Editors often warn writers to avoid passive voice at all costs. But here’s the problem: many people confuse passive voice with any sentence using the verb to be. However, the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) says, “while passive voice often includes a form of to be, not every sentence using a ‘be-verb’ is automatically written in passive voice” (Online Edition, 5.122)
So, what exactly is passive voice, and how do you change it to active voice?
What is Passive Voice?
Passive voice is a sentence where the subject is acted upon instead of doing the action.
For example,
Active voice: The judge levied a $50 fine. (The subject judge is doing the acting.)
Passive voice: A $50 fine was levied by the judge. (The fine does not levy itself. It needs the judge to perform the action.)
According to CMOS, “Voice shows whether the subject acts (active voice) or is acted on (passive voice)—that is, whether the subject performs or receives the action of the verb. Only transitive verbs [requiring an object to express a complete thought] are said to have voice.” CMOS goes on to say, “The passive voice is always formed by joining a form of to be (or, in colloquial usage, get) with the verb’s past participle.”
This is important because simply using a “be” verb does not indicate passive voice. For example,
He is thinking about his finances.
Though this sentence uses is (a form of the verb to be), it isn’t in passive voice; it’s just a be-verb plus a present participle.
How to Change Passive Voice to Active Voice
Changing passive voice to active voice can be tricky. The switch is not as simple as eliminating the be-verb for another past tense verb, which can sometimes make for awkward phrasing. Consider,
Active voice: She was tired after the long trip.
Active voice (awkward): She felt exhausted after the long trip.
While there is nothing wrong with the word “felt,” it is known as a “filter word,” words that lessen the immediacy of your writing, adding distance between the character and the reader.
Editing tools, like Grammarly and ProWritingAid, tend to flag most sentences using to be verbs as passive, so use them with caution. When the app flags a sentence, look at how you use “be” helping verbs. Ask yourself who or what is doing the action in the sentence and make them or it the subject of the sentence (the person or thing performing the action in a sentence).
Some common markers include:
- Helping verbs (be, am, are, is, was, were, been, and being) paired with past participles.
- A “by” phrase after the verb, such as “was written by” or “is hated by.”
Passive Voice is Not Always Wrong
Adding to the confusion is the fact that passive voice is not always wrong. Sometimes, it depends on the context. According to Tim Corson and Rebecca Smollett at the University of Toronto’s University College Writing Centre, you might want to use passive voice if
- The actor is unknown.
- The actor is irrelevant.
- You want to be vague about who is responsible.
- You are talking about a general truth.
- You want to emphasize the person or thing being acted on.
Examples of Passive vs. Active Voice
Passive: Many forest fires are started by lightning. (Is the forest fire or the lightning doing the acting? In this case, it is the lightning.)
Active: Lightning starts many forest fires.
Passive: Their mother’s generosity had been taken advantage of. (Who is doing the acting? The collective “they.”)
Active: They had taken advantage of their mother’s generosity.
Passive: It is frowned upon by the wealthy who want a safe place to live. (Who is doing the acting: “it” or “the wealthy”?)
Active: The wealthy, who want a safe place to live, frown upon it.
The Bottom Line
Use passive voice intentionally. Know when you’re using it and why. Also know that active voice makes your writing sharper, more immediate, and more direct. If you’re unsure, just ask yourself: Who’s doing the action here? If the doer comes at the end of the sentence or is missing altogether, it’s probably in passive voice.
Once you can identify passive voice in your writing, you can decide if it works for your sentence or if changing it to active voice would make it stronger.
Happy writing!
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