Write in active voice

- I'm going to show you a couple of versions of a sentence, and you tell me which one's better, okay? Version A. Contact information must be provided for references and employers when Form 123 is completed. Or version B. Your references and employers must provide their contact information when they complete Form 123. Version B is better, right? That's because version B is written in active voice. Active voice is a sentence structure where the grammatical subject of the sentence is doing the action of the verb. In this active voice sentence, the subject of the first clause, references and employers, is doing the action of the verb provide. The subject of the second clause, they, is doing the action of the verb complete. The active voice sentence makes clear who should complete the form. Writing in the active voice isn't hard. In fact, the grammar checking software you use will prompt you to change passive voice sentences to active voice sentences. So why is writing sentences in active voice a plain language issue? Because active voice makes clear who should take action or who has taken action. Let me give you a couple of examples. First, active voice sentences clearly explain who should take action. Let's imagine you bought a table online, and when it was delivered, the table was scratched. You email the manufacturer to complain. You want them to pay for the repair. If their reply included this passive voice sentence, photo documentation of the damage must be submitted, that's confusing. Should you submit the documentation? Should the delivery company do it? While that passive voice sentence is grammatically correct, it avoids giving the information the reader wants the most. This active voice reply is much clearer. You must submit photo documentation of the damage. And the second reason active voice sentences are clearer is they show who has taken action. Who did what? Here's an example of how active voice shows who has taken action. You've interviewed for a job but haven't received an offer. You write a follow-up email to the executive who interviewed you, and they respond with this passive sentence: The job search has been called off. Did the executive call off the job search? Was it someone else? The active voice sentence is much clearer and more honest. The hiring manager called off the job search. Most plain language writers work hard to write in active voice as often as possible. They know that readers want to easily understand who is doing what, and active voice sentences meet that need. They understand why a passive voice sentence sounds evasive while the active voice version sounds candid. Need more practice in recognizing passive voice and writing in active voice? Download and work through the Exercise File. Once you've completed it, you'll have a solid understanding of active voice, and you'll know exactly what to do when the grammar checker gives you a squiggly line.