Writing in the active voice gives your work a direct and dynamic sound. When combined with concise language choices and proper grammar usage, your prose will have clarity and purpose that will keep readers hooked from start to finish! Having a good understanding of when to use passive versus active voice can help make your writing more effective and engaging for readers. Active voice sentences usually do not require this additional phrase as they already specify who or what did something (i.e., “John threw the ball”). For example, when using passive voice you typically need to include a “by” phrase which identifies who or what performed the action (such as “the ball was thrown by John”). It’s also important to note that both passive and active voices come with their own set of grammar rules dictating how they should be used in a sentence. Additionally, since active voice requires fewer words to convey an idea, it can help make your writing clearer and more concise while also helping you avoid wordiness and repetition. While there are times when using passive voice can be effective, such as when you want to focus attention on something other than who or what performed an action, generally speaking active voice should be used whenever possible as it creates stronger prose that engages readers and keeps them interested. An example of this would be “the ball was thrown,” which does not specify who threw it but still conveys that an action took place. In this case, the focus is more on what is being acted upon rather than who or what is doing the acting. In contrast to active voice, passive voice does not have an explicit subject performing the action. For example, in the sentence “John threw the ball,” it’s clear that John is performing the action of throwing. This makes it easier to identify what is being done and by whom or what.

When it comes to active voice, the subject of the sentence is performing the action instead of being acted upon. While they may seem similar, they each create a different impact on readers and serve different purposes in your writing. It’s important to understand the differences between passive and active voice when writing. The Difference Between Passive and Active Voice

In cases where the action taking place is less important than what is being acted upon, then passive voice can help draw attention to the object or person being affected. However, there are times when passive voice may be more effective. Whenever possible, try to write using an active voice as this will make your writing stronger and more direct. Now that you know what active voice is, how do you use it? It all starts with understanding when passive versus active voice should be used. Additionally, by placing emphasis on the action being performed rather than what is acted upon, active voice can give your writing a sense of purpose and direction that may otherwise be lacking. Not only does it help create clearer and more concise sentences, but also helps direct the reader’s attention to the subject in question. When it comes to writing, active voice has a number of benefits.

This can help create strong prose that engages readers from start to finish. Instead of having the sentence structure “the ball was thrown by John,” an active voice sentence would read “John threw the ball.” The use of active voice highlights the person or thing performing the action instead of placing emphasis on what is being acted upon. Q: What resources can I use to help me write with active voice? What Is Active Voice?Īctive voice is a writing style that directly connects the subject to its verb, creating clearer and more concise sentences.

What is active voice in writing