1. Start with the meaning the reader needs
When it is important to identify the person doing something immediately, active voice is often useful: The manager approved the budget. This is practical advice for clear writing, not a rule that passive voice is always worse.
The passive can appropriately focus on an event or its object: The budget was approved. If the person responsible is clear from the context or is not important at this point, the sentence is clear.
Agent (subject) + action + object: Priya checked the invoice.
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- object / O —
- Who or what an action affects: in I read a book, a book is the object.
The finance director approved the budget this morning.
The finance director approved the budget this morning.
The sentence begins by identifying who made the decision.
The budget was approved this morning.
The budget was approved this morning.
The sentence begins with the budget and does not name the person who approved it.
2. Name the person responsible when necessary
When describing an error or a decision, the reader may need to know who acted. Mistakes were made does not identify anyone responsible; We made mistakes does. Naming the person or group is useful when this information is needed and known.
Passive voice alone does not prove that someone is avoiding responsibility: the agent may appear in the previous sentence or in a by-phrase. Do not invent an agent merely to make a sentence active.
Mistakes were made during the migration.
Mistakes were made during the migration.
The sentence does not identify who made the mistakes.
We made mistakes during the migration.
We made mistakes during the migration.
The responsible group is named without inventing a number of mistakes.
The admissions panel rejected your application.
The admissions panel rejected your application.
The sentence explicitly identifies who made the decision.
3. Compare a shorter active version with the passive
If the agent appears in a by-phrase, try making it the subject. This often produces a shorter sentence, but the change is not compulsory: the by-phrase may contain important new information at the end.
Preserve the tense, modality, negatives, and the participants' roles. Make the verb agree with its new subject instead of mechanically keeping the original singular or plural form.
Object + was/were + V3 + by + agent → agent + V2 + object; V2 is the Past Simple form.
- V2 / past form —
- The form used in a Past Simple statement: worked, went, saw.
- V3 / past participle —
- The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
- object / O —
- Who or what an action affects: in I read a book, a book is the object.
The invoice was checked by Priya yesterday. / Priya checked the invoice yesterday.
The invoice was checked by Priya yesterday. / Priya checked the invoice yesterday.
The active version preserves the action and its time while removing was and by.
The invoices are checked by Priya. / Priya checks the invoices.
The invoices are checked by Priya. / Priya checks the invoices.
The new subject, Priya, is singular, so the verb is checks. The number of invoices does not change.
The old bridge was restored by local volunteers.
The old bridge was restored by local volunteers.
If the paragraph is about the bridge, this passive sentence with important information in the by-phrase may be the best choice.
4. Simplify a noun phrase without losing the action
An inspection was carried out can sometimes become inspected, and a decision was made can become decided. This expresses the action more directly. The noun may still be needed if the inspection or decision is the topic.
Preserve the exact meaning. Decided to postpone reports a decision; postponed reports an actual postponement. Do not turn a decision or plan into a completed action.
An inspection of the kitchen was carried out by the health officer. / The health officer inspected the kitchen.
An inspection of the kitchen was carried out by the health officer. / The health officer inspected the kitchen.
In the second version, inspected expresses the action directly.
A decision was made by the board to postpone the launch. / The board decided to postpone the launch.
A decision was made by the board to postpone the launch. / The board decided to postpone the launch.
The rewrite retains the decision without claiming that the change has already taken place.
5. Instructions: name the addressee when it helps
Badges must be worn is a natural way to state a rule. If it is unclear who the rule applies to, specify Visitors must wear badges. An imperative is also possible when addressing someone directly.
Use the base form without to after must and should: must sign. In have to sign, to is part of the construction; do not add another to. Preserve the force of the requirement when rewriting: a polite request does not always express an obligation.
Badges must be worn at all times.
Badges must be worn at all times.
This passive rule is clear at the entrance to a building.
Visitors must wear their badges at all times.
Visitors must wear their badges at all times.
The people addressed are named, and must retains the obligation.
All refunds must be approved by a team leader. / A team leader must approve all refunds.
All refunds must be approved by a team leader. / A team leader must approve all refunds.
Must and all remain, preserving both the obligation and the scope of the rule.
6. Check the result in context
Compare the two versions. Do they describe the same event? Is it clear who acts? Does the sentence continue the paragraph naturally? Choose the active when it really makes the intended meaning clearer.
Do not automatically add somebody, they, or people as a subject. These subjects can be appropriate, but the passive may be better if they distract from an important object. Keep them when another person's involvement is itself important.
The gates are locked at eleven every night.
The gates are locked at eleven every night.
The sentence describes a routine; the person performing the action may be unimportant.
Somebody has moved my bag.
Somebody has moved my bag.
Somebody is appropriate because the sentence focuses on another person's intervention.
Who approved the budget?
Who approved the budget?
In a neutral question with who as the subject, did is unnecessary.
The form must not be signed before Friday. / You must not sign the form before Friday.
The form must not be signed before Friday. / You must not sign the form before Friday.
If the addressee is known, the active version preserves the prohibition with must not and the time restriction.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:The manager approved by the budget this morning.
Correct:The manager approved the budget this morning.
The agent has become the subject, but by has been left in its old position. The by-phrase belongs to the passive construction.
Incorrect:Our lawyers was reviewed the contract last week.
Correct:Our lawyers reviewed the contract last week.
Was has been left over from the passive construction. In the active Past Simple, use the past-tense verb without was or were.
Incorrect:You must to sign the form before Friday.
Correct:You must sign the form before Friday.
Use the base form after must. Passive be signed becomes active sign, not to sign.
Incorrect:The board decided postpone the launch.
Correct:The board decided to postpone the launch.
In this sentence, decided needs to postpone. Decide can also introduce a that-clause: The board decided that the launch should be postponed.
Incorrect:Who did approved the budget?
Correct:Who approved the budget?
The usual subject question is Who approved the budget? The emphatic Who did approve is possible, but did must be followed by the base form approve, not approved.