Guideline 4: Use the active voice

The active voice shows who is responsible for doing what, which tends to eliminate confusion. Passive voice: The bill was sent to you on Sept. 1. Active voice: We sent you the bill on Sept. 1.

How do I do this?

• Use personal pronouns, such as “I” or “we,” or name the person doing the action.

• Place the subject (the “doer”) at the beginning of the sentence.

• Look for “deadly 7” verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, and been. This signals you might be using passive voice in your sentences and may need to rework your sentences to be more direct.

  For example:
   “It was decided…” is a passive statement.
   “We decided…” is an active statement.

Why do this?

• Your readers will know who is doing what, which will help them quickly grasp your message.

• Your sentences will tend to be more clear and concise.

• Research shows that customers translate passive sentences into active sentences in their heads anyway.

Do	Don't
The Director wrote the memo yesterday.       Subject - Action Verb	The memo was written yesterday.                  Passive Voice
Brad threw the ball.	The ball was thrown by Brad.
We require you to show identification.	Identification is required.

More Examples

Before: The applicant must give an explanation for his or her delay.

After: You must explain the delay.