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active voice and passive voice

Try to write more active-voice sentences than passive-voice sentences. In other words, the subject of most of your sentences should be the "actor" or "agent" (who did it?) rather than the thing "acted upon."

Active voice: We tested the apparatus.
Passive voice: The apparatus was tested by us.

Research shows that active voice helps even highly educated readers absorb information more quickly. Passive voice is no longer considered to be more scholarly or scientific than active voice. Active voice also lends clarity and vigor to technical writing. But sometimes passive voice is appropriate, especially when it's more important to emphasize what was done than who did it. Passive voice can add variety to your writing, too. See also personal pronouns.  

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Last Updated Dec. 9, 2024