Active Voice vs. Passive Voice: Differences, Rules, and Examples

The sentences Mia wrote the report and The report was written by Mia describe the same action. The difference is in what each sentence puts first.

In the first sentence, Mia performs the action. In the second, the report receives the action. That change is the difference between active voice and passive voice.

Both are correct forms of English. The better choice depends on what you want the sentence to focus on.

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice at a Glance

Active voice puts the person or thing performing the action in the subject position. Passive voice puts the receiver of the action in the subject position.

The two voices do not necessarily change what happened. They change how the information is presented.

What Is Active Voice?

A sentence is in the active voice when its grammatical subject performs the action expressed by the verb.

Sophia carries the boxes.

Here, Sophia is the subject and also the person performing the action.

Active Voice Structure

A common active structure is:

Subject + verb + object

The mechanic checked the engine.

• The mechanic is the subject.
• checked is the verb.
• the engine is the object receiving the action.

Not every active sentence needs an object.

Ethan laughed.

This sentence is still active because Ethan, the subject, performs the action.

Active Voice Examples

Grace opened the curtains.

The dog chased the ball.

Daniel will submit the application tomorrow.

Our neighbors planted two maple trees.

Rebecca has finished the presentation.

In each sentence, the subject is presented as the person or thing performing the action.

What Is Passive Voice?

A sentence is in the passive voice when its grammatical subject receives the action rather than performs it.

The package was delivered by Noah.

The package is the subject, but it does not perform the action. Noah performs the action.

Passive Voice Structure

A typical passive construction contains:

Subject + form of be + past participle

The person or thing performing the action may then appear after by.

The portrait was painted by Emma.

• The portrait is the grammatical subject.
• was painted is the passive verb phrase.
• Emma is the person performing the action, also called the agent.

The agent does not always need to be included.

The portrait was painted in 1895.

The sentence remains passive even though it does not tell us who painted the portrait.

Passive Voice Examples

The meeting was postponed until Friday.

Several trees were damaged by the wind.

The results will be announced tomorrow.

The hallway is cleaned every morning.

A new bridge has been built across the river.

The important feature is not the presence of by. It is the relationship between the subject and the action: the subject receives the action.

What Is the Difference Between Active and Passive Voice?

The difference is not just about rearranging words. Changing the voice also changes the subject’s role, the verb structure, and what the sentence brings into focus.

The Subject Has a Different Role

In active voice, the subject performs the action.

James closed the gate.

James is both the grammatical subject and the doer.

In passive voice, the receiver becomes the grammatical subject.

The gate was closed by James.

Now the gate occupies the subject position even though James still performs the action.

The Verb Structure Changes

An active sentence usually uses the main verb in the form required by its tense.

Hannah prepares the invoices.

The passive version uses the appropriate form of be together with the past participle of the main verb.

The invoices are prepared by Hannah.

The tense remains present in both sentences. What changes is the voice.

The Sentence Focus Changes

Voice also affects which information receives attention.

Compare:

The firefighters rescued three hikers.

This version directs attention toward the firefighters.

Three hikers were rescued by the firefighters.

This version begins with three hikers, so they become the main grammatical focus.

Neither sentence changes the basic event. The speaker or writer simply chooses a different starting point.

Active and Passive Voice Examples Side by Side

Seeing the two forms together makes the contrast clearer.

Notice that the passive versions do not all include the person or thing responsible for the action. When that information is unknown or unnecessary, it can be left out.

How to Identify Active and Passive Voice

Looking only for words such as is or was can lead to mistakes. A better method is to look at the relationship between the subject and the action.

Find the Main Action

Start by identifying what is happening.

The photographer captured the sunset.

The main action is captured.

Find the Doer

Next, ask who or what performs that action.

The photographer performs the action.

Check Whether the Subject Performs or Receives the Action

Now compare the doer with the grammatical subject.

The photographer captured the sunset.

The subject performs the action, so the sentence is active.

Now consider:

The sunset was captured by the photographer.

The grammatical subject, the sunset, receives the action. The sentence is passive.

This gives you a useful test:

• If the subject performs the action, the sentence is usually active.
• If the subject receives the action, the sentence is passive.

A Form of “Be” Does Not Automatically Mean Passive Voice

Passive constructions often contain forms such as is, are, was, were, be, being, or been, but those words can appear in many sentences that are not passive.

Chloe is nervous.

This is not passive. Is links Chloe with the description nervous.

Chloe is reading.

This is active. Chloe performs the action of reading.

Chloe is being interviewed.

This is passive. Chloe receives the action of interviewing.

The presence of a form of be is therefore only a clue. You still need to check what role the subject plays.

Passive Voice Is Not the Same as Past Tense

Voice and tense describe different features of a verb.

Tense helps locate an action in time.

Voice shows the relationship between the subject and the action.

A sentence can therefore be active or passive in more than one tense.

The word was often appears in past passive constructions, which is one reason the two ideas are sometimes confused. But a past-tense sentence is not automatically passive.

Amelia arrived early.

This is past tense, but it is active because Amelia performs the action.

When to Use Active Voice and Passive Voice

Active and passive voice are both useful. The choice depends on which part of the event needs attention.

Use Active Voice When the Doer Matters

Active voice works well when the identity of the person or thing performing the action is important.

Dr. Carter developed the new procedure.

The sentence clearly tells us who developed it.

Changing the sentence to passive would shift that attention:

The new procedure was developed by Dr. Carter.

Both versions are grammatical, but they do not place the same information first.

Use Active Voice When Responsibility Should Be Clear

Active voice can also make responsibility easier to identify.

The company increased the service fee.

This is clearer about who made the decision than:

The service fee was increased.

The passive version may still be appropriate in another context, but it leaves the responsible party unstated.

Use Passive Voice When the Doer Is Unknown

Sometimes you know what happened but not who performed the action.

My bicycle was stolen last night.

An active version would require a subject such as someone:

Someone stole my bicycle last night.

If the identity of that person is unknown, the passive version can keep the attention on the useful information.

Use Passive Voice When the Doer Is Unimportant or Obvious

The person performing an action may not matter to the message.

The street was reopened at noon.

The main information is that the street reopened, not which workers or officials reopened it.

Passive voice is also common when the context already makes the agent obvious.

The suspect was arrested shortly after midnight.

If the surrounding context makes it clear that the police made the arrest, naming them may add little.

Use Passive Voice When the Receiver or Result Needs the Focus

Passive voice can be useful when the affected person, object, or result is more important than the doer.

The winning entry was selected on Monday.

The sentence focuses on the winning entry, not on the people who selected it.

This type of emphasis can also appear in academic, scientific, and technical writing when a process or result is more relevant than the individual performing the action.

Passive Voice Is Not Grammatically Wrong

Advice to “avoid passive voice” is sometimes treated as an absolute rule, but passive voice is a normal part of English grammar.

The real question is whether it serves the sentence well.

Compare:

The finance team corrected the error.

This is useful when the team responsible matters.

The error was corrected before the report was published.

This works naturally when the correction and its timing matter more than who made it.

Passive voice becomes less helpful when it makes a sentence unnecessarily vague or hides information the reader needs. That is a writing choice, not a grammatical ban.

How to Change Active Voice to Passive Voice

To change an active sentence into passive voice, first identify its subject, verb, and object.

Consider:

Nathan mailed the invitations.

• Subject: Nathan
• Verb: mailed
• Object: the invitations

The object becomes the subject of the passive sentence:

The invitations were mailed by Nathan.

The basic process is:

1. Move the object of the active sentence into the subject position.
2. Use a form of be that preserves the original tense.
3. Change the main verb to its past participle.
4. Add the original subject after by if that information is useful.

Another example:

The team will complete the project.

becomes:

The project will be completed by the team.

The original sentence is in the future, so the passive sentence keeps the future meaning with will be completed.

The by phrase is optional when the doer does not need to be stated.

Someone damaged the sign.

can become:

The sign was damaged.

How to Change Passive Voice to Active Voice

When a passive sentence names the agent, you can usually make that agent the subject of an active sentence.

The final chapter was edited by Claire.

The agent is Claire.

Move Claire into the subject position and change the passive verb phrase into the corresponding active form:

Claire edited the final chapter.

Another example:

The documents will be reviewed by the legal team.

becomes:

The legal team will review the documents.

The meaning and tense should remain consistent during the change.

A passive sentence does not always provide enough information for an exact active rewrite.

The window was broken overnight.

The sentence does not tell us who broke it. Writing:

Michael broke the window overnight.

would add information that was not present in the original sentence.

If the agent is unknown, you may need a general subject such as someone, or you may decide that the passive sentence is more appropriate.

Can Every Active Sentence Be Changed to Passive Voice?

No. A passive version normally requires an active construction with an object that can move into the subject position.

Consider:

Julia opened the cabinet.

The cabinet is the object, so it can become the passive subject:

The cabinet was opened by Julia.

Now compare:

Julia smiled.

There is no object receiving the action. Nothing in the sentence can naturally move into the subject position of a corresponding passive construction.

This is why the distinction between transitive and intransitive verbs matters when working with passive voice. A verb used transitively takes an object, while a verb used intransitively does not.

Some verbs can be used in either way depending on the sentence, so it is the verb’s use in the particular construction that matters.

Active or Passive? How to Choose

You do not need to prefer one voice in every situation. Instead, think about what the sentence needs to make clear.

Does the doer matter?

If the person or thing performing the action is important, active voice is often the clearer choice.

Maya discovered the mistake.

Is the doer unknown?

Passive voice can keep the sentence focused on what you actually know.

Several files were deleted overnight.

What information should receive the attention?

Compare:

A local artist designed the mural.

The mural was designed by a local artist.

The first highlights the artist. The second begins with the mural.

Would leaving out the doer hide useful responsibility?

If the answer is yes, an active sentence may be more informative.

The department canceled the event.

is more specific than:

The event was canceled.

The most effective choice is the one that presents the important information clearly and naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions

First English Grade Editorial Team

The First English Grade Editorial Team creates simple English grammar, vocabulary, and language guides for students, beginners, and everyday learners.