Why Voice Is One of the Most Underrated Writing Choices You Make
Most writing advice around active and passive voice is pretty blunt: "Use active voice. Avoid passive voice." End of discussion. But that oversimplification leaves out a lot of nuance — and it leaves writers confused about why passive voice exists at all if it's supposedly so bad.
The truth? Both voices have a place in good writing. The real skill isn't avoiding one entirely — it's knowing when each one serves your reader and when it doesn't. This guide breaks down the difference between active and passive voice in plain terms, walks through concrete examples, and gives you a practical framework for choosing the right one every time.
What Is Active Voice?
In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. The structure flows in a natural, forward-moving direction:
Subject → Verb → Object
Here are a few simple examples:
- The editor reviewed the manuscript.
- Sarah sent the report to the client.
- The dog chased the ball.
In each case, you immediately know who is doing what. The sentence gets to the point quickly. Active voice tends to feel direct, energetic, and clear — which is why it's the default recommendation for most everyday writing.
What Is Passive Voice?
In passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence, and the original "doer" is either pushed to the end or removed entirely.
Object (as subject) → "To be" verb + past participle → (by + agent, optional)
Taking the same examples from above:
- The manuscript was reviewed by the editor.
- The report was sent to the client.
- The ball was chased by the dog.
Notice how the spotlight shifts. Instead of the editor acting, the manuscript is being acted upon. The most important identifier of passive voice is the "to be" verb paired with a past participle — words like was reviewed, is written, were approved, has been completed.
A Quick Trick to Spot Passive Voice
If you can insert "by zombies" after the verb and the sentence still makes grammatical sense, it's passive voice.
- The manuscript was reviewed… by zombies. ✅ Passive.
- The editor reviewed… by zombies. ❌ Doesn't work. Active.
It's a silly trick, but it works surprisingly well.
Why Active Voice Is Usually Recommended
Active voice dominates writing advice for good reason. When overused, passive constructions make writing feel:
- Vague or evasive — "Mistakes were made" famously avoids assigning blame to anyone.
- Wordy and slow — Passive sentences almost always use more words to say the same thing.
- Hard to follow — Burying the subject forces readers to mentally reconstruct who's actually doing what.
Compare these two versions of the same idea:
- Passive: The new policy was announced by management on Thursday.
- Active: Management announced the new policy on Thursday.
The active version is shorter, punchier, and leaves no ambiguity about who made the announcement. For most business writing, blogging, journalism, and storytelling, active voice keeps readers engaged and moving forward.
When Passive Voice Is Actually the Right Choice
Here's what most writing guides skip over: passive voice isn't a mistake — it's a tool. There are clear situations where it genuinely serves the writing better than active voice would.
1. When the Doer Is Unknown or Irrelevant
If you don't know who performed the action, or if it simply doesn't matter, passive voice is perfectly appropriate.
- The ancient temple was built around 500 BCE. (We don't know exactly who built it.)
- The server was updated overnight. (Who did it is less important than the fact that it happened.)
2. When You Want to Emphasize the Result, Not the Actor
Sometimes what happened matters more than who made it happen. Passive voice naturally puts the outcome in the spotlight.
- Three new community centers were opened this year. (The focus is the community benefit, not the officials who opened them.)
- Your application has been approved. (The reader cares about the approval, not who processed it.)
3. In Scientific and Academic Writing
Passive voice is standard in scientific papers and academic research because it keeps the focus on the process or findings, not the researcher. Phrases like "the samples were analyzed," "the data were collected," and "it was observed that" are completely conventional in this context.
4. For Tactful or Diplomatic Communication
Sometimes removing the actor is a deliberate choice to soften a message or avoid assigning blame.
- "Errors were made in the original report" is less confrontational than "You made errors in the report."
Used thoughtfully, passive voice here isn't evasive — it's considerate.
How to Shift From Passive to Active (A Practical Framework)
If you've written a passive sentence and want to convert it, follow these three steps:
- Find the "to be" verb + past participle. That's your signal — was approved, were sent, has been completed.
- Identify the real actor. Who or what is actually doing the action? Check if there's a "by [someone]" phrase, or think about who logically performed the action.
- Restructure the sentence so the actor leads and the action follows.
Example:
- Passive: The budget proposal was rejected by the finance committee.
- Step 1: "was rejected" — passive construction.
- Step 2: Actor = "the finance committee."
- Active: The finance committee rejected the budget proposal.
Practical Tips for Balancing Voice in Your Writing
Rather than treating passive voice as a villain, try these habits to make more intentional choices:
- Audit your drafts. When you finish a draft, scan for "was/were/is/are/has been/have been" followed by a past participle. Ask yourself: does this sentence have a clear actor? Should it?
- Read your writing aloud. Passive sentences often sound stilted or clunky when spoken. Your ear catches what your eyes miss.
- Watch for consecutive passive sentences. One or two are fine. A whole paragraph of passive constructions will feel dense and lifeless.
- Match the voice to the genre. Conversational blog posts and marketing copy lean active. Lab reports and formal policy documents often lean passive. Know your context.
- Keep passive when it genuinely serves the reader. Don't convert a sentence to active just to follow a rule — if the passive version is clearer or more appropriate, keep it.
If you want a second set of eyes on your sentences, the WriteGenius Grammar Checker can flag passive constructions in your text so you can review them in context and decide whether to revise or keep them.
A Note on Rewriting and Paraphrasing
Sometimes the best way to fix a voice problem isn't just swapping subject and object — it's rethinking the sentence entirely. If a passive construction feels awkward even after you convert it, the underlying structure might need a fresh approach.
The WriteGenius Paraphraser is handy here. It can suggest alternative ways to express the same idea, which is especially useful when you know a sentence isn't working but can't quite see the fix yourself. Think of it as a way to break out of your own sentence patterns and see new possibilities.
The Bottom Line: Voice Is a Choice, Not a Rule
Active voice is clearer and more direct in most situations — that's why it's the baseline recommendation. But passive voice isn't wrong; it's just frequently misused. The writers who communicate most effectively aren't the ones who religiously avoid passive voice — they're the ones who understand what each construction does and choose accordingly.
Ask yourself, with every sentence: Who is doing what, and what do I want my reader to focus on? Let the answer guide your voice. Over time, this habit becomes instinctive, and your writing will feel more purposeful and controlled as a result.
Good writing isn't about following every rule — it's about making every word count. Voice is just one more lever you now know how to pull.