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OASIS


Overview

Active voice clarifies the sentence’s actor. Passive voice emphasizes who or what received the action of the sentence.

Why Use Active Voice?

  • Prevents confusion about who or what is completing the action of a sentence.
  • Improves concision and directness.

When to Avoid Passive Voice

Avoid passive voice in scholarly writing when it creates unnecessary wordiness and confusion. In particular, be on the look out for these two common problematic passive voice constructions.

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Problematic Passive Voice

 A study of job satisfaction and turnover was conducted.

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This sentence uses the past tense of “to be” with the past participle: was conducted. This is a problematic use of passive voice because it is not clear who did the conducting.

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Active Voice Revision

I conducted a study of job satisfaction and turnover.

lightbulbThis revised sentence clearly indicates the sentence’s actor. Using “I” to identify the writer’s role in the research process is often a solution to passive voice and is encouraged by the APA (see APA 7, Section 4.16).

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Problematic Passive Voice

 Electronic health records were described as less user-friendly for older, less tech-savvy nurses by Page and Olson (2014).

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Though the verb and the actor are both identified in this sentence, placing the actors, Page and Olson, before the verb would improve clarity and word economy.

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Active Voice Revision

Page and Olson (2014) described electronic health records as less user-friendly for older, less tech-savvy nurses.

lightbulbHere, the sentence’s actors are clearly identified at the start of the sentence. Notice, too, that the revised sentence is more direct and concise.



Shifting from Passive to Active Voice

Here’s a 3-step strategy for identifying and revising sentences written in passive voice:

Is it Okay to Use Passive Voice?

In general, active voice is preferred in APA-style writing, but passive voice is acceptable in certain circumstances.


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Emphasizing the Action or Recipient of the Action


Example: Schools not meeting AYP for two consecutive years will be placed on a “needs improvement” list by the State’s Department of Education.



In this case, the writer has chosen to use passive voice, placing the actor, the State’s Department of Education, at the end of the sentence. This purposefully highlights the recipient of the sentence’s action: schools not meeting AYP. Here, the writer wants to focus on the implications of the action on the recipient, rather than the actor.

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Unknown Actor

Example: Stonehenge was likely built 5,000 years ago.


The writer of this sentence used passive voice because the actor—who built Stonehenge—is unknown.

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Reducing Redundancy


Redundant Active Voice Example: In this study, I administered a survey. I created a convenience sample of 68 teachers. I invited them to participate in the survey by emailing them an invitation. I obtained e-mail addresses from the principal of the school.


While these sentences use the active voice, the result is choppy, repetitive writing. To avoid redundancy, you might students use “I” in the first sentence. Then, as long as it is clear that the writer (“I”) is the actor in the remaining sentences, use the active and passive voices appropriately to achieve precision, clarity, and flow:

Revised Example: In this study, I administered a survey using a convenience sample. Sixty-eight teachers were invited to participate in the survey. The principal of the school provided me with the e-mail addresses of teachers who fit the requirements for participation. 



Key Takeaways

  • Active voice emphasizes who or what is completing the action of the sentence. It is often clearer and more concise than passive voice.
  • Active voice is preferred in APA-style writing, but there are times when passive voice is appropriate, such as when the sentence’s actor is unkown or not as important as the action or recipient of the action.
  • Be on the lookout for sentences that use the past tense of “to be” + the past participle construction (ex. The samples were lost in transit.) and for sentences that place the verb before the actor, as they may need to be revised to avoid problematic passive voice.

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