If you’ve ever been told to “cut the passive voice” in your writing but weren’t sure exactly what that meant—you’re not alone. Many writers confuse any sentence with a be-verb for the passive voice. But that’s not quite right.
Let’s start by clearing that up.
Not All Be-Verbs Are Passive
Take this sentence:
The solution is applicable to this problem.
It may be a bit wordy, sure, but it’s not passive. Even though it uses a be-verb (is), the subject (“solution”) is still doing the action—sort of.
Most editors would tighten this up to something like:
The solution applies to this problem.
It’s more direct and vivid—but again, the original wasn’t passive. It was just flabby.
What Passive Voice Actually Is
A sentence is in the passive voice when the subject receives the action of the verb, rather than doing it.
Here’s the classic example:
Passive: The deadline was missed by the author.
Active: The author missed the deadline.
In the passive version, the sentence buries the agent (the author) and puts the object (the deadline) at the front.
Worse still, it’s easy to omit the agent altogether:
Passive: The deadline was missed by the author.
That kind of construction is popular in politics and corporate communications—anywhere people want to dodge responsibility.
How to Spot the Passive Voice
Here’s the foolproof formula:
Some examples:
- is discussed
- was sent
- were delivered
- be handled
- being flattered
And sometimes the be-verb is implied:
Passive: I heard it suggested by a friend that...
There’s an invisible being tucked in after it.
A more active rewrite:
Active: I heard a friend suggest...
Good Reasons to Avoid the Passive Voice
There are three big reasons passive voice should be used sparingly:
- It’s wordy. The passive often requires extra filler words.
- It’s vague. It can obscure who is doing the action.
- It’s harder to read. Passive sentences reverse the natural English order of subject-verb-object.
By contrast, active voice is often clearer, punchier, and more direct. It saves words, reveals the actor, and aligns with how we process language.
When to Use the Passive Voice
There are times when the passive voice is the right choice. Here are six legit reasons to use it:
- The actor is unimportant
- The actor is unknown
- You want the punch word at the end
- You’re deliberately hiding the actor’s identity
- The focus is on the thing being acted upon
- It just sounds better in that context
Still, these account for only about 15–20% of the passive sentences professional editors see.
That means about 80% of passive constructions could—and should—be active.
The Takeaway
If you want to tighten your writing, be clearer, and connect with readers, start by making this your mantra:
Presume active voice. Use passive only when there’s a good reason.
Next time you revise a draft, hunt down those passive constructions. Ask yourself:
- Can I say who did the action?
- Can I flip this into active voice?
- Does it read better when I do?
If the answer is yes—rewrite it.
Your readers (and future editor) will thank you.