You can write most verbs in either the passive or the active voice. In the active voice, the "doer" of the action is the grammatical subject of the sentence. In the passive voice, the object of the action is the grammatical subject of the sentence. Verbs make their greatest impact when you use them in the active voice.

Active Voice

Subject/Noun ->Verb ->Object

The programmer deleted the file.

Passive Voice

Object->Verb->Subject/Noun

The file was deleted by the programmer.

We often succumb to the temptation to use the passive voice when we don't want to take responsibility for a statement or conclusion. However, readers know that someone is doing the action described, and they like to know who that someone is. The passive voice robs your work of energy and aliveness, and blurs your reader's sense of who is doing what.

Avoid the passive voice unless your purpose really is dull the impact of your point. For example, if you are canceling holiday bonuses for the year, you'll want to write Holiday bonuses were cancelled rather than We are canceling holiday bonuses. In general, however, your writing will be more brisk and clear if you stick to the active voice.

How to Spot the Passive Voice

You form the passive voice with helping verbs such as "has," "had" and "is." Scan your work and strike out forms like "has been [done]" "is [decided, done]," whenever you can, replacing them with the stronger subject-verb-object structure.

Sentences with by phrases are generally in the passive voice: The object of by is usually the one doing the action. The report was written by the manager. Who wrote the report? The manager, who is buried in the by phrase.

If you have trouble recasting the sentence, just ask yourself, Who did the main action here? Make that person or agent the subject of the sentence, and voila! You will be in the active voice.

In short, verbs in the active voice lend pizazz to your writing. Use them whenever you can.

© Elizabeth Danziger 2009