Module 7: Aspects of Voice - Lesson 7.7: Avoiding Overuse of Passive Voice

Module 7: Aspects of Voice - Lesson 7.7: Avoiding Overuse of Passive Voice - When Active Voice is Better

Lesson 7.7: Avoiding Overuse of Passive Voice - When Active Voice is Better

Welcome to the final lesson of Module 7, Lesson 7.7! In this lesson, we will address a crucial aspect of using voice effectively: avoiding overuse of passive voice. While passive voice has its specific and valuable uses (as we discussed in Lesson 7.3), it is generally recommended to use active voice as the default in English. Over-reliance on passive voice can lead to writing that is weak, unclear, indirect, and less engaging. This lesson will highlight why active voice is often better and provide guidance on recognizing and revising instances of unnecessary passive voice.

Why Active Voice is Generally Preferred:

Active voice is typically favored in English for several key reasons:

Clarity and Directness:
Active voice sentences are usually more direct, clear, and easier to understand. The subject-verb-object structure directly reflects who is doing what, leading to straightforward communication.

Example:
- Passive (Less Clear): "The report was written." (Who wrote it? Less direct).
- Active (Clearer): "The team wrote the report." (Clearly states who performed the action).
Conciseness and Economy of Words:
Active voice sentences are often more concise and less wordy than their passive counterparts. Passive constructions often require more words (using forms of 'be' and 'by' phrases).

Example:
- Passive (Wordy): "A presentation on the new marketing strategy will be given by the marketing manager." (14 words).
- Active (Concise): "The marketing manager will present the new marketing strategy." (9 words - more direct and economical).
Strength and Dynamism:
Active voice tends to create a more energetic, dynamic, and engaging writing style. It makes the writing feel more assertive and less hesitant.

Example:
- Passive (Less Dynamic): "The ball was kicked by the player." (Sounds less impactful).
- Active (More Dynamic): "The player kicked the ball." (More forceful and vivid).
Responsibility and Accountability:
Active voice clearly identifies the actor. This is important when you want to assign responsibility or accountability for actions.

Example:
- Passive (Avoids Responsibility): "Mistakes were made." (Vague, no one is explicitly responsible).
- Active (Assigns Responsibility): "The team leader made mistakes." (Clearly identifies who is responsible).
Natural and Common in Everyday Language:
Active voice is the more natural and common voice in everyday English conversation and writing. Overusing passive voice can make your language sound unnatural, overly formal, or even bureaucratic in informal contexts.

Signs of Overusing Passive Voice - Red Flags to Watch For:

Be aware of these common indicators that you might be overusing passive voice in your writing:

Frequent use of "be" verbs (is, are, was, were, been, being, be): While 'be' verbs are necessary for passive voice, their excessive use can be a sign of passivity.
Many sentences with 'by' phrases: Frequent 'by' phrases indicate many passive constructions, even if the agent is specified, overuse can still dilute the writing's impact.
Vague or weak verbs: Relying too much on passive voice can sometimes lead to using weaker verbs and less precise language.
Writing sounds indirect, hesitant, or overly formal: If your writing feels distant, impersonal, or unnecessarily complex, check for passive voice overuse.
Difficulty identifying the actor in many sentences: If you frequently have to ask "who is doing this?" when reading your own writing, it might be too passive.
Long, convoluted sentences: Passive voice can contribute to longer and more complex sentence structures that are harder to follow.
Lack of energy or dynamism in your writing: If your writing feels flat or lifeless, reducing passive voice and using more active verbs can inject energy.

When to Revise Passive to Active Voice - Strategies for Improvement:

In many cases, sentences written in passive voice can be improved by converting them to active voice. Here's how to identify and revise passive sentences:

Identify Passive Verbs (Be + Past Participle): Look for forms of 'be' (is, are, was, were, been, being, be) followed by a past participle.
Find the Real Actor (Agent): If a 'by' phrase is present, the noun/pronoun after 'by' is the agent (potential subject in active voice). If no 'by' phrase, try to determine who or what is logically performing the action from the context. If truly unknown or unimportant, passive might be justified.
Make the Agent the Subject in Active Voice: Move the agent to the subject position at the beginning of the sentence.
Change the Verb to Active Voice: Change the passive verb form to an active verb form, using the same tense. Ensure the verb now agrees with the new active subject.
Adjust the Object (if necessary): The original subject of the passive sentence (receiver of action) may become the object in the active sentence, or part of a prepositional phrase, or simply be integrated into the new active sentence naturally.
Review and Refine: Read the revised sentence in active voice. Is it clearer, more direct, and more impactful than the original passive sentence? Does it still convey the intended meaning effectively?

Examples of Revising Passive to Active Voice:

Passive: "The new software is being tested by the QA team."
Active Revision: "The QA team is testing the new software." (More direct and concise, emphasizes the QA team).
Passive: "Mistakes were made in the report." (Vague, weak).
Active Revision (if possible to identify actor): "The analysts made mistakes in the report." (More specific, assigns action). If agent truly unknown/irrelevant, consider if passive is necessary, or if sentence can be rephrased entirely to focus on the mistakes themselves, e.g., "The report contained mistakes."
Passive: "It has been decided that the project will be delayed."
Active Revision (if possible to identify decision-makers): "The management has decided to delay the project." (More direct and accountable).
Passive: "The meeting was attended by representatives from all departments."
Active Revision: "Representatives from all departments attended the meeting." (More concise and focuses on the attendees).
Passive: "The problem should be solved as soon as possible."
Active Revision (if possible to suggest actor): "You should solve the problem as soon as possible." (More direct instruction). Or, "The team should solve the problem..." or "We should solve the problem..." depending on context. If truly impersonal advice is needed, passive might be retained, but considered carefully.

When Passive Voice Might Still Be Acceptable (Even Preferable):

Remember, passive voice is not *always* wrong. As we learned in Lesson 7.3, it is appropriate in specific situations. Keep passive voice when:

The agent is truly unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
You genuinely want to emphasize the action or receiver.
In formal/impersonal contexts where passive voice is conventional.
For sentence variety, used sparingly and deliberately.
To be tactful or avoid blame when necessary.

Key takeaway: While passive voice has its uses, active voice is generally clearer, more direct, concise, and engaging. Overuse of passive voice can weaken your writing. Learn to identify unnecessary passive constructions and revise them to active voice whenever possible to achieve stronger, more impactful communication. Be strategic and deliberate when you do choose to use passive voice, ensuring it serves a specific purpose.