What are the differences between passive and active voice? when do you use them? is there an advantage in using one over the other? choosing the voice of verb for a research paper ndash or for any form of writing ndash can be a tricky task. Voice in grammar, after all, can affect the way the verbs inflect, as well as where points of emphasis, intonations, and stress points may occur. In particular, voice affects the relationship between the action or the state that the verb expresses and the subjects or objects of that verb. If the subject of the sentence is the doer of the action, the verb is said to be in the active voice. Meanwhile, if the subject is the target ndash or the undergoes ndash of the action, the verb is said to be in the passive voice. The verb ate is expressed in the active voice, since the subject paul is the doer of the action.

The verb eaten is expressed in the passive voice, since the subject the whole pizza was the target of the action. The passive voice is often used in cases wherein the author wishes to place emphasis on, or treat as the subject, the target or undergoes ndash instead of the doer ndash of the action. While it is not commonly used in research paper writing, the passive voice does figure itself more prominently in mystery and crime writing and reportage ndash especially if the doer of the action is not or cannot be known. The bank was robbed, hundreds were injured last friday in a riot at the square. It is also suitable for laboratory reports and mathematical expressions, helping sharpen focus on the content of the reports or expressions instead of on the researchers. Five of these plant species were taken indoors, away from the sunlight , two hundred five was multiplied by two to arrive at four hundred ten.

how to cite at the heart of every good sentence is a strong, precise verb the converse is true as well at the core of most confusing, awkward, or wordy sentences lies a weak verb. Here are some tips and strategies for converting sentences from the passive to the active voice. Rewrite the sentence so that the subject buried in the by clause is closer to the beginning of the sentence. What is active voice?

an author may write a sentence in one of two voices mdash active or passive. The active voice emphasizes the performer or agent of the action: wind disperses plant seeds. smith et al.

Investigated the relationship. we have analyzed the results. the active voice is direct performer ndash verb ndash receiver , vigorous, clear, and concise. What is passive voice? the passive voice, in contrast, emphasizes the receiver or product of the action: plant seeds are dispersed by wind. the relationship was investigated by smith et al. the results have been analyzed by us. the passive voice is indirect receiver ndash verb ndash performer and can be weak, awkward, and wordy. Passive voice uses a form of the verb to be followed by a past participle e.g. If the by phrase is omitted the truncated passive , the reader will not directly know who or what performed the action. A particularly awkward and ambiguous form of the passive voice occurs when an author uses it as the receiver rather than the first person pronouns i or we: it is concluded that the treatment is effective. these types of passive voice sentences are a form of hedging. In addition to being awkward, sentences written in the passive voice, if not constructed carefully, may contain grammatical errors such as dangling modifiers.

In addition to allowing an author to vary the sentence structure, the passive voice has other important functions. Tradition and the passive voice more than a century ago, scientists typically wrote in an active style that included the first person pronouns i and we. Beginning in about the 1920s, however, these pronouns became less common as scientists adopted a passive writing style. Considered to be objective, impersonal, and well suited to science writing, the passive voice became the standard style for medical and scientific journal publications for decades. For instance, in 1953, one elegantly written paper began: we wish to suggest a structure for the salt of deoxyribose nucleic acid d.n.a.

1 the opening sentence of watson and crick's classic article is simple, direct, and clear. but suppose the authors had taken the passive point of view: in this paper, a structure is suggested for the salt of deoxyribose nucleic acid d.n.a. the emphasis is now on the receiver of the action the structure , but at a price mdash the sentence has lost its clarity who suggested? , energy passive verb , and overall impact. Emphasize the active voice nowadays, most medical and scientific style manuals support the active over the passive voice. For example, the american medical association's ama manual of style recommends that in general, authors should use the active voice, except in instances in which the author is unknown or the interest focuses on what is acted upon. 2 the publication manual of the american psychological association apa has similar advice: prefer the active voice. The passive voice is acceptable in expository writing and when you want to focus on the object or recipient of the action rather than on the actor. 3 these manuals and other books on science writing recommend using the active voice as much as possible. An author may decide to focus on the receiver mdash and thus use the passive voice mdash when the performer is unknown or of less importance.

Do scientific and medical journals, in their instructions for authors, advise them to write in the active voice? many journals indirectly do so by referring authors to a style manual that supports the active voice, or by publishing articles in which active voice sentences are common and acceptable. Although some journals ask authors to limit first person pronouns or restrict them to certain sections, others not only encourage authors to write in an active style, but prefer them to use first person pronouns over passive voice. Here is a small sampling: behavioral ecology: the first person active voice is preferable to the impersonal passive voice. 4 british medical journal: please write in a clear, direct, and active style. 5 the journal of neuroscience: overuse of the passive voice is a common problem in writing.