Once you distinguish which voice you should implement, it is helpful to have rules of thumb for each one. Switching from Passive to Active Swap Passive Voice for Active VoiceĪs mentioned above, swapping from active voice to passive voice (or vice versa) depends on the scenario of your scene, story, essay, etc. You prefer a longer lasting visual of an action: The sun is rising over Tatooine.Īctive voice can give your writing an adrenaline-pinching twist, but passive voice can create suspense, mystery, and even help you cultivate a specific progression of time. In academic contexts, active voice is often preferred over passive voice because it achieves clear, concise, and interesting writing.Someone does not want to take responsibility for the action: “ The Bellagio was robbed” versus “ We robbed the Bellagio.”.You do not want the reader to know who is performing the action: The Joker is being hunted.Passive voice can be an asset in a number of scenarios: In some cases, passive voice can, much like active voice, add to the quality of your writing when used properly. In the case of passive voice, the object of the sentence is prioritized over the subject. While active voice can be considered “stronger” than passive voice, passive voice has its place in writing, too. Using active voice can make your story more engaging and your characters more proactive, and as such, many writers prefer to use active voice. Past and present tense: “ Batman hunted the Joker.” versus “ Batman hunts the Joker.”.Scene descriptions: The sun rises over Tatooine.When you want your character to deliberately engage in an action: Remy controls Linguini.

This is because sentences in active voice tend to be stronger and more concise. Schools typically teach students to avoid the passive voice whenever possible. The passive voice, on the other hand, emphasizes the action or the recipient of the action. Not only does active voice give a complete depiction of unfolding events, but it can actually give your writing the feeling of vivacity and energy rather than docility and submissiveness.Īctive voice can be used in multiple scenarios. The active voice emphasizes the subject, or the thing performing the action.

When the priority of the sentence is to explain action in the most detailed way, we can include the subject who completes the action, the verb which denotes the action, and the object which is receiving the action. The passive voice, on the other hand, emphasizes the action or the recipient of the. Most sentence structures are built around the subject in the sense that the subject is the most important part of the action. The active voice emphasizes the subject, or the thing performing the action.

Passive voice vs active voice