Active Versus Passive Voice
When the subject of a sentence performs the action of the verb, the sentence is said to be in active voice.
The dog bit the mailman.
If the subject is being acted on, then the sentence is said to be in passive voice.
The mailman was bitten by the dog.
The mailman has become the subject of this sentence, but he isn't performing the action; the dog is the one doing the biting.
Here are some more examples of active and passive sentences. As you read them, think about where the emphasis falls in each one.
active: George ate the chocolate bar.
passive: The chocolate bar was eaten by George.
active: The store clerk shouted at my mother.
passive: My mother was shouted at by the store clerk.
active: John had eaten all the doughnuts by the time we got home.
passive: All the doughnuts had been eaten by John by the time we got home.
passive: All the doughnuts had been eaten by the time we got home.
Keep it Active
Notice how the active sentences are all a little shorter than the passive ones. This means you can keep your writing concise and snappy. Active sentences tend to be more dynamic and easier to read and understand. Though there will be times when passive voice is useful (see Part 3), it's almost always better to use active voice.
When the subject of a sentence performs the action of the verb, the sentence is said to be in active voice.
The dog bit the mailman.
If the subject is being acted on, then the sentence is said to be in passive voice.
The mailman was bitten by the dog.
The mailman has become the subject of this sentence, but he isn't performing the action; the dog is the one doing the biting.
Here are some more examples of active and passive sentences. As you read them, think about where the emphasis falls in each one.
active: George ate the chocolate bar.
passive: The chocolate bar was eaten by George.
active: The store clerk shouted at my mother.
passive: My mother was shouted at by the store clerk.
active: John had eaten all the doughnuts by the time we got home.
passive: All the doughnuts had been eaten by John by the time we got home.
passive: All the doughnuts had been eaten by the time we got home.
Keep it Active
Notice how the active sentences are all a little shorter than the passive ones. This means you can keep your writing concise and snappy. Active sentences tend to be more dynamic and easier to read and understand. Though there will be times when passive voice is useful (see Part 3), it's almost always better to use active voice.
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