Active vs Passive Voice -- Examples and Rules for Clear Writing

Understanding the difference between active and passive voice is one of the most impactful improvements you can make to your writing. Whether you are drafting a business email, composing an academic paper, or writing website content, the voice you choose determines how your sentences feel to readers. Active voice creates energy and directness. Passive voice can add formality or shift emphasis. The key is knowing when to use each one deliberately rather than defaulting to either out of habit.

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about active and passive voice, from basic identification to advanced conversion techniques, with dozens of real-world examples across professional contexts.

What Is Active Voice?

In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. The sentence follows a clear subject - verb - object pattern that readers process quickly and naturally.

Structure: Subject (doer) + Verb (action) + Object (receiver)

Examples:

The team completed the project ahead of schedule.
Sarah reviewed the contract before the meeting.
Our department exceeded the quarterly targets by fifteen percent.
The CEO announced the merger during the press conference.
Engineers designed the bridge to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.

In each example, you can immediately identify who is doing what. The subject acts, the verb describes the action, and the object receives it. There is no ambiguity about responsibility or agency.

What Is Passive Voice?

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. The doer of the action either appears in a "by" phrase at the end of the sentence or is omitted entirely.

Structure: Object (receiver) + Form of "to be" + Past Participle + (by Subject)

Examples:

The project was completed by the team ahead of schedule.
The contract was reviewed by Sarah before the meeting.
The quarterly targets were exceeded by fifteen percent.
The merger was announced during the press conference.
The bridge was designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.

Notice how the focus shifts from the doer to the receiver of the action. In the last three examples, the doer is omitted entirely, which is a common feature of passive constructions.

How to Identify Active and Passive Voice

The Three-Step Test

Use this method to determine whether any sentence is active or passive:

Step 1: Find the main verb in the sentence.

Step 2: Ask "Who or what is performing this action?"

Step 3: Check whether that performer is the grammatical subject of the sentence.

If the performer is the subject, the sentence is active. If the performer is not the subject (or is absent), the sentence is passive.

The "By Zombies" Test

A popular shortcut for identifying passive voice: if you can add "by zombies" after the verb and the sentence still makes grammatical sense, it is passive.

Sentence	Add "by zombies"	Passive?
The report was written.	The report was written by zombies.	Yes
The manager wrote the report.	The manager wrote the report by zombies.	No
Mistakes were made.	Mistakes were made by zombies.	Yes
The committee approved the budget.	The committee approved the budget by zombies.	No
The data has been analyzed.	The data has been analyzed by zombies.	Yes

Spotting the Structural Clues

Passive voice always contains two elements:

A form of "to be" (is, am, are, was, were, been, being)
A past participle (usually a verb ending in -ed, -en, -t, or an irregular form)

Form of "to be"	Past Participle	Passive Construction
was	completed	was completed
is	managed	is managed
were	chosen	were chosen
has been	written	has been written
will be	reviewed	will be reviewed
is being	considered	is being considered

Important: Not every sentence containing "was" or "were" is passive. "She was happy" uses "was" as a linking verb, not as part of a passive construction. The past participle must also be present.

When Active Voice Is Better

Active voice should be your default choice in most writing situations. Here is why and when it works best.

1. Business Communication

Active voice creates accountability and clarity in professional writing. Compare these pairs:

Passive (Weaker)	Active (Stronger)
The deadline was missed.	The development team missed the deadline.
Your request has been received.	We received your request.
The decision was made to restructure.	The board decided to restructure.
It was determined that costs should be cut.	Management determined that we should cut costs.
The meeting has been rescheduled.	I rescheduled the meeting to Thursday.

In business, people need to know who is responsible for actions. Active voice provides that clarity.

2. Persuasive Writing

Active voice carries more energy and conviction, making it essential for marketing, sales, and any writing designed to motivate action.

Passive: Results can be achieved with our software.
Active: Our software delivers measurable results.
Passive: Your satisfaction is guaranteed by our team.
Active: We guarantee your satisfaction.
Passive: Productivity is increased by 40% when our system is used.
Active: Companies using our system increase productivity by 40%.

3. Storytelling and Narrative Writing

Active voice creates forward momentum that keeps readers engaged.

Passive: The ball was hit over the fence by the batter.
Active: The batter smashed the ball over the fence.
Passive: A decision was reached by the jury after twelve hours.
Active: The jury reached a decision after twelve hours.

4. Instructions and Procedures

When giving directions, active voice with imperative verbs produces the clearest instructions.

Passive: The form should be completed before the appointment.
Active: Complete the form before your appointment.
Passive: The button labeled "Submit" should be clicked.
Active: Click the "Submit" button.

5. Email Subject Lines and Headlines

Active voice creates more compelling, clickable headlines.

Passive: New Policy Announced by HR Department
Active: HR Department Announces New Policy
Passive: Budget Approved by Board of Directors
Active: Board of Directors Approves Budget

When Passive Voice Is Appropriate

Despite its reputation, passive voice serves legitimate and sometimes essential purposes. Here are the situations where passive voice is the right choice.

1. Scientific and Technical Writing

Scientific convention often requires passive voice to emphasize the method and results over the researcher.

The solution was heated to 95 degrees Celsius for thirty minutes.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups.
The samples were analyzed using gas chromatography.
A statistically significant correlation was found between the variables.

This convention exists because the scientific method should be reproducible regardless of who performs it. The focus belongs on the procedure, not the person.

2. When the Doer Is Unknown

If you genuinely do not know who performed the action, passive voice is natural and appropriate.

The window was broken sometime during the night.
My wallet was stolen at the conference.
The ancient temple was constructed around 500 BCE.
The anonymous complaint was filed last Tuesday.

3. When the Doer Is Irrelevant

Sometimes who performed the action matters less than the action itself or its result.

The building was erected in 1923. (The construction company is irrelevant to the point being made.)
English is spoken in over 60 countries. (No single person "speaks" English in all those countries.)
The law was enacted in 2019. (The legislative process, not individual legislators, is the focus.)

4. Diplomatic and Tactful Communication

Passive voice allows you to address sensitive situations without directly assigning blame.

Direct (potentially confrontational): You made three errors in the report.
Tactful (passive): Three errors were found in the report.
Direct: Your department failed to meet the deadline.
Tactful: The deadline was not met.
Direct: You broke the printer.
Tactful: The printer was damaged.

This application is especially valuable in workplace communication, performance reviews, and customer service.

5. Legal and Regulatory Writing

Legal documents frequently use passive voice for precision and to maintain objectivity.

The defendant shall be informed of their rights before questioning.
All claims must be submitted within 30 days of the incident.
The contract may be terminated by either party with 60 days written notice.

6. Emphasizing the Receiver of the Action

When the object of the action is more important than the doer, passive voice correctly places emphasis.

Active: A drunk driver hit my grandmother last night.
Passive (better emphasis): My grandmother was hit by a drunk driver last night.
Active: Lightning struck the historic church.
Passive (better emphasis): The historic church was struck by lightning.

How to Convert Between Active and Passive Voice

Converting Passive to Active

Follow these steps to transform any passive sentence into active voice:

Step 1: Identify the action (verb). Step 2: Identify who or what is performing the action. Step 3: Make the performer the subject. Step 4: Restructure the sentence in subject-verb-object order.

Example walkthrough:

Original passive: The proposal was rejected by the committee.
Step 1: Action = rejected
Step 2: Performer = the committee
Step 3-4: The committee rejected the proposal.

More examples:

Passive	Active
The email was sent by the assistant.	The assistant sent the email.
New policies have been implemented by management.	Management has implemented new policies.
The award was given to Sarah by the CEO.	The CEO gave the award to Sarah.
The issue is being investigated by our team.	Our team is investigating the issue.
The data will be reviewed by the analyst.	The analyst will review the data.

Converting Active to Passive

When you need to shift to passive voice, reverse the process:

Step 1: Identify the object of the sentence. Step 2: Make the object the new subject. Step 3: Add the appropriate form of "to be." Step 4: Change the verb to its past participle form. Step 5: Optionally add "by" + the original subject.

Example walkthrough:

Original active: The auditor discovered three discrepancies.
Step 1: Object = three discrepancies
Step 2-4: Three discrepancies were discovered
Step 5: Three discrepancies were discovered by the auditor.

Maintaining Verb Tense During Conversion

The tense must remain consistent when converting between voices. Here is how each tense translates:

Tense	Active	Passive
Simple present	She writes reports.	Reports are written by her.
Present continuous	She is writing a report.	A report is being written by her.
Simple past	She wrote the report.	The report was written by her.
Past continuous	She was writing the report.	The report was being written by her.
Present perfect	She has written the report.	The report has been written by her.
Past perfect	She had written the report.	The report had been written by her.
Simple future	She will write the report.	The report will be written by her.
Future perfect	She will have written the report.	The report will have been written by her.

Active and Passive Voice in Business Writing

Emails

Business emails benefit from predominantly active voice, with strategic passive use for diplomacy.

Before (too much passive):

"It has been brought to my attention that the quarterly reports have not been submitted. It was expected that these would be completed by Friday. A meeting has been scheduled for Monday to discuss this matter, and attendance is required by all team members."

After (balanced revision):

"I noticed that the team has not submitted the quarterly reports. I expected these by Friday. I have scheduled a meeting for Monday to discuss next steps, and I need all team members to attend."

The revised version is shorter, clearer, and establishes direct communication while remaining professional.

Reports and Proposals

Reports often mix both voices effectively. Use active voice for recommendations and conclusions; use passive voice for methodology and background.

Methodology section (passive appropriate):

"Data was collected from 500 participants over a six-month period. Responses were categorized into five thematic groups and were analyzed using standard regression models."

Recommendations section (active preferred):

"We recommend expanding the pilot program to three additional regions. The data supports increasing the budget by 15%, and we project a return on investment within eight months."

Performance Reviews

Performance reviews require careful voice selection. Use active voice for accomplishments and passive voice for areas of improvement to balance directness with tact.

Accomplishment (active): "Jordan led the team to deliver the project two weeks early and under budget."
Improvement area (passive): "Communication with stakeholders could be strengthened, and project updates were occasionally delayed."

Common Mistakes with Voice

Mistake 1: Using Passive to Avoid Responsibility

Problem: "Mistakes were made in the accounting process."

This sentence hides who made the mistakes. Unless genuinely unknown, identify the responsible party.

Better: "The accounting team made mistakes in the reconciliation process." Best: "The accounting team made three reconciliation errors, which we have now corrected."

Mistake 2: Unnecessary Passive in Instructions

Problem: "The form should be filled out and submitted to the front desk."

Better: "Fill out the form and submit it to the front desk."

Mistake 3: Mixing Voices Inconsistently Within a Paragraph

Problem: "The team completed Phase 1 on schedule. Phase 2 was started immediately, and all deliverables were submitted. The client approved the final product."

The shift between active and passive is jarring. Choose one dominant voice and maintain it.

Better: "The team completed Phase 1 on schedule, started Phase 2 immediately, submitted all deliverables, and earned client approval for the final product."

Mistake 4: Double Passive Constructions

Problem: "It was decided that the project should be postponed."

Two passive constructions in one sentence create maximum vagueness.

Better: "The steering committee decided to postpone the project."

Mistake 5: Confusing Passive Voice with Past Tense

Many writers mistake any sentence using "was" for passive voice. These are not passive:

She was tired after the presentation. (Linking verb, not passive)
They were at the conference. (Linking verb, not passive)
The project was successful. (Linking verb, not passive)

These are passive:

She was hired after the interview.
They were chosen for the project.
The project was completed on time.

The difference is the presence of a past participle describing an action done to the subject.

Voice Selection Quick Reference

Use this decision framework to choose the right voice for any sentence:

Choose ACTIVE voice when:

You want to emphasize who is performing the action
You are giving instructions or directions
You are writing persuasive or marketing content
You want to create energy and forward momentum
Accountability and responsibility matter
You are writing for general audiences

Choose PASSIVE voice when:

The doer is unknown or irrelevant
You want to emphasize the action or its result
You need to write diplomatically about sensitive topics
Scientific or legal conventions require it
The receiver of the action is more important than the doer
You want to vary sentence structure for rhythm

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding by converting these sentences. Answers follow below.

Convert to Active Voice

The budget was approved by the finance committee.
New employees are trained by the HR department during their first week.
The error was discovered during the routine audit.
Customer complaints are handled by our support team within 24 hours.
The keynote speech will be delivered by the company founder.

Convert to Passive Voice

The marketing team launched the new campaign on Monday.
The inspector found several code violations.
Our engineers will test the prototype next week.
The board has approved the expansion plan.
The receptionist greets every visitor personally.

Answers

The finance committee approved the budget.
The HR department trains new employees during their first week.
The auditor discovered the error during the routine audit. (Note: you must supply a doer.)
Our support team handles customer complaints within 24 hours.
The company founder will deliver the keynote speech.
The new campaign was launched on Monday by the marketing team.
Several code violations were found by the inspector.
The prototype will be tested by our engineers next week.
The expansion plan has been approved by the board.
Every visitor is greeted personally by the receptionist.

Advanced Techniques: Combining Voices for Effect

Skilled writers do not use one voice exclusively. They alternate between active and passive to create rhythm, control emphasis, and guide the reader through complex information.

Technique 1: Lead with Active, Support with Passive

Start paragraphs with active voice to establish direction, then use passive voice for supporting details where the doer is less important.

"Our team analyzed 10,000 customer feedback entries from the past quarter. Responses were categorized into five themes, and sentiment scores were calculated for each category. We discovered that shipping speed, not product quality, drives the majority of negative reviews."

The active sentences carry the main narrative. The passive sentences handle procedural details without interrupting the flow.

Technique 2: Use Passive for Transition Between Topics

Passive voice can smoothly redirect the reader's attention from one subject to another.

"The marketing team developed three campaign concepts. The concepts were presented to the executive committee last Thursday. The committee selected the data-driven approach and allocated a budget of $2.5 million."

The passive sentence in the middle pivots attention from the marketing team to the executive committee.

Technique 3: Strategic Passive for Emphasis

Place the most important information at the beginning of the sentence using passive voice.

Active: A falling tree branch damaged the 200-year-old statue.
Passive (better for emphasis): The 200-year-old statue was damaged by a falling tree branch.

If the statue is the focus of your writing, the passive version correctly places it first.

Active and Passive Voice in Everyday Sentences

Understanding voice in simple sentences builds the foundation for recognizing it in complex writing. Here are 30 everyday sentences categorized by voice.

Active Voice Examples

The dog chased the cat across the yard.
Maria cooked dinner for the entire family.
The teacher explained the lesson clearly.
Our team won the championship last night.
The mechanic repaired the engine in two hours.
Sarah designed the new company logo.
The waiter brought our food quickly.
My colleague recommended this restaurant.
The children built a sandcastle on the beach.
The company launched a new product line.
The architect planned every detail of the building.
The nurse administered the medication on schedule.
The photographer captured the moment perfectly.
Our supplier delivered the materials ahead of schedule.
The director approved the final cut of the film.

Passive Voice Examples

The cat was chased by the dog across the yard.
Dinner was cooked for the entire family.
The lesson was explained clearly by the teacher.
The championship was won by our team last night.
The engine was repaired in two hours.
The new company logo was designed by Sarah.
Our food was brought quickly.
This restaurant was recommended by my colleague.
A sandcastle was built on the beach by the children.
A new product line was launched by the company.
Every detail of the building was planned by the architect.
The medication was administered on schedule.
The moment was captured perfectly by the photographer.
The materials were delivered ahead of schedule.
The final cut of the film was approved.

Notice how the active versions feel more dynamic and immediate, while the passive versions feel more detached and formal. Neither is wrong, but the active versions communicate the same information in fewer words.

Voice in Different Sentence Types

Questions

Active and passive voice apply to questions just as they do to statements.

Active: Did the team complete the report?
Passive: Was the report completed by the team?
Active: Who approved this expense?
Passive: By whom was this expense approved?

In questions, active voice is almost always preferred because it is more natural and direct. The passive question "By whom was this expense approved?" sounds stilted in most contexts.

Negative Sentences

Active: The committee did not approve the proposal.
Passive: The proposal was not approved by the committee.
Active: Nobody reviewed the document before submission.
Passive: The document was not reviewed before submission.

Negative passive sentences can be useful when you want to emphasize what was not done without highlighting who failed to do it.

Sentences with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs (can, could, should, would, may, might, must) work in both active and passive constructions.

Active	Passive
The team can finish the project by Friday.	The project can be finished by Friday.
You should review the contract carefully.	The contract should be reviewed carefully.
We must submit the application before the deadline.	The application must be submitted before the deadline.
The committee might reject the proposal.	The proposal might be rejected.
Management could approve the budget tomorrow.	The budget could be approved tomorrow.

Sentences with Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs in passive voice keep the preposition or particle attached to the verb.

Active: The team called off the meeting.
Passive: The meeting was called off.
Active: Someone broke into the office last night.
Passive: The office was broken into last night.
Active: The manager turned down the request.
Passive: The request was turned down.

The Psychology of Voice Choice

Research in psycholinguistics reveals that voice choice affects how readers process and remember information. Active voice sentences are processed faster by the brain because they follow the natural agent-action-patient sequence that mirrors how humans experience events in the real world. We see someone do something to something else. Active voice mirrors this cognitive pattern.

Passive voice requires additional cognitive processing because the reader must mentally rearrange the sentence to understand who did what. This is not always a disadvantage. In situations where you want the reader to slow down and focus on the object of an action, passive voice serves that purpose effectively.

Studies in political communication have shown that passive voice reduces the perceived blame assigned to the agent. "Taxes were raised" generates less negative feeling toward the government than "The government raised taxes," even though both sentences describe the same event. This psychological effect explains why passive voice is so common in political and corporate communication, and why writers advocating for transparency and accountability push for active voice.

Understanding these psychological effects helps you make strategic choices about voice that go beyond simple grammar rules and into the realm of persuasion and influence.

Industry-Specific Guidelines

Academic Writing

Academic disciplines vary in their voice preferences. Humanities papers increasingly accept active voice, especially with first-person narration ("I argue that..."). STEM fields traditionally favor passive voice for methodology sections but are moving toward active voice in introductions and conclusions. Always check the style guide for your target publication.

Journalism

News writing overwhelmingly favors active voice for its directness and economy. Headlines almost always use active constructions. The passive voice appears primarily when the victim or object of a crime or event is the focus: "Three people were injured in the crash."

Legal Writing

Legal documents use passive voice strategically for precision and objectivity. However, modern legal writing guides increasingly advocate for active voice to improve readability. Contracts benefit from active voice that clearly identifies obligations: "The tenant shall pay rent by the first of each month" is clearer than "Rent shall be paid by the first of each month."

Technical Writing

User manuals and technical documentation should use active voice with imperative verbs for instructions. Passive voice is acceptable for descriptions of system behavior: "Data is encrypted before transmission." But instructions should always be active: "Encrypt the data before transmitting it."

Marketing and Advertising

Marketing copy almost exclusively uses active voice because it generates energy, urgency, and connection with the reader. Compare these tagline approaches:

Passive: Your goals can be achieved with our platform.
Active: Achieve your goals with our platform.
Passive: A better future is created by innovation.
Active: Innovation creates a better future.

The active versions are shorter, punchier, and more memorable. In marketing, every word must earn its place, and the extra words that passive voice requires dilute the impact.

However, passive voice appears in marketing when the product or result needs emphasis over the company:

"Designed for professionals who demand precision."
"Built to last a lifetime."
"Trusted by over 10,000 companies worldwide."

In these cases, the implied agent (our company, our engineers) is obvious, and the passive construction correctly spotlights what matters to the customer: the product.

Government and Policy Writing

Government writing has historically been heavy with passive voice, but the plain language movement has pushed agencies toward more active constructions. The United States Plain Writing Act of 2010 specifically encourages federal agencies to use active voice for clarity.

Traditional government style: "It has been determined that benefits will be disbursed on a quarterly basis."
Plain language revision: "We will send your benefits every quarter."

The revision is not only clearer but also establishes accountability by identifying who is acting. Citizens interacting with government documents benefit enormously from this shift toward active, direct language.

Summary

Active and passive voice are both legitimate tools in a writer's toolkit. Active voice should be your default because it produces clearer, more direct, and more engaging prose. Passive voice earns its place when the doer is unknown, when diplomacy matters, when convention requires it, or when you need to shift emphasis to the receiver of the action.

The mark of a skilled writer is not avoiding passive voice entirely but choosing the right voice for each sentence with intention. Practice identifying voice in everything you read, convert passive sentences to active as an exercise, and always ask yourself: does this sentence clearly communicate who is doing what?

Strong writing is not about following rigid rules. It is about making deliberate choices that serve your reader.

Frequently Asked Questions About Active and Passive Voice

Can a sentence be neither active nor passive?

Yes. Sentences with linking verbs (be, seem, appear, become) and intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take an object) are neither active nor passive. "The meeting lasted two hours" uses an intransitive verb. "She seems confident" uses a linking verb. Voice only applies to transitive verbs, which are verbs that transfer action from a subject to an object.

Does using passive voice make my writing weaker?

Not necessarily. Overusing passive voice makes writing weaker because it creates vagueness and removes energy. But strategic passive voice used for specific purposes actually strengthens writing by controlling emphasis, maintaining diplomacy, and following genre conventions. The issue is never passive voice itself but rather thoughtless or habitual use of it.

How much passive voice is acceptable?

There is no universal rule, but most writing experts suggest that active voice should account for 80 to 90 percent of your sentences in general writing. Academic and scientific writing may use passive voice more heavily, sometimes approaching 50 percent. The key metric is not percentage but purpose. Every passive sentence should exist for a reason.

Do grammar checkers reliably identify passive voice?

Most modern grammar checkers identify passive voice with reasonable accuracy, though they sometimes flag sentences that are not actually passive (especially those using linking verbs with past participles functioning as adjectives, like "she was interested in the topic"). More importantly, grammar checkers flag all passive voice as problematic, which is misleading. Use their identification as a starting point, then apply your judgment about whether each instance is appropriate.

Is it true that passive voice is always wordier?

Passive voice is typically wordier than its active equivalent because it requires an auxiliary verb (a form of "to be") and often a "by" phrase. However, when the doer of the action would require a long or awkward description, passive voice can actually be more concise. Compare: "The policy was approved" (four words) versus "The seventeen-member cross-departmental oversight committee approved the policy" (nine words). When the doer is unimportant, dropping it via passive voice saves words.

Can passive voice be used in fiction writing?

Absolutely. Fiction writers use passive voice for the same strategic reasons as nonfiction writers: to shift emphasis, create suspense, or control pacing. "The door was opened slowly" creates a different feeling than "She opened the door slowly" because it removes the agent and focuses on the door, potentially building suspense about who is behind it. Mystery and horror writers use this technique regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between active and passive voice?

In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action described by the verb. For example, 'The manager approved the report.' In passive voice, the subject receives the action rather than performing it, as in 'The report was approved by the manager.' The key structural difference is that active voice follows a subject-verb-object pattern, while passive voice follows an object-verb-subject pattern (or drops the subject entirely). Active voice tends to produce shorter, more direct sentences. Passive voice adds a form of 'to be' plus a past participle, which lengthens the sentence and can obscure who is responsible for the action.

Is passive voice always wrong?

Passive voice is not inherently wrong. It serves legitimate purposes in many writing contexts. Scientific and technical writing frequently uses passive voice to emphasize procedures and results over researchers, as in 'The solution was heated to 100 degrees.' Diplomatic and legal writing uses it to maintain neutrality or tactfully avoid assigning blame. When the agent is unknown or irrelevant, passive voice is the natural choice, such as 'The building was constructed in 1920.' The issue arises when writers default to passive voice habitually, creating vague, wordy prose that obscures responsibility. The goal is intentional choice rather than blanket avoidance of either voice.

How do I convert passive voice to active voice?

To convert passive to active voice, follow three steps. First, identify who or what is performing the action. In 'The cake was eaten by the children,' the children perform the action. Second, make that performer the subject of the sentence. Third, restructure the sentence so the subject comes first, followed by the verb and the object: 'The children ate the cake.' If the passive sentence does not mention who performed the action, as in 'Mistakes were made,' you must determine the appropriate agent and add it: 'The team made mistakes.' This conversion typically shortens sentences by removing the auxiliary verb and the preposition 'by,' resulting in more direct and engaging prose.