Academic writers should usually use the active voice: it is a more powerful and straightforward form of expression. Moreover, the active voice also uses fewer words to convey the same message, so it keeps our writing more concise, particularly when we need to confine ourselves to strict word limits.
The passive voice is often used when the writer wants to be less direct, such as when avoiding assigning blame or responsibility, which is not a common priority in academic writing.
When we speak and when we write, we can compose sentences using the active or passive voice. In the active voice, the actor of the sentence acts upon something or someone. In the passive voice, the actor is acted upon and the verb "to be" is used. We are most accustomed to active voice, where we can answer the question 'who does what to whom?' in that order.
The passive voice often leaves out the 'who' or changes the order in which it appears.
Active Voice: The professor returned the marked assignments to the students.
Who? The professor. Did what? returned the marked assignments. To whom? the students.
Passive Voice: The marked assignments were returned to the students by the professor.
or: The marked assignments were returned to the students.
The infographic below further breaks down the differences between active and passive voice.
Even if you are not using APA style, this worksheet is a useful resource to familiarize yourself with active voice.
This guide was created/compiled by Amanda Wills and last updated by Teevin Fournier in 2025. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0 International License.