3 Ways to Master Active to Passive Conversion

Mastering the art of converting active voice to passive voice is a valuable skill for writers, especially when aiming to add variety and nuance to their writing. While active voice is often preferred for its directness and impact, there are situations where the passive voice can be a powerful tool to create a specific effect or meet certain stylistic goals. In this article, we delve into three effective strategies to seamlessly convert active sentences into passive ones, ensuring your writing remains versatile and engaging.

Understanding the Active and Passive Voice

Before we delve into the strategies, let’s briefly revisit the difference between active and passive voice. In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. It’s straightforward and emphasizes the doer of the action. On the other hand, in the passive voice, the focus shifts to the object or recipient of the action, with the subject often omitted or less prominent. The passive voice is often used to de-emphasize the actor or to create a sense of detachment or objectivity.

Consider the following examples:

• Active Voice: "The artist painted the masterpiece."
• Passive Voice: "The masterpiece was painted by the artist."

In the active sentence, the emphasis is on the artist as the doer, while in the passive sentence, the focus shifts to the masterpiece, and the artist becomes a less prominent detail.

Strategy 1: Rearrange Sentence Structure

The most fundamental strategy for converting active to passive voice is to rearrange the sentence structure. In the passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the subject, if included, is usually followed by the preposition “by.” The verb typically changes to a past participle form and is often preceded by a form of the verb “to be.”

Here's a step-by-step guide to rearranging sentence structure:

1. Identify the Subject and Object: First, identify the subject and object of the active sentence. The subject performs the action, and the object receives the action.
2. Swap the Subject and Object: To create the passive voice, swap the positions of the subject and object. The object now becomes the subject of the sentence.
3. Change the Verb: Next, change the verb to its past participle form. For regular verbs, this is usually achieved by adding "-ed" or "-en" to the base form. For irregular verbs, you'll need to use the appropriate past participle form.
4. Add a Form of "To Be": Before the past participle verb, include a form of the verb "to be." This can be "is," "are," "was," "were," "will be," or other variations, depending on the tense and context of the sentence.
5. Include the Subject (Optional): If you wish to include the original subject, follow it with the preposition "by." This is optional, as the passive voice often omits the actor to maintain anonymity or objectivity.

Let's apply this strategy to some examples:

• Active: "The team designed the new software."
• Passive: "The new software was designed by the team."

In this example, we've swapped the positions of "the team" and "the new software," changed "designed" to its past participle form "designed," and added "was" before it. We've also included "by the team" to acknowledge the actor, although this is optional.

Strategy 2: Use the Passive Voice for Emphasis

The passive voice can be a powerful tool to emphasize a particular aspect of a sentence. By converting an active sentence to passive, you can draw attention to the object or recipient of the action, rather than the doer. This strategy is particularly useful when you want to highlight the result or outcome of an action, rather than who performed it.

For instance, consider the following:

• Active: "The scientists discovered a groundbreaking cure."
• Passive: "A groundbreaking cure was discovered by the scientists."

In the passive version, the focus shifts to the cure itself, emphasizing its significance. The scientists, although mentioned, are not the central focus of the sentence.

Another example:

• Active: "The storm destroyed the town's infrastructure."
• Passive: "The town's infrastructure was destroyed by the storm."

Here, the passive voice emphasizes the impact of the storm on the infrastructure, making it the central element of the sentence.

Strategy 3: Employ the Passive Voice for Anonymity

In certain situations, you might want to maintain anonymity or objectivity in your writing. The passive voice is an excellent tool to achieve this, as it allows you to omit the actor entirely or downplay their role. This strategy is often used in formal writing, journalism, or when discussing general processes or phenomena.

For example:

• Active: "The company's CEO made a controversial decision."
• Passive: "A controversial decision was made."

In the passive version, the focus is on the decision itself, and the actor is omitted, creating a sense of objectivity and allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about the decision's origin.

Another scenario:

• Active: "The police arrested the suspect."
• Passive: "The suspect was arrested."

Here, the passive voice downplays the role of the police, focusing instead on the action of arrest, which can be particularly useful in a news report to maintain impartiality.

When to Use the Passive Voice

While the active voice is generally preferred for its clarity and directness, the passive voice has its place in writing. Here are some situations where using the passive voice can be beneficial:

• Emphasizing the Result: When you want to highlight the outcome or impact of an action, the passive voice can draw attention to the result rather than the doer.
• Maintaining Anonymity: In formal or objective writing, the passive voice can be used to omit or downplay the actor, maintaining a sense of impartiality.
• Descriptive Writing: The passive voice can be effective in descriptive passages, where the focus is on the object or scene rather than the actor.
• Technical Writing: In technical or scientific writing, the passive voice is often used to describe processes or phenomena without attributing them to a specific actor.

However, it's important to use the passive voice judiciously. Overuse of the passive voice can lead to vague and wordy sentences, making your writing less engaging. A good practice is to vary your sentence structure and use the passive voice sparingly and strategically.

Mastering Active-Passive Conversion: Conclusion

Converting active voice to passive voice is a valuable skill for any writer. By rearranging sentence structure, emphasizing certain aspects, and maintaining anonymity, you can add versatility and nuance to your writing. Remember to use the passive voice strategically and in moderation to maintain the impact and clarity of your writing.

Whether you're a content creator, journalist, or academic writer, the ability to seamlessly transition between active and passive voice will enhance your writing skills and allow you to communicate your ideas more effectively.