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Active vs. Passive Writing

1. Why Active vs. Passive Voice Matters

A writer who doesn’t understand the difference between active and passive voice creates sentences that are vague, slow, or confusing.

A writer who understands both — and knows when to use each — produces clear, strong, and intentional writing.

Active vs. passive voice determines:

  • Clarity
  • Readability
  • Authority
  • Professional tone
  • SEO strength
  • Mobile friendliness
  • Engagement
  • Logical flow

Every Total Apex contributor must understand both voices because choosing the right one shapes how readers interpret the action, the subject, and the importance of each idea.

2. Active vs. Passive Voice Skills

A. What Active Voice Is

Active voice answers the question:

Who is doing the action?

Formula

Subject → Verb → Object

Examples

  • The player hit the shot.
  • The studio released the trailer.
  • Fans reacted to the news.

Active voice is direct, strong, and clear.

B. What Passive Voice Is

Passive voice flips the sentence so the subject receives the action instead of performing it.

Formula

Object → “to be” verb → Past participle → (by subject)

Examples

  • The shot was hit by the player.
  • The trailer was released by the studio.
  • The news was reacted to by fans.

Passive voice is not wrong — but it is usually weaker, slower, and less clear.

C. How to Identify Passive Voice

Writers can spot passive voice using this quick test:

Passive Voice Checklist

  • Does the sentence use a form of “to be”? (is, are, was, were, be, been, being)
  • Is the main verb in the past participle? (hit, made, released, announced)
  • Can you add “by zombies” at the end and still make sense?

Example

The update was released (by zombies).  

→ Passive.

If the sentence works with “by zombies,” it’s passive.

D. How to Convert Passive Voice to Active Voice

Step 1: Identify the real subject

Step 2: Move it before the verb

Step 3: Use a strong, direct verb

Example 1

Passive:

The game was won by the team.  

Active:

The team won the game.

Example 2

Passive:

The trailer was leaked online.  

Active:

Someone leaked the trailer online.  

(If the subject is unknown, choose a logical placeholder.)

Example 3

Passive:

The movie was praised by critics.  

Active:

Critics praised the movie.

Active voice restores clarity and energy.

E. When Passive Voice Is Acceptable

Passive voice is not forbidden — it’s just overused.

Use passive voice when:

The doer is unknown  

  • The window was broken.

The doer is irrelevant  

  • The rules were updated last week.

You want to emphasize the receiver  

  • The MVP award was won by a rookie.

You’re writing scientific or technical content  

  • The data was analyzed using two methods.

But for news, sports, gaming, lifestyle, and entertainment — active voice should dominate.

F. Active vs. Passive Voice for Mobile Readers

Mobile readers:

  • Skim
  • Scroll fast
  • Prefer direct sentences
  • Bounce quickly if confused

Active voice improves:

  • Readability
  • Scan‑ability
  • Engagement
  • Time on page

Mobile Voice Rules

  • Lead with the subject
  • Use strong verbs
  • Keep sentences short
  • Avoid unnecessary “to be” verbs
  • Front‑load the action

Active voice is mobile‑friendly by design.

G. Active vs. Passive Voice for SEO

Google rewards writing that is:

  • Clear
  • Direct
  • Easy to parse
  • High in readability

Active voice improves:

  • Featured snippet potential
  • Entity recognition
  • Keyword clarity
  • Dwell time
  • Scroll depth

SEO Voice Tips

  • Put the keyword near the verb
  • Answer questions directly
  • Use simple, strong verbs
  • Avoid vague constructions
  • Keep sentences tight and purposeful

Active voice helps Google understand your content — and rank it.

3. Engagement Skills

A. Hooks Using Active Voice

Hooks hit harder in active voice because they’re punchy and immediate.

Examples

  • Sony shocked fans with a surprise announcement.
  • The rookie changed the entire game.
  • Critics slammed the sequel for lazy writing.

Active voice makes hooks memorable.

B. Emotional Resonance Through Voice Choice

Active voice creates immediacy — and immediacy creates emotion.

Passive voice creates distance — which can be useful when intentional.

Examples

Active (emotional):

The crowd erupted as the shot dropped.

Passive (detached):

The shot was dropped as the crowd erupted.

Choose based on the emotional goal.

C. Shareability Through Clean Voice

Shareable writing is:

  • Clear
  • Direct
  • Punchy
  • Easy to quote
  • Easy to screenshot

Examples

  • The update changed everything.
  • The finale broke the internet.

Active voice creates lines worth sharing.

D. Retention Through Voice Control

Retention improves when writing is easy to follow.

Active voice improves retention by:

  • Speeding up reading
  • Reducing confusion
  • Improving flow
  • Keeping the reader engaged

Passive voice slows pacing — which can be useful sparingly.

Final Takeaway for Total Apex Writers

Active and passive voice are tools — but active voice should be your default.

Total Apex Voice Essentials

  • Use active voice for clarity and impact
  • Use passive voice only when intentional
  • Identify passive voice with the “to be + past participle” test
  • Convert passive voice by moving the subject before the verb
  • Use active voice for mobile readers
  • Use active voice for SEO clarity
  • Use voice choice to improve hooks, emotion, shareability, and retention

Mastering active vs. passive voice helps contributors produce writing that is clear, authoritative, and high‑performing across every Total Apex vertical — from news to gaming to sports to lifestyle.