The passive voice changes the focus of a sentence. “The wrong man was convicted” foregrounds the injustice to the man rather than who convicted him. In fiction, “The door had been left open” creates mystery about who left it.
Academic writing sometimes uses the passive to sound impersonal: “The theory has been widely criticised.” But the active voice is clearer when responsibility matters.
Choosing voice deliberately is a mark of a mature writer. Ask what you want at the front of the sentence, where readers' attention falls.
Worked example
Change to the active: “The decision is being reviewed by a panel.”
- The doer is a panel.
- Present progressive active: is reviewing.
Answer:A panel is reviewing the decision.
Key words
- focus
- the part of a sentence that gets attention
- foreground
- place in the most noticeable position
- impersonal
- not mentioning people
Practise this
New questions every time.