Editing. The word itself can evoke a mix of dread and determination in writers. Whether you’ve just finished the final chapter of your epic fantasy or the concluding paragraph of your insightful non-fiction piece, the journey isn’t over. In many ways, it’s just beginning. Editing is where you transform raw potential into polished brilliance, and a crucial part of that process is tackling the often-sneaky culprit: the passive voice.
Why the fuss about passive voice? Simply put, it weakens your writing. It can make your prose feel vague, indirect, and even evasive. It obscures who is doing what, diluting the impact of your sentences and potentially confusing your reader. In both fiction and non-fiction, clarity and directness are paramount.
The Case Against the Passive Voice:
- Obscures the Actor: Passive voice often hides the subject performing the action. Instead of “The dog chased the ball,” we get “The ball was chased by the dog.” While grammatically correct, the focus shifts away from the dog, the active participant.
- Creates Vagueness: Who broke the vase? “The vase was broken.” By whom? The passive voice leaves this crucial information hanging.
- Reduces Impact: Active voice is more dynamic and engaging. “The storm raged” is far more powerful than “The storm was raged.”
- Can Sound Evasive: In non-fiction, especially when discussing responsibility, passive voice can sound like you’re deliberately avoiding assigning blame. “Mistakes were made” is a classic example of this.
- Adds Unnecessary Words: Passive constructions often require more words than their active counterparts, leading to clunky and less concise writing.
Identifying the Passive Voice:
The easiest way to spot the passive voice is to look for a form of the verb “to be” (is, are, was, were, am, been, being) followed by a past participle (usually ending in -ed, -en, -t). You can also ask yourself: “Who or what is performing the action?” If the answer isn’t the subject of the sentence, you likely have a passive construction.
Methods for Actively Eliminating the Passive Voice:
- Identify the Actor: The first step is to figure out who or what is performing the action. In the sentence “The email was sent by Sarah,” Sarah is the actor.
- Make the Actor the Subject: Once you’ve identified the actor, make them the subject of the sentence. Rewrite “The email was sent by Sarah” as “Sarah sent the email.”
- Choose a Strong Active Verb: Replace the “to be” verb and past participle with a strong, active verb.
- Passive: “The window was broken by the wind.”
- Active: “The wind broke the window.”
- Look for Hidden Actors: Sometimes the actor isn’t explicitly stated in the passive sentence. You’ll need to infer or add it.
- Passive: “The decision was made.” (By whom?)
- Active: “The committee made the decision.” or “The CEO decided.”
- Be Mindful of “There is/are” Constructions: These often lead to passive sentences. Try to rephrase them to put the actor first.
- Passive: “There are many problems that were caused by the new policy.”
- Active: “The new policy caused many problems.”
- Consider the Context: While active voice is generally preferred, there are rare occasions where passive voice might be appropriate. For example, if the actor is unknown or unimportant, or if you want to emphasize the receiver of the action. However, these instances should be deliberate and infrequent.
Applying the Principles to Fiction and Non-Fiction:
- Fiction: In fiction, active voice creates a more immediate and immersive experience for the reader. “She slammed the door” puts the reader right there in the moment, compared to the more distant “The door was slammed by her.” Pay attention to action sequences and internal thoughts – active voice often conveys a stronger sense of agency.
- Non-Fiction: Clarity and directness are crucial in non-fiction. Active voice ensures your arguments are clear and your information is easily digestible. Avoid passive constructions when discussing research findings, historical events, or assigning responsibility.
The Editing Process: A Hands-On Approach:
- Read Actively: As you edit, consciously look for forms of “to be” followed by a past participle. Highlight these instances.
- Ask “Who or What?”: For each highlighted sentence, ask yourself who or what is performing the action.
- Rewrite Ruthlessly: Don’t be afraid to completely restructure sentences to eliminate the passive voice.
- Read Aloud: Reading your work aloud can help you identify awkward phrasing and instances where the passive voice might be lurking. Active voice often sounds more natural and flows better.
- Use Editing Tools: Many grammar and style checkers can help identify passive voice, but remember that these tools aren’t always perfect. Your critical judgment is still essential.
Beyond the Passive Voice:
While eliminating passive voice is a significant step, effective editing involves much more. Pay attention to:
- Clarity and Conciseness: Are your sentences easy to understand? Can you say the same thing with fewer words?
- Strong Verbs: Replace weak verbs with more active and descriptive ones.
- Sentence Variety: Mix up your sentence structure to keep your writing engaging.
- Flow and Rhythm: Does your writing read smoothly? Are there any jarring transitions?
- Accuracy and Consistency: Ensure your facts are correct and your style is consistent throughout.
Editing is a labour of love, a crucial stage in the writing process that transforms good writing into great writing. By consciously seeking out and eliminating the passive voice, you’ll inject energy, clarity, and impact into your prose, making your fiction more immersive and your non-fiction more persuasive. If you don’t have the time to sharpen your own words, Casagua Writing Services have all the skills to do it for you. Your readers will thank you for it.
We hope this blog post helps you appreciate the importance of the active voice in editing, marketing, advertising, and other applied writing. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.