Active vs Passive Voice: When Each One Is the Right Choice

Priya Sharma

Priya Sharma writes English learning guides for ESL students. Pune-based language enthusiast.

Visual representation of the voice · not a photographic portrait

Quick answer: Use the active voice by default because it is shorter and clearer: 'The manager approved the plan.' Use the passive voice only when the doer is unknown, unimportant or obvious, or when you want the focus on what was affected.↗ Share on X

Use the active voice by default, because it is shorter and clearer: "The manager approved the plan." Switch to the passive voice ("The plan was approved") only when the person doing the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, or when you want to keep the focus on the thing that was affected. That is the whole rule in two sentences. The rest of this article shows you how to spot each voice, how to switch between them in a few seconds, and the six situations where the passive is actually the better choice.

What is the difference, in plain words?

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Every action sentence has three parts: someone who does something (the doer), the action (the verb), and the thing that receives the action.

• Active voice: the doer comes first. *Maria wrote the report.*
• Passive voice: the thing that receives the action comes first. *The report was written by Maria.*

Both sentences are correct English. They carry the same facts. The difference is what the reader sees first and how many words it takes to get there.

The active version above has 4 words. The passive version has 6. Across a full email or essay, those extra words add up and make your writing feel slow.

How do I spot the passive voice in my own writing?

Look for this pattern: a form of "to be" + a past participle (the "-ed" form, or the irregular form like *written*, *taken*, *given*).

Forms of "to be" to watch for:

1. is / are / am

2. was / were

3. has been / have been / had been

4. will be

5. being / be

Then check if a past participle follows. Some examples:

A quick test many teachers use: if you can add "by zombies" after the verb and the sentence still makes grammatical sense, it is passive. *"The door was opened by zombies"* works, so it is passive. *"She opened the door by zombies"* does not, so it is active.

How do I change a passive sentence into an active one?

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Follow these four steps:

1. Find the doer. Who or what did the action? It is often hiding after the word "by", or it is missing entirely.

2. Move the doer to the front. Make it the subject of the sentence.

3. Remove the "to be" verb and put the main verb in the right tense.

4. Put the receiver after the verb.

Example:

• Passive: *The cake was eaten by the children.*
• Step 1: doer = the children
• Step 2–4: *The children ate the cake.*

If the doer is missing, you have to decide who it is:

• Passive: *The meeting was cancelled.*
• Active: *The director cancelled the meeting.* (only if you know it was the director)

If you do not know who did it, keep the passive. Do not invent a doer.

When should I use the passive voice on purpose?

The passive voice is not a mistake. Good writers use it in these six situations.

1. The doer is unknown

*My bike was stolen last night.* You do not know who took it. "Someone stole my bike" also works, but the passive sounds natural here.

2. The doer is obvious or not important

*Rice is grown in many parts of Asia.* Everyone knows farmers grow rice. Naming them adds nothing.

3. You want the focus on the result

*Over 200 people were rescued from the flood.* The reader cares about the people, not the rescue team's name in the first words.

4. Science, lab reports and technical instructions

*The water was heated to 100 °C.* In many science classes, teachers still expect the passive in the "method" section, because the process matters more than who did it. Check what your teacher or journal asks for, because some now prefer the active voice ("We heated the water").

5. You want to sound polite or avoid blame

*Your payment has not been received.* This is softer than *You have not paid.* Customer service writing uses this a lot.

6. You want to keep the same subject across sentences

*The new law was announced on Monday. It was criticized by several groups the next day.* Both sentences stay focused on "the law", so the paragraph flows.

When is the passive voice a bad choice?

Avoid the passive in these cases:

• When it hides responsibility in a bad way. *"Mistakes were made"* is famous for dodging blame. In a work email, *"I made a mistake in the invoice"* builds more trust.
• In job applications and resumes. *"Sales were increased by 20%"* is weak. *"I increased sales by 20%"* puts you at the center. (Most resumes drop the "I": *"Increased sales by 20%."*)
• In instructions people must follow. *"The form should be completed"* is vague. *"Complete the form"* is a clear command.
• When the sentence becomes long and confusing. *"It was decided by the committee that the event would be moved"* is hard to read. *"The committee moved the event"* says it in five words.

What are the most common mistakes learners make?

Here are the errors English teachers see most often.

Mistake 1: Using the wrong participle.

• Wrong: *The letter was wrote yesterday.*
• Right: *The letter was written yesterday.*

Irregular verbs cause most of these errors. Learn the third form: write–wrote–written, take–took–taken, give–gave–given, speak–spoke–spoken, break–broke–broken.

Mistake 2: Forgetting the "to be" verb.

• Wrong: *The window broken by the wind.*
• Right: *The window was broken by the wind.*

Mistake 3: Making intransitive verbs passive.

Some verbs do not take an object, so they cannot be passive. Examples: *arrive, happen, sleep, die, exist, seem.*

• Wrong: *The accident was happened at night.*
• Right: *The accident happened at night.*

Mistake 4: Wrong tense of "to be".

The tense lives in the "to be" verb, not in the participle.

Mistake 5: Adding "by + doer" when it is useless.

*"The streets were cleaned by someone"* — "by someone" adds no information. Just write *"The streets were cleaned."*

Is there a simple rule for how much passive voice is okay?

There is no official percentage. Some writing tools flag every passive sentence, but that is a style choice, not a grammar rule. A practical approach:

1. Write your draft without worrying about voice.

2. Read it once only to find "to be + past participle".

3. For each passive sentence, ask: *Does the reader need to know who did this?*

4. If yes, switch to active. If no, keep the passive.

In emails and essays, most of your sentences will end up active. In a lab report, many will stay passive. Both can be correct.

Can you show me a before-and-after example?

Here is a short work email written mostly in the passive voice:

*The report was finished on Friday. It was reviewed by the finance team, and some errors were found. The numbers will be corrected by Tuesday, and the final version will be sent to you.*

Now the same email, revised:

*I finished the report on Friday. The finance team reviewed it and found some errors. We will correct the numbers by Tuesday and send you the final version.*

The second version is shorter (31 words vs. 36), clearer about who does what, and sounds more confident. Notice that it is still not 100% active in spirit: the reader does not need every detail, just a clear picture.

What should I practice next?

Do this five-minute exercise today:

1. Open the last email or essay you wrote in English.

2. Highlight every "is / are / was / were / been / be" followed by a past participle.

3. Rewrite three of those sentences in the active voice.

4. Keep one passive sentence where the doer really does not matter, and explain to yourself why.

Repeat this with one piece of writing per week. After three or four weeks, you will start choosing the right voice while you write, not after. If you want to go further, learn the third form of the 30 most common irregular verbs, because that is where most passive voice errors come from.

FAQ

Is the passive voice grammatically wrong?

No. The passive voice is correct English. It is a style choice. It works well when the doer is unknown or unimportant, but it makes sentences longer and less clear when the doer matters.

How can I quickly tell if a sentence is passive?

Look for a form of 'to be' (is, was, were, been, will be) followed by a past participle like 'written' or 'opened'. Another trick: if you can add 'by zombies' after the verb and it still makes sense, the sentence is passive.

Can every verb be used in the passive voice?

No. Verbs that do not take an object, like arrive, happen, sleep, die and seem, cannot be passive. 'The accident was happened' is wrong; say 'The accident happened.'