It is not a bad style, but it can be a lazy style if overused. Writers often use it accidentally, which makes their sentences longer and more difficult to read. When you use it intentionally, it is a valid linguistic tool.
Words carry weight, but the way we string them together determines how people react to us. Imagine sending an email to your boss or writing an essay for a course. You want to sound clear and confident. Yet, sometimes sentences feel heavy, long and oddly disconnected. This friction usually comes down to a fundamental choice in English grammar: active vs passive voice.
Many language guides treat these voices like rigid mathematical formulas. They tell you one is good and the other is bad. The reality of linguistics is far more interesting. Choosing between active and passive voices is not about following a stale rulebook. It is about choosing your perspective. It alters which part of your story gets the spotlight. Let us strip away the textbook jargon and look at how these structures work in real life.
What is active voice?
Active voice is the heartbeat of clear communication. When you speak or write in active voice, the subject of your sentence is the star of the show. It is the person, animal or thing that directly performs the action. Because the performer comes first, active sentences feel natural, fast and alive.
Rules
Building an active sentence requires a highly predictable order: Subject + Verb + Object. To construct an active sentence, you only need to answer three quick questions in order:
• Who or what is doing something? This is your Subject. Place it right at the beginning.
• What are they doing? This is your Verb. Place it immediately after the subject.
• Who or what is receiving that action? This is your Object. Place it at the very end.
[Subject: The manager] ---> [Verb: approved] ---> [Object: the budget]
Examples
Think about the moments where you need to show ownership, leadership or clear progress. Active voice shines in these scenarios.
Example 1 (Workplace example): Sarah managed the international project. Sarah is front and centre. She gets direct credit for her leadership.
Example 2 (Daily Life example): The chef prepared a three-course meal. The focus is entirely on the skills of the person cooking the food.
Example 3 (Self-Development example): You completed the advanced language modules. This structure highlights your personal achievements with maximum clarity.
This order mimics how humans naturally observe the world. We see an actor, we see the action and then we see the result.
Common mistakes
Because the active voice is intuitive, major structural errors are rare. However, writers often stumble by accidentally creating sentence fragments or clouding the subject.
The mistake: Adding an unnecessary participle that leaves the action hanging.
Incorrect: The marketing team planning the new campaign for next month.
Why it fails: There is no clear, finished action here. The sentence is incomplete.
The correction: The marketing team planned the new campaign for next month.
The mistake: Confusing the helper verb, which dilutes the active energy.
Incorrect: The company did opened a new branch.
Why it fails: The extra word did is redundant in a standard affirmative sentence.
The correction: The company opened a new branch.
What is passive voice?
If active voice is a straight line, passive voice is a deliberate U-turn. In a passive sentence, the object receiving the action is pulled to the forefront. The person or thing performing the action is either pushed to the end of the sentence or omitted completely. Passive voice is highly useful when the action doer is unknown, obvious or less important than the result itself.
Rules
To build a passive sentence, you must change the verbs using this formula: Object + Form of the verb 'to be' + Past Participle.
• Move the receiver of the action to the subject position at the start.
• Add a helper verb based on the tense and number of items (is, are, was, were, has been).
• Use the past participle (the third form of the main verb, such as built, taken, or discovered).
Decide on the doer. If it matters who did it, add them at the end using the word by. If it does not matter, leave them out.
[Object: The budget] ---> [Verb 'to be': was] ---> [Past Participle: approved] ---> [Optional: by the manager]
Examples
You see passive voice everywhere in news reports, scientific studies and legal documents because it sounds neutral and detached.
Example 1 (Corporate writing examples): The annual report was submitted on Friday. It does not matter which specific assistant hit the send button. The important fact is that the report is done.
Example 2 (Scientific examples): The liquid was heated to 80°C.
In a lab, the experiment matters more than the identity of the person holding the beaker.
Example 3 (Everyday accident examples): My wallet was stolen. You use passive voice here because you do not know the identity of the thief. Saying A thief stole my wallet adds unnecessary words.
Common mistakes
Passive voice requires handling multiple moving parts, which makes it easy for errors to slip in.
The mistake: Dropping the auxiliary verb to be entirely.
Incorrect: The application forms filled out yesterday.
Why it fails: Without the word were, this sounds like the forms picked up a pen and started writing by themselves.
The correction: The application forms were filled out yesterday.
The mistake: Using the simple past tense instead of the past participle.
Incorrect: The email was took by the wrong department.
Why it fails: Took is the second form of the verb. Passive voice strictly requires the third form, taken.
The correction: The email was taken by the wrong department.
Active vs passive voice
Choosing between these two voices changes the tone of your writing. Look at how they contrast in different areas of communication.
The following table:
| Focus area | Active voice | Passive voice |
|---|---|---|
| Basic structure | Performer + Action + Receiver | Receiver + Verb 'to be' + Past Participle |
| Primary focus | The agent behind the action | The outcome or recipient of the action |
| Tone and style | Direct, assertive and personal | Formal, objective and detached |
| Word count | Lean and concise | Longer and more complex |
| Best used for | Storytelling, daily emails and speeches | Scientific papers, formal announcements and policies |
| Responsibility | Clear assignment of blame or credit | Can obscure who is responsible for an action |
| Examples | The teacher explained the lesson. Someone stole my phone. They are watching a movie. |
The lesson was explained by the teacher. My phone was stolen. A movie is being watched by them. |
Take control of your language skills
Mastering the subtle balance between active and passive voices gives you complete control over your writing style. Whether you are drafting a crucial email, preparing a presentation or practising for a global proficiency exam, understanding sentence structure ensures your message lands exactly the way you intended.
Developing this level of intuition takes time and deliberate practice. Our courses at English Path provide the structured guidance you need to build confidence in your communication. From foundational fluency to advanced training, we help you master the nuances of English grammar so you can succeed in your academic and professional life.
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Get a QuoteFAQs
Why do people say passive voice is a bad style?
How can I quickly test if a sentence is passive?
Try adding the phrase by zombies right after the verb. If the sentence still makes grammatical sense, you are looking at a passive sentence. For example: The city was destroyed [by zombies] works perfectly. The team won the game [by zombies] does not.
Is first-person passive voice acceptable?
Yes, forms like I was given a warning are grammatically correct. However, in professional settings, The teacher gave me a warning is usually preferred for clarity.
Does passive voice affect sentence tenses?
No. Passive voice can exist in any tense. You can change the tense by altering the helper verb to be. For example, present passive is the cake is baked, past passive is the cake was baked, and future passive is the cake will be baked.
Can I mix both voices in a single paragraph?
Yes. Good writers constantly shift between active and passive voices to guide reader attention. Use active voice to drive action forward, and switch to passive voice when you want to highlight a specific result.