Active vs. Passive Voice: When to Use Each
February 06, 2026
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Understanding when to use active versus passive voice is key to clear, effective writing. Neither is inherently wrong—each has its place.
Active Voice
The subject performs the action: "The researcher conducted the experiment."
Use active voice when: You want clarity, directness, and energy. Active voice is generally preferred in most writing.
Passive Voice
The subject receives the action: "The experiment was conducted by the researcher."
Use passive voice when:
- The actor is unknown or unimportant: "The building was constructed in 1920"
- You want to emphasize the action over the actor: "Mistakes were made"
- Scientific writing convention requires it: "The samples were analyzed"
How to Identify Passive Voice
Look for a form of "to be" (is, was, were, been) followed by a past participle. If you can add "by zombies" after the verb and it makes grammatical sense, it's passive voice.
Our grammar checker can identify passive voice in your writing and suggest active alternatives.