WE - Active vs. Passive Voice in Writing Lesson

Active vs. Passive Voice in Writing Lesson

Introduction

Voice is that inflection of a verb that shows whether its subject is the doer of the action indicated or is acted upon. If the subject performs the action, the verb is in the active voice. If the subject is acted upon, the verb is in the passive voice. Active voice is dynamic. Passive voice is static. Active voice is vigorous and emphasizes the actor. Passive voice is evasive about naming the actor. News writing should almost always be in the active voice because news is about action and actors.

Sentences written in an active voice flow better and are easier to understand. It is usually the subject of the sentence which is performing the action. Example: I really love this book. Bears live in the forest. Sentences using a passive voice are often hard to understand. Passive voice can make a sentence awkward and vague. The emphasis changes to the receiver of the action. Example: The pizza was eaten by John. Tom is loved by Annie. Passive sentences usually have more words than active ones. Which is one reason the reader must work harder to get at the meaning. If you have a composition that is too wordy, you may be able to change some of the passive sentences to active ones. Example: The ballots were counted by the committee – The committee counted the ballots. The bushes were crushed by the dog – The dog crushed the bushes.

 

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