#Example of active voice free#
#Example of active voice windows#

Put the doer immediately in front of the action. If the doer is written but not located just in front of the action, the sentence is weak.ģ. If the doer is implied and not written in or is being acted on by the action, the sentence is weak or passive. This is the doer (subject) of the sentence.

Locate the action (verb) of the sentence.Ģ. 'Use the following three steps to write in the active voice:ġ. (Gary Provost, 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing. When that's the case, you will use the passive voice.' If the object of the action is the important thing, then you will want to emphasize it by mentioning it first. But realize that there are times when you will need to use the passive. 'The sentence 'The bag was picked up by John' is in the passive voice because the subject of the sentence, bag, is the passive receiver of the action. 'The sentence 'John picked up the bag' is in the active voice because the subject, John, is also the thing or person doing the action of 'picking up.' 'When a verb is in the active voice, the subject of the sentence is also the doer of the action.

Stylistic Advice: Use the Active Voice.

(Ruth Gordon as Maude in Harold and Maude, 1971) Oh my, how the world still dearly loves a cage.'

But I decided that was an idea way before its time. 'You know, at one time, I used to break into pet shops to liberate the canaries.(Kathleen Parker, 'Hillary's Once in a Lifetime.' Oakland Tribune, Feb. Around and around and around she turned, 360 degrees, over and over, her arms outstretched in perpetual greeting, like a jewel-box ballerina whose battery has run low.' 'Her positioning meant that she had to keep turning in order to hug back. 'Finally, Hillary swept in and moved down a line of huggers toward a raised platform centered in the room.'Skiing combines outdoor fun with knocking down trees with your face.'.(Julie Myerson, 'A Sad-Grand Moment That Never Came,' 2008) 'Chloë glanced up and saw me standing there and frowned.'.(Joseph Mitchell, 'The Old House at Home,' 1940) A sluggish cat named Minnie sleeps in a scuttle beside the stove.' They keep their mugs on the hob until the ale gets as hot as coffee. (John Hersey, 'Over the Mad River,' 1955)

#Example of active voice windows#

'The water had broken the plate-glass windows of most of the stores along the street and had ruined their stocks.'.(Bill Barich, 'Steelhead on the Russian,' 1981) Soon enough, I reeled in a fat sucker it flopped onto the shore like a sack of mush.' 'I lifted my rod, preparing to do battle, but I felt no resistance.

#Example of active voice free#

In the IND station at Sixth Avenue and Forty-second Street one recent afternoon, he paid his fare with a free pass.'

'Seven days a week, Paul Schimmel ventures into the subway with his clarinet.

'We play catch or sail a dinghy or holler.'.

Lastly, 'The error was corrected' (passive voice and weak verb) does not show who corrected the error or how, whereas 'I corrected the error by recalculating the figures' (active voice and action verb) shows ownership, accountability, and how you solved the problem. The first sentence conveys commitment and value proposition, while the second sentence sounds passive and distant. Similarly, 'We can help you achieve your goals' (active voice and action verb) is more persuasive than 'Your goals can be achieved with our help' (passive voice and weak verb). The second sentence is shorter, clearer, more engaging, and shows ownership in comparison to the first sentence. For example, 'The project was completed on time and within budget by the team' (passive voice and weak verbs) can be rewritten as 'The team completed the project on time and within budget' (active voice and action verbs). This helps to avoid ambiguity and misunderstanding, as well as demonstrate credibility and professionalism. Additionally, it makes your writing accurate and accountable, as it shows who is responsible for the action and what the result is. It also makes your writing engaging and persuasive, as it creates a sense of energy and urgency that captures the attention of readers. For instance, it makes your writing clear and concise, eliminating superfluous words and avoiding confusion.

Utilizing active voice and action verbs in your writing has many advantages.