What is Voice?
In grammatical contexts, voice is a term used to denote if a verb is in an active or passive form.
The active voice is most commonly used in business communications. In the active voice, emphasis is placed on the subject (the actor of the verb). In the active voice, who is doing what is clearly expressed. Only transitive verbs can be used in the active voice.
In the sample sentences, which employ various verb tenses, notice that the subject (actor) is at the beginning of the sentence. Notice, also, that the sentences all use transitive verbs, verbs which require an object.
- The bank manager oversees all our accounts. (present simple)
- Nayala and Peter are working on the merger. (present continuous)
- Our competitors have launched an interesting advertising campaign. (present perfect)
- Lucy remitted the payment by e-transfer. (past simple)
- Klara was conducting market research interviews when you dropped in yesterday. (past continuous)
- Our finance department had filed the tax returns one day late, so we incurred a penalty.(past perfect)
- Manuel will submit the patent application on Monday. (future)
- l submit the patent application on Monday. (future)
In passive voice constructions, the subject (actor) is de-emphasised. The passive voice is used when the actor is not known or is not important. It can also be used to understate who is responsible for something or to discuss universal truths.
- The reception desk has been left unattended. (who left the desk unattended?)
- The company was founded in 1962. (who founded the company?)
- All of the flyers have been distributed. (who distributed them?)
- Rules are meant to be broken. (who can break the rules?)
When to Use the Passive Voice
To determine which voice to use, think about your audience and your purpose. The following scenarios depict situations when using the passive is appropriate.
When we don’t know who performed the action.
| Passive | Vijay’s car computer was hacked three times. | Rome was not built in a day. |
|---|---|---|
| Not Passive | Someone hacked Vijay’s computer three times. | The people of Rome did not build it in a day. |
When it doesn’t matter who performs the action.
| Passive | The glass was scored for easy cutting. | The webpage was designed for easy access. | Bluetooth features are included in most vehicles produced after 2012. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not Passive | A worker in the hardware store scored the cake. | A web designer designed the webpage for easy access. | Manufacturers included Bluetooth features in most vehicles produced after 2012. |
When we want to avoid blaming someone.
| Passive | The financial statements were lost. | Two significant transposition errors were made in the quarterly report. |
|---|---|---|
| Not Passive | Sylvia lost the financial statements. | Benedict made two significant transposition errors in the quarterly report. |
When we want to soften a directive.
| Passive | This memo could be restructured to improve readabilit