NARRATOR: Have you ever noticed how some parts of your writing seem to pop while other parts don't? Well, you can improve those dull sentences if you think about how you structure them. There are two voices in writing, active and passive. In the active voice, the subject of a sentence acts, like Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. The active voice is direct, clear, and easy to read. 

With the passive voice, the subject is acted upon, like the moon was walked on by Neil Armstrong. Although the passive voice is still grammatically correct, it typically doesn't carry the same energy or clarity as the active voice. For starters, its structure can feel clumsy and unnatural, which makes your writing harder to read. It also tends to use more words than the active voice. Over the course of a document, all those extra words can make your writing drag. 

Here's how to spot the passive voice. Look for phrases like was visited, has been cleaned, or will be built. Each one has a to be verb like was, has been, or will be. That's followed by an action that's already happened like visited, cleaned, or built. The person or thing doing the action comes last if they're mentioned at all. If you see these parts together, there's a good chance the sentence is in passive voice. 

Overall, we recommend using the active voice more often than the passive. This will help keep your writing snappy and efficient. Here's how to change a sentence from passive to active. 

In this example, Jacob is our subject. And tossed is the verb. Just move Jacob to the beginning of the sentence. Cut out unnecessary words. And rearrange a few others. Now the money was tossed into the air by Jacob becomes Jacob tossed the money into the air. The delivery is briefer, clearer, and more immediate. 

Although active voice is incredibly useful, the passive voice is occasionally the better choice. For instance, you may go passive if the actor of a sentence is unknown or irrelevant. In this case, we're interested in the amendment's approval, not who approved them. Passive voice is also great for creating an authoritative tone. It doesn't matter who requires employees to wash their hands. They just need to wash their hands. 

You may also want to go passive when you don't know who's responsible for the action. For example, the mystery was never solved. The voice you use can make a big difference in your writing. The active voice will often add pep and clarity. But, occasionally, the passive voice will be your best option. Take some time to choose the voice that fits best, and your writing will almost certainly grow stronger. 

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