Passive vs. Active Voice

Passive Voice The ball was thrown by the football player. Direct object verb actor/doer Verb in form “to-be” + past participle The subject is the object of the action, not the doer of the action Emphasis on the direct object

Active Voice The football player threw the ball. actor/doer verb direct object Verb in past tense The subject is the doer Emphasis on the doer

When to use each Passive Voice: ❏ When you want to emphasize the object of the action ❏ When you do not know what the actor is ❏ When the actor is not important ❏ In science writing Active Voice: ❏ When you want to emphasize the doer/actor ❏ When you want it to be particularly clear what is acting on what Traditionally, academic writers use active voice, but there are times when passive voice is more appropriate. In fact, both voices are grammatically correct. You just have to use your best judgment.