Active vs. Passive Voice in English: When and How to Use Each

If you’ve ever received feedback that your writing feels "wordy" or "weak," the culprit is likely the Passive Voice. At Raddix, we teach you that the "voice" of your sentence determines how much energy and clarity your message carries.

Mastering the switch between Active and Passive voice is a major "power move" for both competitive exams and professional emails.

What is the Difference?

The difference lies in who is performing the action (the subject) and who is receiving it (the object).

1. Active Voice:

The Subject "Does" In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. It is direct, clear, and takes up fewer words.

● Formula: [Subject] + [Verb] + [Object] ● Example: "The manager (Subject) approved (Verb) the budget (Object)."

2. Passive Voice: The Subject "Receives"

In the passive voice, the target of the action is moved to the front. The person doing the work is either pushed to the end or omitted entirely.

● Formula: [Object] + [to be verb] + [Past Participle] + [by Subject] ● Example: "The budget (Object) was approved (Verb) by the manager (Subject)."

Why Active Voice Usually Wins?

In most professional writing, Active Voice is preferred because

1. It’s Faster: It gets straight to the point.
2. It’s Stronger: It shows accountability. It’s clear who did what.
3. It’s Concise: It cuts out "filler" words like was, by, and been.

When Should You Use Passive Voice?

Passive voice isn't "wrong"—it's a tool for specific situations

● When the "doer" is unknown: "The bank was robbed." (We don't know who did it).

● When the "object" is more important: "The cure for the disease was discovered in 2024." (The cure is more important than the specific scientist).

● To be diplomatic: "Mistakes were made" sounds less accusatory than "You made a mistake."

The "Zombies" Test

Here is a fun trick to identify passive voice: If you can add the phrase "by zombies" after the verb and the sentence still makes sense, it’s passive!

● The report was finished (by zombies). → Passive.

● I finished the report (by zombies). → Doesn't make sense (Active).

Today’s Challenge

Take a look at the last three emails or messages you sent. Can you find one "Passive" sentence and rewrite it into "Active"?

Use the Active Voice to show leadership and clarity. Use the Passive Voice only when you want to shift the focus away from the person performing the action.

When Passive Voice is Actually Preferred in Corporate Communication

While writing coaches universally champion active voice for its clarity, energy, and brevity, there are three specific corporate and technical situations where passive voice is not only acceptable, but strongly preferred

1. When the Doer is Unknown or Irrelevant: If the identity of the person performing the action adds zero value to the sentence, passive voice keeps the spotlight squarely on the outcome: - Example: "The company headquarters was constructed in 1994." (It does not matter which construction crew poured the concrete; the building itself is the subject). - Example: "My car was stolen from the parking lot." (We do not know who stole it).

2. Diplomatic Corporate Communication (Avoiding Direct Blame): In sensitive workplace situations, using active voice can sound aggressive, confrontational, and accusatory: - Harsh Active Voice: "Rahul made a massive calculation error on the invoice that cost us money." - Diplomatic Passive Voice: "An error was made on the invoice, but the discrepancy has since been resolved." Passive voice allows managers to address operational mistakes objectively without publicly humiliating team members.

3. Scientific and Research Methodologies: In formal laboratory reports and scientific documentation, the focus must remain strictly on the objective experimental process, rather than the researcher: - Active: "I heated the chemical solution to 100 degrees Celsius." - Standard Scientific Passive: "The chemical solution was heated to 100 degrees Celsius."

The "By Zombies" Rule for Spotting Passive Voice

If you are ever unsure whether a sentence is in the passive voice, try inserting the phrase "by zombies" immediately after the verb. If the sentence makes grammatical sense, it is in the passive voice! - "The report was finalized [by zombies] yesterday." -> Passive voice! - "Rahul finalized [by zombies] the report." -> Does not make sense; active voice!