Writers hear about active voice and passive voice all the time, often in the form of a warning: do not use passive voice.
But what do these voices actually refer to? What are they? How do we identify active and passive voice and know when to use each correctly?
The Basics
Active and passive voice are the two grammatical voices in English.
If you remember elementary school writing lessons, perhaps you remember teachers saying that passive voice is weak and bad and insisting you should always use active voice because it’s stronger and more impactful.
With those lingering lessons in mind, perhaps the first thing to know about active and passive voice is that there is a time and place for both in writing. Neither one is inherently bad in every situation, neither one is always preferable. The trick is to learn the difference and how to use both in your writing effectively.
That said, active voice is often more appropriate and impactful, especially in fiction. Unless you are intentionally using passive voice for specific stylistic impact, active voice is generally preferred and should be your default.
Why?
Although there are exceptions where it is the most appropriate choice, passive voice delivers the point of your sentence in a more roundabout, vague way. It can feel loaded down by unnecessary wordiness and awkward phrasing that places readers a little less firmly within the moment, whereas active voice is more concise, direct, and engaging.
It is incredibly important, especially for fiction writers, to recognize and utilize the differences between active voice and passive voice. It’s not just that active voice is more direct and concise, it also keeps readers closer to the story with gripping, immersive language. Passive voice puts some distance between unfolding story and readers, allowing them to only get so close. It can make for an unpleasant reading experience when not used sparingly to intentionally draw reader attention to a certain element.
The Nitty Gritty
Let’s dive into a little grammar lesson discussing the mechanics of active and passive voice. Bear with me. It’s not fun, but it’s definitely necessary to understand in order to get the most impact out of your writing.
As I said above, there are two grammatical voices in English–active and passive.
Active voice refers to when the subject of the sentence performs the action.
Passive voice flips the sentence structure, making the thing that is acted upon, AKA the person, place, or thing that receives the action, the subject.
The object of an active sentence becomes the subject in a passive sentence while the subject of an active sentence becomes the passive agent of the passive sentence. Technically, the subject of an active voice sentence is still the agent performing the action in a passive sentence, but it is not the subject of the passive sentence. Passive agency occurs when the agent of action is not the subject of the sentence.
Active: The girl (subject) rode (verb) the bike (object).
Passive: The bike (new subject) was ridden (verb) by the girl (passive agent).
Notice how the girl is still the thing that is performing the action of the sentence, but not in the grammatical subject’s position within the sentence? She is still the agent of the action, but her agency is passive because the bike (the subject) is the thing being acted upon by the verb within this sentence.
Active: The woman (subject) chased (verb) the soccer ball (object).
Passive: The soccer ball (grammatical subject) was chased (verb) by the woman (not the subject despite being the person doing the action–the passive agent).
A sentence in passive voice requires two verbs—an auxiliary form of “to be” and the past participle form of the main verb (that would exist within the active sentence, too).
Grammar basics reminder: An auxiliary verb is a verb used in forming the tenses, moods, and voices of other verbs. Auxiliary forms of “to be” include “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “being,” “been,” “will be.” In passive voice, the auxiliary verb comes before the past participle verb (which are past tense verbs that often end in -ed).
Active voice: The entire soccer team was looking forward to the tournament.
Passive voice: The tournament was (auxiliary form of “to be”) eagerly anticipated (past participle of “anticipate”) by the entire soccer team.
There are two forms of passive voice—long and short.
Short passive is when the subject or performer of the action is unknown. The sentence is agent-less.
Example: The jewelry store was robbed last night.
Long passive is when the subject is known and becomes the passive agent of the sentence.
Example: The jewelry store was robbed by a group of local teens.
Where You’ll Find Passive Voice
Passive voice redirects the focus of a sentence to the action’s target or the action itself instead of the performer of the action. It’s often used in formal writing, like scientific and academic writing, when those writing want to create a more objective or unbiased tone or put the focus on the action, not the doer.
Passive: The medication was approved for clinical trials. OR The medication was approved for clinical trials by the FDA.
Active: The FDA approved the medication for clinical trials.
Passive: Extensive research was conducted by scientists.
Active: Scientists conducted extensive research.
You’ll also recognize passive voice in news reports, where short passive is often used to report information without mention of who did the action:
A house was set on fire in a local neighborhood last night.
The car was stolen from a convenience store parking lot.
Passive Voice in Fiction
There is absolutely a place for passive in professional, formal writing and fiction. It’s all about using passive voice strategically, to draw reader attention to a certain element or to maintain a specific tone. The problem with passive voice in fiction is that, if it is not very intentionally done, executed well, and used sparingly, it makes for a rough reading experience. It slows down the story’s pace, bogging it down with vague and wordy language.
In fiction, it’s important to remember that simpler, more direct writing is often better writing. The difference between active and passive voice greatly affects the tone of the writing and, while some writers may think the more detached, distant tone that passive writing brings a certain “writery” flare to their writing, it doesn’t. Too much passive voice feels flat and laborious to read. Find your unique style, but learn how to use elements like active and passive voice to enhance your writing. Generally, this will be active voice with sprinkles of passive voice to create the exact impact you’re aiming for.
Let’s look at a fiction example with the possibility for a bit more excitement:
Active voice: Wren launched himself over the short stone wall and swung his sword in a wide arc. He sliced the beast’s arm clean off.
Passive voice: The short stone wall was leapt over by Wren. The sword was swung in a wide arc and the beast’s arm was sliced clean off.
It’s awkward, right?
Notice how passive voice sucks all the action out of what should be an exciting moment and creates some distance between this pivotal moment and the reader—which we do not want. Good storytelling is engaging storytelling, writing that keeps readers’ attention. Readers should feel immersed in the moment, not like they’re watching it all from a distance, as passive voice conveys.
I think the ideal version of that scene is a combination of both active and passive voice:
Wren launched himself over the short stone wall and swung his sword in a wide arc (active). The beast’s arm was sliced clean off (passive).
Use of passive voice in the last sentence directs reader attention to the receiver and result of the action—the beast’s arm being sliced off—instead of the fact that it was Wren doing it. It may be a subtle difference, but remember: it’s your job to be aware of the subtle differences within writing and how they impact readers. Use them to your advantage.
The real power of passive voice—especially within fiction—lies in its ability to draw reader attention to specific elements. Draw their eye to the exact detail you want them to focus on.
Tips for Identifying and Fixing Passive Voice
Writers shouldn’t be too concerned with passive voice when actually drafting their manuscripts. Let the words flow, then go back and comb through for where your novel could be improved by switching it to active voice.
Remember: Not every use of passive voice needs to be made into active. Sometimes it is the best way to convey your idea, create the tone and atmosphere you want, and direct reader attention exactly where you want it. If that is the case, leave the passive voice alone. You’re using it perfectly.
Try reading through your manuscript out loud. Not only will it help you detect clunky, awkward phrasing or stiff, unrealistic dialogue, it can also help you identify passive voice.
“To be” verbs can be a good indicator of passive voice, but do not mistake every use of one as indicative of passive voice.
Let’s revisit an example from above:
The entire soccer team was looking forward to the tournament.
Despite use of an auxiliary verb, “was,” this is still an active sentence. The subject (the soccer team) is still doing the action (looking forward to).
“By the” or “by [name]” phrases can also be an indicator of passive voice:
The window was closed by the teacher.
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich was made by Jane.
Instead of solely relying on searching for “to be” verbs or “by the” phrases as indictors, ensure that the sentence has both an auxiliary verb of “to be” and a past participle verb, that way you’ll be certain it’s grammatically passive. The subject should be receiving the action.
Auxiliary forms of “to be”:
am, is, are, was, were, being, been, will be
Any of these auxiliary verbs used with a past participle verb indicates passive voice.
Rework passive sentences so that the passive agent—the doer of the action—within the sentence is the subject of the sentence.
To Sum It Up
While some of the grammar details within this article may have been less than thrilling, the most basic detail you need to remember about how active and passive voice are formed and how they act is:
Active: Subject performs the action
Passive: Subject receives the action
Active voice and passive voice both have a place in fiction writing. While you don’t want your novel to be bogged down by overusing passive voice, it absolutely has its uses. Both grammatical voices are all about the tone you want to create and where you want to draw reader attention with the subtleties of your phrasing. Use it to your advantage.
It’s also worth mentioning that passive voice should not be confused with passive writing. “Passive writing” is a phrase often used to describe flat, uninspiring writing or telling instead of showing. This is not the same thing as passive voice. Yes, passive voice can create flat, passive writing and making your writing as immersive as possible will likely include snipping a few passive sentences out, but passive writing is an issue of style and passive voice is an issue of grammar. Use of passive voice may be a stylistic choice, but it is not the same as passive writing.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you’d like a professional’s help catching all the places in your manuscript where passive voice detracts from your story or could even benefit the story, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Why wait any longer to take the next step in your writing journey? Let’s talk.
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