Active vs Passive Voice:
Complete Guide for ESL Learners
One of the most common writing problems for non-native English speakers is overusing the passive voice. This guide will teach you the difference, when to use each, and how to fix passive voice in your writing.
⚡ Quick Summary
Active Voice (preferred):
Subject → Action → Object
"I wrote the report."
"The team completed the project."
Passive Voice (use sparingly):
Object → Was/Were + Verb → (by Subject)
"The report was written (by me)."
"The project was completed."
What is Active Voice?
In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. The structure is simple: Subject + Verb + Object.
Active Voice Examples
- • I sent the email.
- • The manager approved the budget.
- • We fixed the bug yesterday.
- • Sarah presented the proposal.
Active voice is direct, clear, and confident. It uses fewer words and is easier to understand. This is why writing coaches, editors, and business communication guides recommend using active voice as your default.
What is Passive Voice?
In passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject. The structure is: Object + is/was/were + Past Participle (+ by Subject).
Passive Voice Examples
- • The email was sent by me.
- • The budget was approved by the manager.
- • The bug was fixed yesterday.
- • The proposal was presented by Sarah.
Notice how each passive sentence is longer and less direct. The person doing the action moves to the end (or disappears entirely with “The email was sent”). This creates distance and can make writing feel bureaucratic or evasive.
Active vs Passive — Side by Side
Passive ✗
“The report was written by me.”
Active ✓
“I wrote the report.”
💡 Active is shorter and clearer. The subject (I) acts directly.
Passive ✗
“Mistakes were made.”
Active ✓
“We made mistakes.”
💡 The passive hides who made the mistakes. The active is honest and clear.
Passive ✗
“The meeting has been scheduled.”
Active ✓
“I have scheduled the meeting.”
💡 Active tells who did it — more professional in most business emails.
Passive ✗
“Your complaint will be investigated.”
Active ✓
“We will investigate your complaint.”
💡 Passive is acceptable here — focus on the action, not the actor.
Passive ✗
“The new policy was announced yesterday.”
Active ✓
“Management announced the new policy yesterday.”
💡 Either works. Use active when the actor matters to the reader.
When to Use Active vs Passive Voice
✅ Use active voice when…
- • You want to be direct and clear: "I will send the report by Friday."
- • The subject (who does the action) is important: "The CEO approved the budget."
- • Writing emails, messages, or business documents
- • You want to sound confident and take responsibility: "I fixed the bug."
- • Giving instructions: "Please submit your report by Friday."
⚠️ Use passive voice when…
- • The person who did the action is unknown: "The window was broken."
- • The action matters more than who did it: "The vaccine was developed in 2020."
- • Writing formal reports or scientific papers: "The data were collected over 6 months."
- • You want to be diplomatic and avoid blame: "Errors were found in the document."
- • The subject is obvious from context and doesn't need to be stated.
Common Passive Voice Errors by ESL Speakers
These passive patterns appear very frequently in writing by non-native speakers. Avoid them.
Avoid
“Is being discussed by us”
Better
“We are discussing”
Continuous passive is especially awkward. Use active.
Avoid
“It was decided to proceed”
Better
“We decided to proceed”
"It was decided" hides who decided. Be direct and take ownership.
Avoid
“The email was sent by John to you”
Better
“John sent you the email”
Active restructuring removes the "by" phrase and feels more natural.
Avoid
“The task has been completed by me”
Better
“I have completed the task”
This pattern is extremely common among non-native speakers. Always flip it.
Avoid
“Your request is being processed”
Better
“We are processing your request”
Both are acceptable, but active is warmer and more personal for customer communication.
How to Convert Passive to Active Voice
Converting passive to active is simple once you know the pattern. Follow these 3 steps:
Find the actor
Look for "by ___" at the end. That's your subject. If there's no "by" phrase, you'll need to decide who did the action.
Make the actor the subject
Move the actor to the beginning of the sentence.
Change the verb form
Remove "was/were/been" and use the simple verb form in the correct tense.
Passive Voice by Writing Context
| Context | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Business emails | Active (mostly) | Clear, direct, professional |
| Academic papers | Passive (often) | Focus on methods, not researcher |
| News writing | Mix | Passive for diplomacy, active for clarity |
| Customer service | Active | Warmer, more personal |
| Legal writing | Passive (often) | Avoids assigning blame |
| Casual messages | Active | Natural conversational tone |
| Scientific reports | Passive | Objectivity, standard convention |
Key Takeaways
- ✓ Use active voice as your default in most writing
- ✓ Passive voice is not always wrong — it's a tool to use intentionally
- ✓ In business emails, active voice sounds more professional and confident
- ✓ Scientific and academic writing often requires passive voice by convention
- ✓ The quickest fix: look for “was/were + past participle” and ask if you can flip it
Check Your Writing for Passive Voice
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