.
Example:
- Passive: The new policy (subject) was implemented (verb) by the company (agent).
Unknown or Irrelevant Subject
When the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context, passive voice is appropriate.
Example:
- Passive: The cookies (subject) were eaten (verb).
Formal and Academic Writing
In formal and academic writing, passive voice can be used to create an objective tone by focusing on the action rather than the subject.
Example:
- Passive: The experiment (subject) was conducted (verb) by the researchers (agent).
How to Form Active and Passive Sentences
Active Voice Structure
- Subject + Verb + Object
- Example: The chef (subject) cooked (verb) the meal (object).
Passive Voice Structure
- Object + Form of “to be” + Past Participle + (by Subject)
- Example: The meal (object) was cooked (form of “to be” + past participle) by the chef (subject).
Active and Passive Voice Rules
| Simple Present Tense | Subject + Verb+ object I make a cake. | Subject+ am/is/are + V3 + by A cake is made by me. |
| Present Continuous Tense | Subject+ to be (am/is/are) + V-ing + Object I am making a cake. | Subject+ am/is/are + being + V3 + by A cake is being made by me. |
| Simple Past Tense | Subject+ V2 + Object I made a cake yesterday. | Subject+ was/were + V3 + by A cake was made by me yesterday. |
| Past Continous Tense
| Subject+ was/were + V-ing I was making a cake. | Subject + was/were + being + V3 + by A cake was being made by me. |
| Future Tense | Subject+ will + V1 I will make a cake. | Subject+ will + be + V3 + by A cake will be made by me. |
| The Present Perfect Tense | Subject+ have/has + V3 I have made a cake. | Subject + have/has + been + V3 + by A cake has been made by me. |
| Past Perfect Tense | Subject+ had + V3 I had made a cake. | Subject+ had + been + V3 + by A cake had been made by me. |
Active and Passive Voice PDF
If you want to learn more about the active and passive voice, you can download the free Active and Passive Voice PDF below.
Active and Passive Voice PDF – download
Active and Passive Voice Exercises PDF – download
