Writing Tip: Get Active!
Get Active!
When you’re aiming to be clear and concise, it’s better to use the active voice instead of the passive voice. Writing in the active voice automatically sharpens and clarifies your message.
When you write in the active voice, the subject of the sentence is also the “doer” of the action. In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence does not do the action in the sentence.
By the way, the subject of a sentence is usually—although not always—the noun that comes before the main verb in the sentence.
Compare these sentences:
Not this: Several improvements to the process were implemented by the committee.
But this: The committee implemented several improvements to the process.
Although the content of the messages is arguably the same, the latter sentence shifts the emphasis to the committee. What other differences do you notice?
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