Writing in active voice4/6/2024 ![]() In an active sentence, the person or agency that’s acting is the subject of the sentence. Don’t confuse passive voice with past tense. Not “It must be done,” but “You must do it.” Passive voice obscures who is responsible for what and is one of the biggest problems with government writing. ![]() It eliminates ambiguity about responsibilities. > Keep it conversational Use active voiceĪctive voice makes it clear who is supposed to do what. ![]() Tips for starting a plain language program.But you need to remember you have an opportunity to order essay edit online: our professional editors are always ready to help you. Improving your writing style is crucial for writing and submitting a winning admission essay. There should be nothing complicated for you in drawing the line between passive and active verbs, especially considering the tips we shared here. We clearly stated the importance of removing the passive voice from your writing: do a little work on yourself, and you’ll notice how your papers and your grades will change. You can certainly develop a strong eye for these subtle issues, but active writing is an area where professional editing can make a substantial difference. Promoted has a more precise and nuanced meaning than told. It is largely a matter of how much meaning the word contains. There is nothing in the dictionary that will tell you that promoted sounds stronger than told. To write better you have to understand for yourself what is the difference between active and passive voice. The last two examples demonstrate the lack of clear distinction between strong and weak verbs. After: The salesman promoted his products to the audience. After: My mother hesitated to show up without a gift.īefore: The salesman told the audience about his products. After: She thrived in this competitive environment.īefore: My mother didn’t want to show up without a gift. After: I earned the promotion through hard work.īefore: She did well in this competitive environment. After: I sought opportunities to develop my skills.īefore: I got the promotion through hard work. In addition to avoiding to be verbs, you should try to replace helping verbs such as have, had, has, do, does, did and other vague verbs like got and get.īefore: I had opportunities to develop my skills. Achieving Active WritingĪctive language comes not just from avoiding passive voice but further requires the use of strong action verbs. Therefore, try using active rather than passive to achieve a perfect writing style. The operator started the machine on time.Brilliant defensive strategy obstructed their efforts. ![]() Her teacher instructed her to remain seated.His friends gave him too many chances to start over.The machine was started by the operator on time.Their efforts were obstructed by brilliant defensive strategy.She was instructed to remain seated by her teacher.He was given too many chances to start over by his friends.Adjust any other word-order issues as needed. Identify the subject of the action (the noun that follows “by” or is otherwise implied) and bring that to the front of the clause. As we have already shown, the basic approach to avoiding passive voice is quite simple. Awkward alternative: For the fifth time this year, a pitch hit Johnson.Īctive verbs for essays are certainly better than passive ones. In these cases, the alternative is often awkward and less natural sounding.Ĭase 1: He is referred to as “the great one.” Awkward alternative: The general public refers to him as “the great one.”Ĭase 2: For the fifth time this year, Johnson was hit by a pitch. when the emphasis really should be on the object of the action.when there is no defined or tangible subject.There are generally two cases when passive voice is acceptable: Later we will discuss ways to avoid to be verbs even when they are not in passive-voice constructions. “I have been involved in this organization for several years.”.On the other hand, a sentence can include a to be verb without being passive. To be verbs include am, are, been, being, is, was, were. Passive voice always involves a to be verb. For example: “I was given bad directions. A sentence can be passive without the word “by,” but it is always at least implied. Note that the word “by” is present in these two examples. Passive: I was told by my teacher to come at noon.Īctive: My teacher told me to come at noon. Passive voice occurs when the subject and object of an action are inverted, so the subject is the recipient of the act instead of its performer.
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