What Is Passive Voice? When to Avoid It—and When to Use It Strategically

Have you ever had a teacher or editor mark up your writing because of passive voice? Well, you’re not alone. Passive voice is one of the most misunderstood elements of English grammar—often criticized, frequently flagged, and (sometimes unfairly) banned from writing altogether. 

Many professionals hate it not because it’s always wrong, but because it shows up in places it shouldn’t be. Once you understand what it is, you can use it strategically to sharpen your writing instead of weakening it with misplaced or accidental passive voice.

This article will break down what passive voice actually is, why it’s often discouraged in professional writing, and when you can use it to your advantage. Whether you're crafting SEO content, refining a business proposal, or writing a blog post, understanding how and when to use passive voice can enhance your clarity, bolster your authority, and enhance your communication skills.

Let’s start by clearing up the confusion—what exactly is passive voice?

What Is Passive Voice?

Passive voice isn’t just a sentence that sounds kind of boring or wordy; it’s a specific grammatical structure. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence isn’t doing the action—it’s receiving it.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Active voice: The subject does the action. 

• Example: “The editor fixed the typo.”

• Passive voice: The subject receives the action. 

• Example: “The typo was fixed by the editor.”

See the difference? In the active version, we know who’s doing what, and it’s direct and strong. In the passive version, things are flipped—the typo becomes the focus, and the editor (if mentioned at all) shows up at the end of the sentence.

Sometimes the person doing the action disappears altogether:

“The typo was fixed.”

By whom? Who knows. Maybe a ghost. Certainly not me.

That’s one of the main complaints about passive voice: it can make your writing feel vague or evasive. That’s a bad thing when the one performing the action is known and the writer has no reason to hide it. However, if the actor of the sentence is unknown, or the writer hides the knowledge for the sake of suspense, it can have very valid uses. 

Quick Grammar Tip:

Passive voice usually shows up in the form of a “to be” verb (was, were, is, are, etc.) + a past participle (fixed, made, written, etc.). It’s not the only sign, but it’s a pretty good hint.

Example: “The report was written last night.”

But keep in mind: not every sentence with a “to be” verb is passive.

“She was tired after editing all day.” 

Not passive. That’s just a description. 

Incidentally, this is one of the things that auto-correct tools (even Grammarly) get wrong. It takes a human editor familiar with passive voice and common sense to distinguish its proper use and edit it effectively. 

Spotting passive voice takes more than just scanning for the word “was.” You have to ask: is the subject doing the action, or is it having it done to them?

This cat is the personification of passive.

Why Avoid Passive Voice?

Now that we’ve nailed down what passive voice is, let’s talk about why it has a bad reputation. No matter how valid it may be in some cases, there are definitely times when it doesn’t belong in your writing.

1. It Makes Sentences Vague and Indirect

One of the biggest issues with passive voice is that it obscures who’s actually doing the thing. That’s fine if you’re trying to be diplomatic (or dodgy), but not so great when you’re trying to communicate clearly.

Passive: “Mistakes were made.”

Active: “Our team made a mistake.”

The passive version feels evasive, because it is. The active one takes responsibility—and sounds way less like a politician.

2. It Slows Down Your Writing

Passive constructions tend to be longer, wordier, and just kind of… bleh. That’s a problem if you’re writing blog posts, web copy, your next bestselling novel, or anything meant to grab attention and keep it.

Passive: “The instructions were quickly followed by the team.”

Active: “The team followed the instructions quickly.”

It’s shorter, cleaner, and easier to read. It’s also better for keeping people on the page (which is a win for SEO, too).

3. It Can Feel Bureaucratic or Cold

If you’re trying to build trust with your audience—through marketing content, newsletters, or even internal communications—passive voice can work against you. It creates distance between the writer and the reader.

“Your request has been received and will be processed.”

Cool. By whom? Are they friendly? Do they like me? Probably not. 

When writing to people, active voice feels more direct, conversational, and confident—which is usually what writers say they want. 

Avoid Passive Voice When:

• You want to be clear about who’s doing what instead of burying the lead.

• You’re writing content that needs to be punchy, direct, and succinct.

• You want to sound more human and less like a legal disclaimer for drug side effects. 

Now that I've thoroughly destroyed the pervasive use of passive voice, it's time to discuss why it isn’t always the villain. Sometimes, it’s exactly what your sentence needs. So, let’s talk about when passive voice can actually help your writing.

Don't stress yourself with charts; just use common sense.

When to Use Passive Voice Strategically

So yes—writers overuse, misuse, and sometimes abuse passive voice in their writing. But does that mean you should completely excise it from your writing? Not at all.

There are times when passive voice is not only acceptable, but actually the better choice.

It’s all about context.

Here’s when it makes sense to let the passive voice have the throne.

1. When the Actor Isn’t Important (or You Don’t Know Who It Is)

Sometimes, who did the thing just… doesn’t matter. The focus is on the action or the result.

“The window was broken during the storm.”

We don’t need to know who or what broke it–the wind, the rain, or flying coconuts. The key info is that it’s broken, and it happened during the storm.

This construction is common in news writing, technical reports, and scientific writing—anywhere the result is more important than the cause, or the cause is unknown. It’s also very common (and hard to avoid) when writing about military topics. 

“After being promoted to Sergeant…”

Who promoted him? We don’t know. Someone in the military, presumably. You can personify the branch for some of the mentions (“The Army promoted him…”), but sometimes, that just doesn’t work anymore, and you're left with plain ol’ passive voice. 

2. When You Want to Emphasize the Object or Outcome

Passive voice lets you shift the spotlight. Instead of focusing on who did the action, you can highlight what happened or what was affected.

Passive: “The award was given to the editor.”

Active: “The panel gave the award to the editor.”

Both are grammatically fine. However, if you want to emphasize the editor, the passive version brings that character to the forefront. It’s a subtle shift, but can be a powerful one when you’re trying to create a certain tone or narrative flow. No one cares about the panel, anyway, right? 

3. When It Matches the Tone or Style

Some types of writing—academic papers, formal reports, legal documents—tend to lean more heavily on passive voice. It can sound more objective, less personal, and sometimes more professional.

“The findings were reviewed and approved.”

In some contexts, that’s just the expected tone. I once had a client ask me to write everything in passive voice. That's right–EVERYTHING. Oh, how that needled my editor's soul. 

The reason? The topics concerned mental health. To avoid sounding as if the article directly addressed the reader, or made any assumptions about their mental health state, or offered any medical advice regarding the same, passive voice was employed. See what I did there? You already forgot that I was the one writing the articles. 

In fiction, passive voice can also add rhythm and variety. If you’ve got a paragraph full of punchy active sentences, dropping in a passive one can change the pace and keep things from feeling repetitive. Just be careful that it doesn't get overused. ;) 

4. When You’re Being Tactful or Diplomatic

Let’s say something went wrong, and you need to acknowledge it without throwing anyone under the bus.

“The deadline was missed.”

No names. No blame. But still honest(ish). 

This is especially useful in corporate communication, client emails, and editorial feedback. It’s a way to be clear without being confrontational. Just remember that it's sometimes appropriate to name the responsible party–especially if the pink slip already went out. 

Bottom Line:

Passive voice isn’t always bad—it’s just easy to misuse. The trick is to make sure you’re using it on purpose and not by accident. Think about what the sentence needs to do: clarify, emphasize, soften, or simplify. Passive voice is often a long detour, but sometimes it's also the shortest route to your point. 

How to Identify and Revise Passive Voice

Now that you know what passive voice is, it’s time to revise it. You know that it usually weakens your writing, and when it actually works in your favor. But how do you spot it in the wild? And more importantly, how do you fix it when it’s not doing your sentence any favors?

Let’s break it down.

1. Look for the Telltale Signs

Most passive sentences follow this formula:

[Subject] + [form of “to be”] + [past participle] (+ optional “by” phrase)

Some common “to be” verbs: is, are, was, were, has been, have been, will be, being

Some common past participles: written, made, done, seen, given, taken, built, sent

Example:

“The article was written by the intern.”

🚩 Was written is your passive voice red flag. Since it’s no big secret that the intern wrote the article, go ahead and lead with that: “The intern wrote the article.” 

2. Ask: Who’s Doing the Action?

If you can’t tell who’s doing what—or if they show up awkwardly at the end in a “by so-and-so” phrase—it’s probably passive.

Example:

“The edits were completed.”

By whom? No idea. Certainly not this editor. 

Try rewriting it in active voice:

“The editor completed the edits.”

Boom. Cleaner, clearer, more accountable. I’ll take credit this time! 

3. Use Tools to Help You Spot Passive Voice

If your eyes glaze over during grammar checks (no judgment—that’s why I have a job), these tools can help flag passive constructions automatically:

• Grammarly – Highlights passive voice and offers suggestions.

• Hemingway Editor – Color-codes passive sentences for easy spotting.

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Writing aids like these are great for first drafts or self-editing passes before submitting your writing to an editor. While these tools won’t help you decide when passive voice is appropriate to keep in your writing, they will let you know how often you’re using it. 

4. How to Revise a Passive Sentence

Here’s a quick formula to help you turn passive into active:

• Step 1: Find the action

• Step 2: Identify who’s doing it

• Step 3: Rewrite the sentence so the doer comes first

Example:

Passive: “The blog post was published late.”

Active: “The content team published the blog post late.”

Another one:

Passive: “The form will be reviewed by our team.”

Active: “Our team will review the form.”

You don’t always have to go full-on minimalist, but starting with who’s doing what is a good default for clarity.

Quick Tip: Don’t Overcorrect

Sometimes people try to turn everything into active voice, and the writing ends up sounding robotic or overly choppy. It’s okay to leave the occasional passive sentence in place—especially if it sounds better, fits the tone, or puts the right thing in the spotlight.

Passive Voice in the Editing Process

By now, you understand why passive voice gets flagged so often in editing—but here’s the nuance: it’s not about blindly deleting every passive sentence. Good editors know when to challenge it, when to rewrite it, and when to let it lie like sleeping dogs.

Let’s look at how passive voice shows up in real editing work—and how professionals decide what to keep and what to cut.

Why Editors Flag Passive Voice in Client Work

It all comes down to one thing: clarity.

Passive voice can make sentences feel murky, detached, or unnecessarily long-winded. Good editors want your message to come through cleanly and confidently, especially in content that is supposed to engage readers—like books, blog posts, articles, or brand copy.

When an editor flags a passive sentence, they’re saying, “Hey, this could be stronger, sharper, or more direct.”

It’s not about being grammatically “correct”—it’s about impact. An editor is there to help your words be the best they can be, and that often means rewriting for clarity. 

Balancing Client Voice and Clarity

Editors aren’t just grammar-fixers—they’re voice enhancers. A good editor doesn’t rewrite everything in active voice just because they can. They look at the bigger picture:

• What’s the tone of the piece?

• Does the passive voice serve a purpose here (e.g., formality, emphasis)?

• Will rewriting the sentence change the meaning or shift the voice too far?

Sometimes a sentence like, “The proposal was approved,” fits perfectly in a formal or report-style document. It sounds polished, intentional, and professional. In this case, there’s no need to touch it.

Other times, the same construction in a blog post might sound stiff or vague, and that’s where the editing happens.

How Professional Editors Make the Call

It’s always a judgment call, but editors usually weigh:

• Context: Is this a casual post, a press release, or a case study?

• Pacing: Does the sentence slow things down unnecessarily?

• Clarity: Will readers understand who’s doing what?

• Voice: Does this still sound like you after the edit?

In other words, the decision isn’t just “active good, passive bad.” It’s “Does this sentence do what it needs to do, in the clearest and most effective way possible?” If not, the editor steps in to make things better. 

✍️ Want Help with Your Writing?

If you’re not sure when to revise or when to let it ride, you don’t have to go it alone. Lettal Editorial Services specializes in bringing clarity, strength, and polish to every sentence—without flattening your voice. 

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So What Do I Do About Passive Voice?

Passive voice isn’t unequivocally evil—it’s just a tool. Like any tool, it can be incredibly useful in the right hands…or it can make a big mess if you’re not paying attention.

The key takeaway? Don’t avoid passive voice just because someone told you to. Learn what it is, understand how it works, and then decide when to use it and why. That’s where strong, intentional writing comes from.

So, here’s your assignment (don’t worry, it’s painless):

Go back through a recent draft—an email, a blog post, a report—and check for passive constructions. Ask yourself:

• Is this sentence clear?

• Do I know who’s doing what?

• Would this hit harder in active voice?

And if you're still unsure? That’s where we come in.

👉 Let Lettal Editorial Services help you cut the clutter, sharpen your sentences, and make every word count. Explore our editorial services.