Direct comparison
Active vs passive voice
In the active voice the subject performs the action; in the passive voice the subject receives the action.
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Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Active voice | Passive voice |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the subject | The doer — the agent performing the action. | The receiver — the thing acted upon. |
| Sentence pattern | Subject + verb + object (doer → action → receiver). | Subject + "to be" + past participle (+ by + doer). |
| Example | Researchers collected the samples. | The samples were collected (by researchers). |
| The doer | Always named, up front. | Can be omitted entirely. |
| Tone and clarity | Direct, concise, easy to follow. | More distant; can be wordier and vaguer. |
| Emphasis falls on | The person or thing doing the action. | The action or its outcome, not the doer. |
| Word count | Usually fewer words. | Usually a few words longer. |
| Best used when | You want clarity and accountability. | The doer is unknown, irrelevant or best hidden. |
| Typical home | Most prose, journalism, instructions. | Some scientific method sections; bureaucratic writing. |
How to spot the passive — and when it is the right choice
A passive verb always has two ingredients: a form of to be (is, are, was, were, been, being) plus a past participle (chased, written, measured). If you can add "by zombies" after the verb and it still reads grammatically ("the report was written by zombies"), the sentence is passive. The active voice is usually preferable because it is shorter and names who is responsible, which is why most style guides and academic-writing tutors recommend it as the default. But the passive is not an error — it is the better choice when the doer is unknown ("the window was broken overnight"), when the action matters more than the agent ("the vaccine was administered to 200 patients"), or when you want a neutral, impersonal tone. Use it deliberately, not by habit.
Common questions
FAQ
How do I tell if a sentence is passive?+
Look for a form of the verb "to be" (is, was, were, been, being) followed by a past participle, and check whether the subject is receiving rather than doing the action. A quick test: if you can append "by …" after the verb — "the data were analysed by the team" — the sentence is in the passive voice.
Is the passive voice wrong?+
No. The passive voice is grammatically correct and often the best choice. It is preferred when the doer is unknown or unimportant, when the result matters more than the agent, or when you want an objective tone, as in parts of scientific writing. The advice to "avoid the passive" really means avoid overusing it, not never use it.
Should academic writing use active or passive voice?+
Modern guidance, including the APA style manual, encourages the active voice for clarity and ownership of ideas — "we measured" rather than "it was measured". The passive still has a place, for example in methods sections where the procedure matters more than who performed it. Aim for a mostly active style, using the passive deliberately where it improves flow or objectivity.
Going deeper
