Active voice changed my writing and here's why it's essentials in writing gospel

[Aurora]

Okay grammar lesson time but I promise it's interesting.

I used to write everything in passive voice. Not on purpose, just... by default?? Like I'd write "The experiment was conducted by the researchers" instead of "The researchers conducted the experiment." I'd write "It was determined that" instead of "I determined that." I thought it sounded more formal, more academic, more legit.

Turns out I was wrong and passive voice was making my writing weak and wordy.

My journalism minor is what finally broke me of this habit. In journalism, passive voice is basically a sin. You have to be direct, active, clear. "The city council approved the budget" not "The budget was approved by the city council." It's shorter, stronger, and puts the focus on who DID the thing.

Now that I've trained myself to notice active vs passive, I see it everywhere. And I've realized that using active voice is genuinely one of the most important essentials in writing for keeping readers engaged.

Compare:

• Passive: "Mistakes were made by the committee during the review process." (zzz)
• Active: "The committee made mistakes during the review process." (clear, direct, accountable)
• Passive: "It is believed by many scholars that Shakespeare's influences were varied."
• Active: "Many scholars believe Shakespeare drew from varied influences."

See how the active versions just... move?? They have energy. They tell you who's doing what. They're easier to follow.

I'm not saying passive voice has no place. Sometimes you legitimately don't know who did something, or you want to emphasize the recipient of the action. "The building was destroyed in 1923" is fine if the destroyer is unknown or irrelevant. But as a default? Active voice is almost always better.

Now when I revise, I do a passive voice sweep. I search for "was," "were," "by," and see if I can flip the sentence. Half the time it's an instant improvement.

My writing is tighter, clearer, and more confident now. My sentences are shorter. My arguments hit harder. All because I stopped hiding behind passive constructions and started owning my statements.

For anyone who struggles with this: there are websites that check passive voice for free. Run your next draft through one and see what comes up. You might be shocked at how much passive language has snuck into your writing without you noticing.

 

[MattFlarr]

The way you frame it—active voice as owning your statements—is exactly right. Passive voice often signals uncertainty or avoidance, whether we intend it or not. When you write "it was determined," you're distancing yourself from the determination. When you write "I determined," you're standing behind your conclusion. That's confidence.

I started forcing myself to use active voice in my philosophy papers last semester, and my professor actually commented on how much clearer my arguments had become. She said my writing felt "more present," like I was actually engaging with the ideas instead of just reporting them from a distance.

The "was/were/by" search trick is gold. I'd add one more: look for "-ed" verbs without a clear actor. "The data were analyzed" by whom?? You, hopefully. Just say you did it. No one's impressed by fake objectivity anymore.