How to Look for Word’s Passive Voice
Any writer must be able to comprehend and use the English language properly. Knowing when to utilize the active or passive voice is an essential part of writing. Gaining mastery of this idea can improve readability, clarity, and engagement. Passive voice has its benefits, especially in academic and technical writing, or when the subject of the action is unclear or less significant, even though many writers automatically choose active voice to energize their prose. Overuse of the passive voice, however, can result in ambiguous writing that separates the reader from the subject matter.
In the current digital era, programs such as Microsoft Word offer a number of capabilities that might help authors improve their work. This post will walk you through the process of using Microsoft Word to check for passive voice, including a variety of techniques such as built-in tools, third-party apps, and useful writing advice.
Understanding Active and Passive Voice
It is crucial to define passive and active voice before delving into the specifics of recognizing passive voice in Word.
Active Voice: The subject operates upon the verb in sentences written in the active voice. For instance:
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“The cat chased the mouse.”
Here, “the cat” (subject) is performing the action (chasing).
Passive Voice: The subject does not conduct the action in passive voice phrases; instead, they receive it. The subject is no longer the main focus. For instance:
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“The mouse was chased by the cat.”
Here, the subject “the mouse” is receiving the action, which makes the sentence less direct and more ambiguous.
Why Use Active Voice?
Because active voice is direct and has a greater emotional impact, it is frequently promoted in writing. It improves the clarity of words and increases reader engagement. The passive voice, on the other hand, can be helpful in certain situations, such as when the action’s performer is unknown or when the action itself is more significant than the person who carried it out. But employing passive constructs excessively might result in writing that is complicated and boring.
The Challenge of Identifying Passive Voice
The structure of passive voice is the main source of difficulty in recognizing it. Usually, a past participle and a form of the verb “to be” are used in the passive voice. For instance:
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“The book was read by the students.”
In this sentence, the presence of “was” (a form of “to be”) and “read” (the past participle form of the verb) indicates the passive construction.
Checking for Passive Voice in Microsoft Word
Let’s now examine how to use Microsoft Word to check for passive voice. You can effectively identify passive text by using the following techniques:
A simple grammar checker built into Microsoft Word can frequently spot passive formulations.
Instructions for Using Grammar Check:
- Open Microsoft Word and write or paste your text into a document.
- Go to the Review tab on the ribbon at the top of the page.
- Click on “Spelling & Grammar.”
- In the resulting window, look through the suggestions. If Word identifies passive constructions, it may provide suggestions to convert them to active voice.
Limitations: Although the grammar checker in Microsoft Word is useful, it could miss some instances of passive voice, particularly in complicated or nuanced phrase constructions.
Word’s readability statistics are another built-in feature that can assist you in evaluating the general caliber of your writing, including the use of the passive voice.
How to Make Readability Statistics Available:
- Go to File > Options.
- Select Proofing in the left sidebar.
- Check the box for Show readability statistics under the When correcting spelling and grammar in Word section.
- After running the spelling and grammar check, a statistics box will appear showing various metrics about your text, including the Passive Sentences total.
Analyzing Readability Statistics: If there are a lot of passive sentences in your work, you might want to change a few of them to make them more engaging and clear.
Using Word’s Find function is a simple method of recognizing passive voice. The verb “to be” followed by a past participle can be found in common forms.
How to Utilize the Search Features:
-
Press
Ctrl
+
F
to open the Navigation pane. - Enter “is,” “are,” “was,” or “were” into the search box.
- Review the sentences in which these forms appear to determine whether they are part of a passive construction.
Advice: You can also look for certain past participles that you know are often used in your writing, such as written, manufactured, and completed.
Consider incorporating third-party writing tools that focus on grammatical checks and style recommendations if you discover that Microsoft Word’s built-in capabilities are not enough for your needs. Hemingway Editor, ProWritingAid, and Grammarly are well-known tools.
Grammarly: Grammarly provides a thorough grammar and style-checking service that immediately detects passive constructions and recommends active substitutes.
ProWritingAid: This program offers a thorough evaluation of your writing, including data on how often you use voice. You can receive thorough feedback on how to improve your writing style and specifically check for passive constructions.
The Hemingway Editor places a strong emphasis on simplicity and clarity. Sentences in the passive voice will be highlighted, urging you to change them to active language.
Frequent practice is necessary to master passive voice recognition. It helps to manually check your writing for common passive constructs.
Advice for Manual Evaluation:
- Look for instances of to be verbs (is, are, was, were, be, being, been) in your text.
- Identify past participles. Many verbs form past participles by adding -ed (though be aware of irregular verbs).
- Rephrase identified sentences to shift the focus from the recipient of the action to the doer of the action.
For instance:
- Passive: The project was submitted by the manager.
- Active: The manager submitted the project.
Benefits of Avoiding Excessive Passive Voice
Avoiding too much passive voice improves your writing in a number of important ways:
Clarity and Directness: Your message is conveyed more effectively when you use active voice. Putting subjects front and center makes it easier for readers to comprehend who is doing what.
Engagement: Generally speaking, active constructs hold readers’ attention longer than passive voice, giving your writing a lively, dynamic sense.
Brevity: Longer, more complex sentences are frequently the result of using the passive voice. Using the active form can help you simplify your writing and cut out extraneous words.
Authority: Confidence and authority are communicated while writing in the active voice. If you write clearly and assertively, readers are more inclined to respect and believe your viewpoint.
Conclusion
Although the passive voice has a place in writing, particularly in certain genres like formal or academic writings, using it excessively can weaken your writing and obfuscate your point. Through the use of third-party software, Microsoft Word’s built-in capabilities, and deliberate manual reviews, you can learn to recognize and edit passive structures in your writing.
Keep in mind that the objective is to employ passive voice sparingly when it best supports your story or topic, not to completely eradicate it. You can hone your voice, increase clarity, and successfully engage your audience with practice and the appropriate resources. Have fun with your writing!