Student Corner

The Usage of Passive Voice in Essays

For many students, the use of passive voice has been prohibited in all forms of essay writing since high school and well into college. Many students understand that they should avoid using the passive voice. But not all students recognize when they are constructing a passive sentence. In order to perfect your writing skills, it is important to recognize the difference between active and passive voice and when it is appropriate to use either. Below you’ll find all the information you need on how and when to use the passive voice in your essays.

What Is Passive Voice?

For starters, it helps to clarify the major differences between the active and passive voice. Professors and professional writers often prefer the active voice because the subject of the sentence is actively performing an action.

An example of this would be: Jennifer wrote the essay on time management skills.

On the opposite end, for a sentence to be considered passive, the action must be inflicted upon the subject.

An example of the above sentence in passive voice would be: The essay on time management skills was written by Jennifer.

Why Do Writers and Professors Frown Upon The Use Of Passive Voice?

Passive voice often complicates writing by adding in unnecessary words and, at times, confusing readers about who is enacting the action verb. Passive voice can cause misunderstandings in your writing, and while not grammatically incorrect, many writers choose to avoid it because of its limitations. Despite the intense aversion of the passive voice, there are a few cases when its usage can actually come in handy.

When To Use The Passive Voice

The passive voice is often a more desirable choice in two distinct instances. Scientific papers, such as lab reports and literature reviews, can often get away with utilizing the passive voice because the subject performing the action is not always wholly important.

The other instance is when the writer has not revealed any specific details about who or what the subject is. For example, if we did not know that Jennifer wrote the time management skills essay, then the passive voice would be a suitable format.

How To Steer Clear Of Using The Passive Voice

Generally speaking, writing in the active voice is preferable as your writing will be dynamic and engaging. While still learning to use the active voice, it helps to look over first draft versions of your essay and pick through the sentences. If you notice any passive sentences, then simply reorganize the subject and the verb so that the subject is the one performing the action.

For example, you can change “The cats were fed by John” to “John fed the cats” in order to change a sentence from passive to active.

This change in sentence structure eliminates unnecessary words and keeps the body of work flowing in a more attention-grabbing way.

For students that are still working on mastering the use of active and passive voice, looking into custom essay writing can help with many of your essay assignments. Custom essay writers are experienced in choosing the right voice for an assignment and determining the exact cases where the passive voice is needed.

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