Active vs Passive Voice: A Guide to Clear and Powerful Writing

Struggling to understand active and passive voice? You’re not alone. This fundamental grammar concept is crucial for clear, direct, and impactful writing, especially in competitive exams and professional settings. This guide breaks down the difference with clear rules, practical tips, and over 100 examples to help you master both forms and elevate your communication skills instantly.

Active vs Passive Voice: A Guide to Clear and Powerful Writing

Understanding the difference between active and passive voice is a cornerstone of effective writing. Using the correct voice can transform your sentences from weak and wordy to clear and authoritative. Whether you’re a student preparing for exams, a professional drafting a report, or a writer creating content, knowing when to use active vs passive voice will significantly enhance your communication.

What is Active and Passive Voice?

The core difference lies in the subject of the sentence.

• Active Voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action.
  • Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
  • Example: The chef (subject) cooked (verb) the meal (object).
• Passive Voice: The subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb.
  • Structure: Object (as Subject) + “to be” Verb + Past Participle + (by + Agent)
  • Example: The meal (object as subject) was cooked (verb) by the chef (agent).

When to Use Active vs. Passive Voice

Use Active Voice For:

• Clarity and Directness: It states who is doing what immediately.
• Conciseness: Active voice sentences are often shorter and more dynamic.
• Accountability: It clearly assigns responsibility for an action.
• Most academic, business, and creative writing.

Use Passive Voice For:

• When the Doer is Unknown or Unimportant: The bank was robbed yesterday. (We don’t know who did it).
• When the Action is More Important than the Doer: The new policy was implemented successfully. (The focus is on the policy, not who implemented it).
• In Scientific or Technical Writing: To maintain objectivity. The solution was heated to 100°C.
• To Be Deliberately Vague or Tactful: Mistakes were made. (This avoids directly blaming someone).

Important Tips for Students and Competitive Exam Candidates

1. Exams Favor Active Voice: Most standardized tests (like SAT, GRE, GMAT) and competitive exams assess your ability to write clearly and concisely. They strongly prefer the active voice.
2. Spotting Common Errors: A common error is using a passive construction when the active is stronger. Look for forms of “be” (is, are, was, were, be, been) followed by a past participle—this often signals the passive voice.
3. Not All “Be” Verbs are Passive: Don’t mistake sentences with “be” verbs (is, am, are) as passive if they are not showing action. He is happy is an active sentence using a linking verb, not a passive one.
4. The “By the” Test: To confirm a sentence is passive, try adding “by the [agent]” at the end. If it makes sense, it’s passive. (The window was broken… by the storm).

100 Examples of Active vs. Passive Voice

1. Active: The cat chased the mouse.
   Passive: The mouse was chased by the cat.
2. Active: She wrote a beautiful poem.
   Passive: A beautiful poem was written by her.
3. Active: The company will launch a new product.
   Passive: A new product will be launched by the company.
4. Active: The students solved the problem.
   Passive: The problem was solved by the students.
5. Active: He manages the team efficiently.
   Passive: The team is managed efficiently by him.
6. Active: The storm damaged the roof.
   Passive: The roof was damaged by the storm.
7. Active: The teacher praised the children.
   Passive: The children were praised by the teacher.
8. Active: They are building a new house.
   Passive: A new house is being built by them.
9. Active: The chef prepares the meal.
   Passive: The meal is prepared by the chef.
10. Active: The dog bit the postman.
    Passive: The postman was bitten by the dog.
11. Active: We have completed the project.
    Passive: The project has been completed by us.
12. Active: The sun melts the ice.
    Passive: The ice is melted by the sun.
13. Active: The police arrested the suspect.
    Passive: The suspect was arrested by the police.
14. Active: She will finish the report by Monday.
    Passive: The report will be finished by her by Monday.
15. Active: The committee approved the proposal.
    Passive: The proposal was approved by the committee.
16. Active: He delivered the package.
    Passive: The package was delivered by him.
17. Active: The gardener waters the plants every day.
    Passive: The plants are watered by the gardener every day.
18. Active: The audience enjoyed the performance.
    Passive: The performance was enjoyed by the audience.
19. Active: The mechanic fixed my car.
    Passive: My car was fixed by the mechanic.
20. Active: They elected a new president.
    Passive: A new president was elected by them.
21. Active: The child broke the vase.
    Passive: The vase was broken by the child.
22. Active: The software generates the reports.
    Passive: The reports are generated by the software.
23. Active: The judge will announce the verdict tomorrow.
    Passive: The verdict will be announced by the judge tomorrow.
24. Active: The virus infected the computer.
    Passive: The computer was infected by the virus.
25. Active: She is painting the portrait.
    Passive: The portrait is being painted by her.
26. Active: The government has passed a new law.
    Passive: A new law has been passed by the government.
27. Active: The fire destroyed the building.
    Passive: The building was destroyed by the fire.
28. Active: He sent the email.
    Passive: The email was sent by him.
29. Active: The team won the championship.
    Passive: The championship was won by the team.
30. Active: The scientist discovered a new element.
    Passive: A new element was discovered by the scientist.
31. Active: The manager scheduled a meeting.
    Passive: A meeting was scheduled by the manager.
32. Active: The noise frightened the birds.
    Passive: The birds were frightened by the noise.
33. Active: They are serving lunch now.
    Passive: Lunch is being served now by them.
34. Active: The author wrote the book in 2020.
    Passive: The book was written by the author in 2020.
35. Active: The company employs 500 people.
    Passive: 500 people are employed by the company.
36. Active: The waiter spilled the water.
    Passive: The water was spilled by the waiter.
37. Active: The board will review the application.
    Passive: The application will be reviewed by the board.
38. Active: The news surprised everyone.
    Passive: Everyone was surprised by the news.
39. Active: She answered the question correctly.
    Passive: The question was answered correctly by her.
40. Active: The workers unloaded the truck.
    Passive: The truck was unloaded by the workers.
41. Active: The system will process your request.
    Passive: Your request will be processed by the system.
42. Active: The doctor treated the patient.
    Passive: The patient was treated by the doctor.
43. Active: The farmer grows organic vegetables.
    Passive: Organic vegetables are grown by the farmer.
44. Active: The company recalled the product.
    Passive: The product was recalled by the company.
45. Active: The guide showed us the museum.
    Passive: We were shown the museum by the guide.
46. Active: The computer calculated the result.
    Passive: The result was calculated by the computer.
47. Active: They have cancelled the flight.
    Passive: The flight has been cancelled by them.
48. Active: The lawyer presented the evidence.
    Passive: The evidence was presented by the lawyer.
49. Active: The children decorated the classroom.
    Passive: The classroom was decorated by the children.
50. Active: The secretary typed the letter.
    Passive: The letter was typed by the secretary.
51. Active: The committee is considering the suggestion.
    Passive: The suggestion is being considered by the committee.
52. Active: The artist drew the sketch.
    Passive: The sketch was drawn by the artist.
53. Active: The storm uprooted the tree.
    Passive: The tree was uprooted by the storm.
54. Active: He will lead the project.
    Passive: The project will be led by him.
55. Active: The teacher assigned homework.
    Passive: Homework was assigned by the teacher.
56. Active: The company developed the software.
    Passive: The software was developed by the company.
57. Active: The dog found the bone.
    Passive: The bone was found by the dog.
58. Active: They are interviewing the candidates.
    Passive: The candidates are being interviewed by them.
59. Active: The player kicked the ball.
    Passive: The ball was kicked by the player.
60. Active: The government funds the program.
    Passive: The program is funded by the government.
61. Active: The student passed the exam.
    Passive: The exam was passed by the student.
62. Active: The company sells products online.
    Passive: Products are sold online by the company.
63. Active: The builder constructed the house.
    Passive: The house was constructed by the builder.
64. Active: The news agency reported the event.
    Passive: The event was reported by the news agency.
65. Active: The team is developing a new strategy.
    Passive: A new strategy is being developed by the team.
66. Active: The musician composed the song.
    Passive: The song was composed by the musician.
67. Active: The rain refreshed the air.
    Passive: The air was refreshed by the rain.
68. Active: She will submit the assignment.
    Passive: The assignment will be submitted by her.
69. Active: The inspector checked the luggage.
    Passive: The luggage was checked by the inspector.
70. Active: The company manufactures cars.
    Passive: Cars are manufactured by the company.
71. Active: The child opened the gift.
    Passive: The gift was opened by the child.
72. Active: The council will discuss the issue.
    Passive: The issue will be discussed by the council.
73. Active: The photographer took the picture.
    Passive: The picture was taken by the photographer.
74. Active: The wind closed the door.
    Passive: The door was closed by the wind.
75. Active: They have chosen the winner.
    Passive: The winner has been chosen by them.
76. Active: The engineer designed the bridge.
    Passive: The bridge was designed by the engineer.
77. Active: The company offers a discount.
    Passive: A discount is offered by the company.
78. Active: The player caught the ball.
    Passive: The ball was caught by the player.
79. Active: The committee has selected the winner.
    Passive: The winner has been selected by the committee.
80. Active: The chef is tasting the soup.
    Passive: The soup is being tasted by the chef.
81. Active: The company launched the campaign.
    Passive: The campaign was launched by the company.
82. Active: The teacher explained the rule.
    Passive: The rule was explained by the teacher.
83. Active: The sun warmed the sand.
    Passive: The sand was warmed by the sun.
84. Active: She will announce the results.
    Passive: The results will be announced by her.
85. Active: The worker operated the machine.
    Passive: The machine was operated by the worker.
86. Active: The company acquired a startup.
    Passive: A startup was acquired by the company.
87. Active: The boy flew the kite.
    Passive: The kite was flown by the boy.
88. Active: The jury will reach a decision.
    Passive: A decision will be reached by the jury.
89. Active: The writer published the novel.
    Passive: The novel was published by the writer.
90. Active: The flood damaged the crops.
    Passive: The crops were damaged by the flood.
91. Active: They are preparing the document.
    Passive: The document is being prepared by them.
92. Active: The director produced the film.
    Passive: The film was produced by the director.
93. Active: The snow covered the streets.
    Passive: The streets were covered by the snow.
94. Active: He will sign the contract.
    Passive: The contract will be signed by him.
95. Active: The analyst reviewed the data.
    Passive: The data was reviewed by the analyst.
96. Active: The company provides insurance.
    Passive: Insurance is provided by the company.
97. Active: The girl solved the puzzle.
    Passive: The puzzle was solved by the girl.
98. Active: The council has approved the plan.
    Passive: The plan has been approved by the council.
99. Active: The cleaner mopped the floor.
    Passive: The floor was mopped by the cleaner.
100. Active: The team achieved the goal.
     Passive: The goal was achieved by the team.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Active vs Passive Voice

1. Is passive voice grammatically incorrect?
No, the passive voice is grammatically correct. However, it is often stylistically weaker than the active voice. Overusing it can make your writing vague, wordy, and less engaging. The key is to know when its use is appropriate.

2. How can I identify and change passive voice to active voice?
To identify passive voice, look for a form of the “be” verb (is, are, was, were, etc.) followed by a past participle (often an -ed verb). To change it to active, ask “Who or what is performing this action?” and make that the subject of your sentence.

• Passive: The decision was made by the manager.
• Active: The manager made the decision.

3. Why do scientific papers use passive voice so often?
Scientific writing traditionally uses passive voice to create a sense of objectivity and to focus on the experiment and its results rather than the researcher. The emphasis is on what was done, not on who did it. However, many modern style guides now encourage the use of active voice in scientific writing for greater clarity.

Conclusion on Active vs Passive Voice

Mastering active and passive voice is not about eliminating one entirely, but about understanding their distinct roles. The active voice is your go-to tool for powerful, direct, and concise communication. The passive voice serves specific, strategic purposes. By consciously choosing between active vs passive voice, you take control of your writing’s tone, clarity, and impact, making you a more effective communicator in any context.

Disclaimer: This article is intended as an educational guide. Specific style guides (e.g., APA, MLA) or exam boards may have their own precise preferences regarding voice. Always refer to the specific requirements of your institution or publication.

Also Read: Don’t Let Misplaced Modifiers Muddle Your Message: A Clear Guide

Between vs Among: A Clear-Cut Guide to Proper Usage

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