Those two sentences are examples of the active voice and the passive voice. Certain kinds of writing are best suited for the active voice, while the passive voice is most appropriate for other kinds of writing. Understanding how, when, and why to use each is key to being an effective writer and speaker.
Definition and Function
In the active voice, the subject is performing an action:
The dog chases the ball.
Notice how the subject, dog, is performing the action, chase, on the target of the action, ball. This is a simple, direct example of the active voice.
In the passive voice, the action’s target, ball, is positioned first as the focus of the sentence. The sentence gets flipped, and the subject is now being acted upon by the verb. In other words, the subject is passive:
The ball is being chased by the dog.
Active and passive are the two grammatical voices in English. Neither is inherently better than the other, but each is suited to certain types of writing. There’s a reason why news anchors sound detached from the stories they’re reporting: They often speak using the passive voice. There’s also a reason why the authors of opinion pieces sound so sure of their positions: They usually write in the active voice.
Active
As we’ve learned, in the active voice, the sentence’s subject performs the action. Here are two examples of sentences in the active voice:
Shira likes birdwatching.
She loves twilight.
No matter what verb you use, structuring your sentence so the subject performs the verb is writing in the active voice.
The active voice has a direct, clear tone. Use it when you want the reader to focus on the subject of your sentence and the action it is doing rather than on the action’s target.
Passive
In the passive voice, the action’s target is the focus, and the verb acts upon the subject. Or, to put it in the passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb. Every sentence in the passive voice contains two verbs:
1. A conjugated form of “to be”
2. The main verb’s past participle
Take a look at the previous examples, now written in passive voice:
Birdwatching is liked by Shira.
Twilight is loved by her.
Notice how the targets of the action—also the direct objects of the sentences—are now the focus. The sentences now contain a conjugated form of “to be” (is) and the main verb’s past participle (liked and loved). Often, sentences in the passive voice are longer than sentences in the active voice simply because they have to include additional words like prepositions. Take a look at this sentence in the passive voice: s
Example
In the passive voice, the action’s target is the focus, and the verb acts upon the subject. Or, to put it in the passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb. Every sentence in the passive voice contains two verbs:
Take a look at these examples of both the active and passive voices in action:
Active: Is Ajani visiting us today?
Passive: Will we be visited by Ajani today?
As you see, questions can be written in either voice. Other kinds of sentences, like exclamatory and imperative sentences, are often best written in the active voice:
Active: Please remove your shoes before entering my house.
Passive: Shoes should be removed before entering my house.
Active: Lock the door!
Passive: Let the door be locked!
See how with the first pair, the passive voice makes the request feel more like a suggestion? In the second pair, the passive voice makes the message sound stilted and formal rather than an urgent exclamation.
Now take a look at these two examples:
Active: I poured the solution into the beaker and heated it to 100℉.
Passive: The solution was poured into the beaker and heated to 100℉.