Concept
Active Voice
Active voice is a sentence structure in which the subject performs the action of the verb, so the reader always knows who did what.
Passive sentences hide people. “The proposal was reviewed, and it was felt that some changes might not be unnecessary” is grammatically fine, but it names no reviewer, no one who felt anything and no specific change. Nobody can act on it. Readers need an actor to know who to ask, who to thank and who to chase. Active voice brings that actor back and usually gives you a shorter, stronger verb: “Lena reviewed the proposal and wants two changes.” It works best alongside a second habit: stating what is true rather than what isn't. “Not unnecessary” becomes “needed.” Passive voice is not a grammar error, and it has honest uses. It fits when the actor is unknown (“the server was breached overnight”) or truly irrelevant. The trouble starts when it becomes a reflex for dodging responsibility, as in the classic “mistakes were made.”
A real-life example
An operations lead emails the team: “The launch has been postponed, and it has been decided that further testing will be conducted.” Within an hour, three people reply with the same question: who decided, and until when? The rewrite: “I moved the launch to 14 May because the payment tests failed twice. Tom reruns them Thursday, and I'll confirm the date Friday.” It has the same facts and one extra line, and nobody needs to follow up.
How to use it
- 1Hunt for hidden actors. Flag every “was/were/been + verb” and every “it was decided” or “it was felt,” then ask “by whom?” If you can answer, you've found a passive worth fixing.
- 2Put the actor first and give them a specific verb: “Sales approved,” “Dina rejected,” “I will send.” While you're there, turn negatives into positives, so “not unlikely” becomes “likely.”
- 3Keep the passive only when the actor is genuinely unknown or beside the point, and make that a deliberate choice rather than a habit.