Aug | 23 | 2008

The Active And Passive Voice

Posted by Jimmy as Tips, Writing

Itâ€™s ok, donâ€™t panic. We are not going back to grades school English grammar lessons. I just thought that it would be good to have a refresher post on this topic as it would make a big difference on your writing. So which is which?

The active voice is the sentence structure wherein the subject actually does the action. Here are some examples of sentences in the active voice:

The girl hit her brother.
The girl is the subject and she performs the action, which is to hit.

Writers have expressed their concerns to the authorities.
Writers is the subject and they have performed the action, which is to express their concern.

On the other hand, the passive voice is the structure wherein the subject receives the action. Here is an example of a sentence in the passive voice.

The boy was hit by his sister.
The boy is the subject and he received the action, which was the hit.

Now that the difference between the two voices is clear, which voice is better to use when writing your blog posts? I would suggest using the active voice. There are several reasons for this.

One, sentences in the passive voice seem flatter and thus less interesting. This is a no no in blog writing. You want to be able to catch your readersâ€™ attention and engage them all throughout your post. As such, using the active voice would achieve better results in this regard.

Another reason to use the active voice is that sentences in this voice are usually clearer and less awkward. This translates to easier reading for your visitors. Now wouldnâ€™t you want that?

No related posts.

Comment (1)

One Response

Recent Links Tagged With "passive" - JabberTags
03|Dec|2008

[...] by oelemento on Mon 17-11-2008 Selling on SitePoint Help Saved by chrisbe on Sun 16-11-2008 The Active And Passive Voice Saved by coxon on Thu 13-11-2008 Solar PV Cogeneration: Active and Passive Energy Synergy Saved [...]

Our Features

Featured Blogs
Design and Themes

The Modern and Creative Design and Themes

In order to design a website you can organize web design contests which are meant for the designers who are best in this field. This is one of the best way by which you can get the best designs and then you can pick any of them. You can use internet that is the ideal [...]
Read on
More Design and Themes Features
Software and Widgets

WordPress Plug-ins

If you blog using WordPress and can’t do something that you want done like adding Sphere-related content at the end of your blog posts you might be surprised to find out that there are already plug-ins available that make it happen. To find good WordPress plug-ins all you need to do is search for â€œwordpress [...]
Read on
More Software and Widgets Features
Reviews

A Friend In Need

I’m helping out my friends from the UA&P – IShareHappiness Blog Team. Whenever you feel pessimistic, angry, troubled, frustrated, and depressed â€“ what have you â€“ you need someone to talk to. Someone who could help you be more optimistic and help make you feel that there is hope. Sometimes itâ€™s hard to talk to [...]
Read on
More Blog Reviews
Monetization

The Modern and Creative Design and Themes

In order to design a website you can organize web design contests which are meant for the designers who are best in this field. This is one of the best way by which you can get the best designs and then you can pick any of them. You can use internet that is the ideal [...]
Read on
More Monetization Features
Marketing and Search Optimization

The Importance of SEO Consulting in Creating Online Businesses

Due to the reception and acceptance of SEO as a business process for assuring successful profit generation, many blogs, article contents, and forums have been discussing this matter, even providing some tips and tricks for everyone who is interested to know what is behind the trend and the system. People who would like to achieve [...]
Read on
More Marketing and SEO Features
Blog Resources