Active voice makes copy clearer and easier to act on. Learn to spot passive constructions and switch to direct, energetic phrasing.
What’s the simplest fix for “Your ticket will be responded to within 24 hours” in a help centre?
“Within 24 hours, a response shall be provided.”
“A response will be initiated within 24 hours.”
“We’ll reply within 24 hours.”
“There will be a response within 24 hours.”
Which choice correctly keeps meaning while removing passive voice? “Access was denied by the system.”
“Denial of access occurred.”
“There was a denial of access by the system.”
“Access has been denied.”
“The system denied access.”
Which sentence is passive?
“Submit the form today.”
“Please check your form.”
“The form was submitted by the applicant.”
“The applicant submitted the form.”
For accessibility, which version is kinder to readers with cognitive load?
“The ID will be uploaded by you.”
“Submission of IDs will be undertaken by users.”
“It is advised that the ID be uploaded.”
“Upload your ID, then select Submit.”
Which headline avoids passive bloat?
“The fixing of bugs has occurred”
“Two bugs were fixed in billing”
“We fixed two bugs in billing”
“Bug fixes were undertaken”
Why do style guides favour active voice for public‑facing copy?
it increases word count for SEO
it removes the need for punctuation
it’s clearer who is doing what, so readers act faster
it makes sentences legally binding
Best rewrite of “The report was approved by the board” is ______.
“The board approved the report.”
“Approval of the report happened.”
“The report got an approval.”
“The report has been approved.”
When is passive voice acceptable?
when you want to sound smarter
if the sentence contains a date
whenever a sentence starts with “The”
when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or better de‑emphasised
A quick way to spot passives while editing is to search for ______.
any adverbs ending in -ly
forms of “be” followed by a past participle
capitalised nouns in headlines
commas near conjunctions
Which edit makes the instruction more actionable? “The fee will be charged on renewal.”
“A charge will occur at renewal time.”
“Renewal is when charging happens.”
“There will be a fee at the time of renewal.”
“We’ll charge the fee when you renew.”
Starter
You know the basics. Practice spotting passives and naming the actor in each sentence.
Solid
Well done. Your edits are getting tighter and more actionable.
Expert!
Excellent control. Your copy is crisp, direct and easy to act on.
