Is Your Writing Active Or Passive – And Does It Matter

The most common criticism I got about my early writing efforts was ‘Passive writing’!
As I got more experienced at my writing, my mentor wouldn’t always tell me where the dreaded passive writing actually was; leaving me to figure it out for myself.
It took me a long time to become my own passive-writing sleuth, and it is something I still have to consciously look for. It is only after nearly a decade of writing that I finally feel that I’m making progress. I still use it deliberately sometimes though – sometimes it just sounds better, as in the sentence before this one.
So – what is passive writing, and what’s the matter with it? Is it always bad?
I’m going to answer these questions in reverse order.
Is it always bad? No. A passive phrase can have more effect than an active one in the right context. For example, if you are writing fiction, you can show a defensive or timid character better by using passive language when quoting his or her speech.
Another possible reason for a passive being better is if your subject phrase is long. In this case, putting it at the end of the sentence may make it smoother. For example, ‘The young child (object) is taught by parents, teachers, and life experiences. (‘parents, teachers and life experiences’ constitute the subject phrase).’
If the passive voice just sounds better, then use it; but check first if an active alternative would be better.
What’s the matter with it? Passive writing can be a timid and weak way to write. It is as if the subject (the person or thing that is the doer) is hiding behind the skirts of the object instead of getting right out and doing it openly. You may have to read all the way to the end of the sentence before you find out who (or what) actually did what it is you’ve been reading about up till then.
Passive writing, like passive speech, can seem like bending over backwards to be polite. While this may be common in some cultures, it’s not great in writing.
What is it? In active writing, the subject does something or is something. It’s direct and easy to tell who does what. For example, ‘My friend planted a white rose.’ The doer (‘My friend’; the subject) is first, then the action (‘planted’; a verb), and then the object of that action (a white rose).
A passive version of this sentence reverses the object and subject: ‘A white rose was planted by my friend.’
Active writing is more direct and vivid; and usually shorter as well.
Active writing appeals to many of today’s readers who prefer shorter sentences. This is particularly noticeable in junior fiction, but can be seen increasingly in all writing. Readers today simply can’t be bothered with the long, long sentences of yesteryear – some of which required some intensive study to figure out exactly who did what.
Working out in-depth sentence structure takes some study, but if you just want a quick guide – think about putting the doer in the start, followed by the verb (the action word), then the person or thing that the action is done to.
When you are writing sentences, let your ear be your guide to some degree, but also experiment with different ways of arranging sentences if you are unsure.
Passive writing doesn’t have to be entirely rejected, but it should definitely be in the minority.
Do you need help to write better? Do you want some inspiration to put your thoughts into words? Could you do with some encouragement to develop your writing skills?