Look Good in Print

This text will refresh your memory or introduce you to the common writing rules for Standard American English. It addresses the 22 most common errors found in writing. Applying and using the fundamentals of good writing will ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and achieves your intended purposes.

02C: VERBS

21. Prefer Active Voice

Business writing is known for being direct and to the point. In most situations, you should favor active rather than passive verb constructions. Active voice means that the subject is clearly doing the action:

ACTIVE VOICE: Tamara won the salesperson-of-the-year award.

In passive voice, the subject is either missing or included as an afterthought at the end of the sentence. The object becomes the subject of the sentence, and the verb becomes a form of "to be" + a past participle of the original verb:

PASSIVE VOICE: The salesperson-of-the-year award was won by Tamara.

In the passive version of the sentence, the award takes center stage rather than the person who won it. In most situations, we would rather feature the winner than the award.

Watch this video for greater clarity on the difference between active and passive voice:

In rare instances - usually when we're trying to avoid throwing someone under the bus - we want to deemphasize the actor in the sentence. Bring out your sensitive side by knowing how to tactfully apply passive voice.