What is Passive Voice Misuse?
Passive voice misuse happens when the passive voice is used unnecessarily or in a way that makes a sentence unclear, weak, or awkward. While passive voice has valid uses, overusing it can make writing vague or ineffective.
Table of Contents
Common Cases of Passive Voice Misuse
1. When It Makes the Sentence Unclear
- Passive: Mistakes were made. (Who made the mistakes?)
- Better (Active): The manager made mistakes.
➡ The passive version hides responsibility, which may confuse readers.
2. When It Weakens the Sentence
- Passive: The project was completed by the team.
- Better (Active): The team completed the project.
➡ The active version is more direct and engaging.
3. When It Makes Sentences Wordy
- Passive: A decision was reached by the committee after a long discussion.
- Better (Active): The committee reached a decision after a long discussion.
➡ The active form removes unnecessary words, making the sentence more concise.
4. When It Sounds Unnatural in Instructions
- Passive: The button should be pressed to start the machine.
- Better (Active): Press the button to start the machine.
➡ Active voice is clearer and more direct in commands or instructions.
When Passive Voice is Acceptable
- When the doer is unknown: The window was broken last night.
- When the action matters more than the doer: A new policy was introduced to improve efficiency.
- In formal or scientific writing: The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment.
How to Fix Passive Voice Misuse?
To fix passive voice misuse, rewrite sentences in the active voice by:
a. Identify the Doer of the Action
To identify the doer of the action, follow the following steps:
- Find the verb (action word).
- Ask “Who or what is performing this action?”
- If the doer is missing, try to infer it from the context.
Examples of Identifying the Doer of the Action
| Passive Voice Sentence | Verb | Doer of the Action | Active Voice Rewrite |
| The cake was baked. | was baked | (Unknown, but likely a person) | Someone baked the cake. |
| The mistake was made by John. | was made | John | John made the mistake. |
| A new policy was introduced. | was introduced | (Unknown, likely management) | The company introduced a new policy. |
| The door was left open. | was left | (Unknown) | Someone left the door open. |
| The experiment was conducted by the scientists. | was conducted | The scientists | The scientists conducted the experiment. |
Why Identifying the Doer Matters
✔ Makes sentences clearer
✔ Helps convert passive voice into active voice
✔ Avoids vague or weak writing
b. Make the doer the subject of the sentence
To make the doer the subject of the sentence, follow these steps:
- Identify the verb (action word).
- Find out who or what is performing the action (the doer).
- Rewrite the sentence so the doer comes before the verb.
Examples: Converting Passive to Active Voice
| Passive Voice (Doer is Hidden or at the End) | Doer of the Action | Active Voice (Doer is Subject) |
| The cake was baked. | (Unknown, likely a person) | Someone baked the cake. |
| A mistake was made by John. | John | John made a mistake. |
| A new policy was introduced. | (Unknown, likely management) | The company introduced a new policy. |
| The door was left open. | (Unknown) | Someone left the door open. |
| The experiment was conducted by the scientists. | The scientists | The scientists conducted the experiment. |
| The report was written by Sarah. | Sarah | Sarah wrote the report. |
| The book was published by the author. | The author | The author published the book. |
| The meeting was scheduled by the manager. | The manager | The manager scheduled the meeting. |
Why This Matters
✔ Clarifies who is responsible for the action
✔ Makes writing more direct and engaging
✔ Reduces unnecessary words
c. Restructure the sentence for clarity and conciseness
To make a sentence clear and concise, follow these steps:
- Identify the doer of the action (who is performing the action).
- Make the doer the subject of the sentence.
- Remove unnecessary words (like “by” phrases or extra helping verbs).
- Use active voice to make the sentence stronger and more direct.
Examples: Restructuring Passive Voice Sentences
| Passive Voice (Wordy & Weak) | Active Voice (Clear & Concise) |
| A decision was made by the manager. | The manager made a decision. |
| The cake was baked by Sarah in the kitchen. | Sarah baked the cake in the kitchen. |
| The project was completed by the team ahead of schedule. | The team completed the project ahead of schedule. |
| The results of the experiment were analyzed by the scientist. | The scientist analyzed the experiment results. |
| The meeting was scheduled by the HR department for next Monday. | The HR department scheduled the meeting for next Monday. |
| The policy was revised by the company to improve efficiency. | The company revised the policy to improve efficiency. |
| A mistake was made in the report by the intern. | The intern made a mistake in the report. |
| The new app update was released by the developers last week. | The developers released the new app update last week. |
Why Restructuring Matters
✔ Improves readability and makes writing more engaging
✔ Removes unnecessary words for a sharper message
✔ Strengthens the impact of the sentence
Conclusion: Fixing Passive Voice Misuse
Passive voice misuse often makes writing unclear, wordy, or weak by hiding the doer of the action. To improve clarity and conciseness:
✅ Identify the doer of the action.
✅ Make the doer the subject of the sentence.
✅ Rewrite in active voice to make the sentence direct and engaging.
✅ Remove unnecessary words for better readability.
While passive voice is useful in some cases (like scientific writing or when the doer is unknown)
You should also learn the following lessons: