ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
The active and passive voices have appropriate uses and settings, and using them appropriately will make your writing more effective.
Use active voice in concise, non-scientific writing, like newspapers or in the humanities. Active voice helps to emphasize WHO did the action, rather than what the action was.
Passive voice is often used in scientific writing because it emphasizes WHAT was done, not who did it. It is also used to de-emphasize the “who,” especially when the “who” is unclear or unimportant.
EMPHASIZE THE ACTOR OR OBJECT
The active voice assigns more responsibility to the actor. The passive voice will shift the focus away from the actor if he/she does not want to be responsible or if it is not needed.
