Passive Voice – Definition, Examples, and How To Avoid

Written by

Daniel Bal

January 26, 2023

Edited by

Courtney Adamo

What is passive voice?

Passive voice occurs when the verb acts upon the subject of a sentence – the subject receives the action. Using passive voice can often create unclear, indirect, or wordy sentences.

Being able to identify passive voice requires an understanding of the basic parts of a sentence:

• Subject: Noun that is performing the action; the “doer” of the action

• Verb: The action performed

• Object: Who or what is affected by the action

When a writer uses passive voice, they use a conjugated form of the verb to be followed by a verb's past participle, creating a passive form of the verb. Passive voice construction often includes a preposition as well, like by.

In the following sentences, the subject does not complete the action, making the sentence passive:

Passive voice can also occur if the subject of the sentence is missing:

Passive voice examples

The following sentences identify the grammatical subject and are written in the passive voice:

• The novel was read by the student in one day.

• The birthday presents were opened by the dog.

• Zack was driven to the theater by Tyler.

• The permission slip had been signed by his mom.

• The project is being completed by the entire class.

The subject is underlined and the passive verb is italicized.

The following passive voice examples do not identify the grammatical subject:

• Scholarship applications must be received by the end of the month. - Who is receiving the applications?

• Since his car is being repaired, he had to take the bus. - Who is repairing the car?

• It has been estimated that the test will take three hours. - Who estimated the exam length?

How to avoid passive voice

To avoid the use of the passive voice, follow a few simple steps:

1. Identify the subject

2. Identify the verb

3. Identify the object

4. Place the subject before the verb

5. Place the object after the verb

Consider the following example:

Passive Sentence: Disney World is visited by thousands of tourists each day.

• Subject: Tourists

• Verb: Visit

• Object: Disney World

• Subject Position: After the verb

• Object Position: Before the verb

To change it to an active sentence, reposition the subject and object, so the subject is before the main verb:

Corrected Sentence: Thousands of tourists visit Disney World each day.

When to use passive voice

While it is often recommended that writers avoid overuse of passive voice, there are instances where its use is appropriate:

• Subject is unknown

  • The paintings were created during the Stone Age.

  • Explanation: It is not possible to know who painted them.

• Subject is irrelevant

  • An experimental medication will be developed to help combat migraines.

  • Explanation: It does not matter who is developing it – the object is the most important part of the sentence.

• Writer wants to avoid naming the subject

  • Mistakes were made that led to the loss of last night's game.

  • Explanation: The writer/speaker does not want to place blame on a specific person or thing.

• Writing general truths

  • Rules were made to be broken.

  • Explanation: The subject does not matter with a generalized truth.

• Emphasize the object rather than the subject

  • The smallpox vaccine was created in 1796, ultimately changing the course of history.

  • Explanation: The importance of the sentence is being placed on the vaccine rather than who created it.

• Scientific/technical writing

  • The baking soda and vinegar were mixed to simulate an eruption.

  • Explanation: Knowing the subject is not necessary when the process of the act is more significant.

Passive vs. active voice

Active voice occurs when the subject of the sentence performs the action, whereas with passive voice, the subject receives the action:

Active voice often uses the past tense of a verb (e.g., ate), while passive voice uses a past participle (e.g., was eaten).