In active voice, the subject performs the action; in passive voice, the subject receives the action. The choice between them determines focus and tone.
Active voice: the SUBJECT performs the action of the verb. Structure: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT. "The manager approved the budget" = the manager (subject) approved (action) the budget (object). Active voice is direct, clear, and energetic. Most modern professional texts (emails, presentations, journalism) prefer active voice for being more concise and dynamic.
The engineering team released the new version of the app after three months of intensive testing and bug fixing.
She negotiated the contract terms directly with the supplier, cutting costs by 15% compared to the previous agreement.
The CEO made the final decision after consulting with the board and reviewing the quarterly projections.
Passive voice: the SUBJECT receives the action of the verb. The agent who performs the action can be mentioned with "by" or omitted. Structure: SUBJECT + TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE (+ BY + AGENT). "The budget was approved by the manager" — or simply: "The budget was approved" (without mentioning who approved it). Passive is used when the receiver of the action is more important than the agent, when the agent is unknown, or to avoid assigning direct responsibility.
The new policy was implemented across all departments following extensive feedback from employees and managers.
Several errors were found in the original report, and the document has been sent back for revision.
The system will be updated overnight, so users may experience brief service interruptions between 2 and 4 a.m.
Common mistake
Most common error by advanced students: overusing passive voice because it sounds more "formal" or "academic". "It was decided that..." / "It has been noted that..." = structures that avoid responsibility and make text vague. In modern professional English (emails, business reports, corporate communications), active voice is preferred for being clearer and more direct. Second error: confusing passive with past tense. "The door was closed" can be: passive ("someone closed the door") or a state description with BE + adjective ("the door was in a closed state"). The difference is seen in context.
Trick to remember it
The DETECTIVE TEST to spot passive voice: look for "to be + past participle" (is written, was approved, will be sent, has been updated, is being reviewed). If you see that structure = passive voice. To CONVERT active to passive: the OBJECT becomes the SUBJECT, the SUBJECT becomes "by + agent" (or disappears). "She signed the document" -> "The document was signed by her." To choose which to use: ACTIVE = when WHO does the action matters. PASSIVE = when WHAT happened to the object matters, or when the agent is unknown / unimportant.
Quick rule
Active voice: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT (direct, clear, subject does the action). Passive voice: SUBJECT + to be + PAST PARTICIPLE (subject receives the action). Use active for direct writing; use passive when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately omitted.
Did you know?
Passive voice has an unjustly bad reputation in modern writing. George Orwell included it in his list of prohibitions in "Politics and the English Language" (1946), and since then many style guides discourage it. However, passive has completely legitimate uses: scientific writing uses it deliberately ("The samples were analyzed...") because the protocol matters more than who performed it. Legal English uses it to generalize ("All returns must be submitted..."). Passive only becomes a problem when used to evade responsibility or when it makes text unnecessarily vague.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Select the PASSIVE VOICE sentence:
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The error _____ by the junior accountant, but the team lead caught it before the report was filed.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Active voice: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT (direct, clear, subject does the action). Passive voice: SUBJECT + to be + PAST PARTICIPLE (subject receives the action). Use active for direct writing; use passive when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately omitted.
Most common error by advanced students: overusing passive voice because it sounds more "formal" or "academic". "It was decided that..." / "It has been noted that..." = structures that avoid responsibility and make text vague. In modern professional English (emails, business reports, corporate communications), active voice is preferred for being clearer and more direct. Second error: confusing passive with past tense. "The door was closed" can be: passive ("someone closed the door") or a state description with BE + adjective ("the door was in a closed state"). The difference is seen in context.
The DETECTIVE TEST to spot passive voice: look for "to be + past participle" (is written, was approved, will be sent, has been updated, is being reviewed). If you see that structure = passive voice. To CONVERT active to passive: the OBJECT becomes the SUBJECT, the SUBJECT becomes "by + agent" (or disappears). "She signed the document" -> "The document was signed by her." To choose which to use: ACTIVE = when WHO does the action matters. PASSIVE = when WHAT happened to the object matters, or when the agent is unknown / unimportant.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy