What is "passive" writing (w/ examples)?

Passive writing is a style of writing where the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the verb rather than performing the action. For example, in the sentence "The cake was eaten by John," the cake is the subject, and it is passive, while John is the agent and he is active. In contrast, in the sentence "John ate the cake," John is the subject, and he is active, while the cake is the object and it is passive.

Passive writing is often less preferred than active writing for several reasons. First, passive writing can make sentences longer and more complicated than they need to be. For example, compare these two sentences:

- Active: The researchers conducted a survey and analyzed the data.

- Passive: A survey was conducted by the researchers, and the data was analyzed by them.

The passive sentence has four more words than the active one, and it repeats the word "by" twice. This can make the sentence harder to read and understand. Here are some more examples of how passive writing can add unnecessary words or complexity:

- Active: She loves him.

- Passive: He is loved by her.

- Active: They built a house.

- Passive: A house was built by them.

- Active: He gave me a book.

- Passive: A book was given to me by him.

Second, passive writing can obscure the action's agent or doer, reducing clarity and accountability. For example, consider these two sentences:

- Active: The government increased taxes on gasoline.

- Passive: Taxes on gasoline were increased.

The passive sentence does not tell us who increased the taxes, which can be misleading or confusing for the reader. It can also make it seem like the action happened alone, without anyone's responsibility or involvement. Here are some more examples of how passive writing can hide or omit the agent:

- Active: Someone broke the window.

- Passive: The window was broken.

- Active: The teacher graded the papers.

- Passive: The papers were graded.

- Active: You should check your email.

- Passive: Your email should be checked.

Third, passive writing can weaken the message's impact or tone, which can affect persuasion or emotion. For example, look at these two sentences:

- Active: We apologize for any inconvenience caused by our mistake.

- Passive: Any inconvenience caused by our mistake is regretted.

The passive sentence sounds less sincere and more formal than the active one. It also shifts the focus from the speaker to the inconvenience, making it seem like the speaker is avoiding taking responsibility or expressing empathy. Here are some more examples of how passive writing can alter or diminish the tone:

- Active: I love you.

- Passive: You are loved by me.

- Active: They won the game.

- Passive: The game was won by them.

- Active: She made a mistake.

- Passive: A mistake was made by her.

Therefore, passive writing is usually less preferred than active writing, especially in academic, professional, or journalistic contexts. However, there are some situations where passive writing can be appropriate or preferable. For example:

- When the agent is unknown or irrelevant: The painting was stolen from the museum last night. (We don't know who stole it)

- When the agent is apparent or implied: The suspect was arrested by the police. (We can assume that the police arrested him)

- When the object is more important or interesting than the agent: The new iPhone was launched yesterday with great fanfare. (We care more about the iPhone than who launched it)

- When you want to be polite or diplomatic: Mistakes were made. (You don't want to blame anyone specifically)

In summary, passive writing is a style of writing where the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the verb rather than performing the action. It is often less preferred than active writing because it can make sentences longer, obscure the agent, and weaken the impact. However, there are some cases where passive writing can be helpful or suitable depending on the purpose and audience of your writing.