Is your writing full of the words “to be?” If so, you might need a quick lesson in how to use active voice. Active voice is exactly what it sounds like: a purposeful and driven writing style. Passive voice, on the other hand, plods along, forcing readers to climb over unnecessary verbs and filler words. While the difference between active voice and passive voice may seem minor, using active voice instead of passive voice can make a big difference in the quality and readability of your writing. Use passive voice instead of active voice and you make it harder for readers to understand what you’re trying to say. Plus, you use more words to say it. Active Voice vs. Passive Voice: What’s the Difference? For grammarians, active voice is used when the subject of a sentence performs the action indicated by the verb. For instance, the following sentence uses active voice:

The dog ate the hot dog.

In contrast, in passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb. So, if that same sentence was switched to passive voice, it would read:

The hot dog was eaten by the dog.

A handy trick for finding passive voice is to look for any use of the verb “to be” (in any form). Active Voice vs. Passive Voice: The Quiz So, can you tell the difference between active voice and passive voice? Here’s a quick quiz to see. For each set of sentences, pick the sentence that uses active voice.

A. It was decided by the group that the party would be on Sunday.

B. The group decided to have the party on Sunday.

 

C. The dog ate the kibble.

D. The kibble was eaten by the dog.

 

E. The keyboard broke.

F. The keyboard was broken.

(Answers: B, C, E)

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