Active Voice
Sentence construction where the subject performs the action, creating clearer, more direct prose.
Also known as: Active construction, Active sentences, Direct voice
Category: Concepts
Tags: writing, clarity, grammar, style, communications
Explanation
Active voice is sentence construction where the subject performs the action: 'The team completed the project' rather than passive 'The project was completed by the team.' Active voice generally creates clearer, more direct, more engaging prose. Why active voice works: shorter (fewer words needed), clearer (who did what is obvious), more engaging (subjects doing things), and more accountable (names the actor). Passive structure: '[object] was [verbed] by [subject]' - the recipient of action comes first, the actor may be omitted entirely. When passive is appropriate: the actor is unknown or unimportant, you want to emphasize the recipient of action, in scientific writing conventions, or when deliberately obscuring responsibility. Converting to active: identify who/what is doing the action, make that the subject, restructure accordingly. 'Mistakes were made' becomes 'We made mistakes.' Passive voice isn't grammatically wrong - it's a choice. The principle: default to active voice, use passive deliberately when it serves a purpose. For knowledge workers, active voice creates: professional, direct communication that takes responsibility and respects readers' time.
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