Active and passive voice: when to use each

In the active voice, the subject does the action: “The dog bit the boy.” In the passive voice, the subject receives the action: “The boy was bitten by the dog.”

Active voice is usually stronger

It is shorter, clearer and more direct. In stories, it keeps the action moving: “Mia kicked the door open” is more vivid than “The door was kicked open by Mia.”

When passive voice is useful

• When the doer is unknown: “My bike was stolen.”
• When the doer does not matter: “The bridge was built in 1890.”
• To create mystery: “The letter had been opened.” By whom? The reader wants to know.

How to spot the passive

Look for a form of “to be” (was, were, is, been) plus a past participle (taken, opened, broken). If you can add “by someone” at the end, it is probably passive.

Try it: change these to the active voice: “The window was smashed by the ball.” “The cake was eaten by my brother.” Then write one passive sentence that creates mystery.