Have you ever been writing something and seen Grammarly flagging passive voice? You might be wondering why Grammarly hates passive voice so much, and if it’s really something you should avoid.
In this article, we’ll uncover the answer to why Grammarly flags passive voice and discuss why it’s important to write without passive voice.
We’ll also cover examples of passive voice, tips for writing without it, and the benefits of writing without it.
Finally, we’ll consider whether it’s always wrong to use passive voice.
Ready to learn why Grammarly hates passive voice? Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Short Answer
Grammarly hates passive voice because it can make writing unclear and hard to understand.
Passive voice also makes writing sound more complicated than it needs to be, and can make sentences sound weaker.
Additionally, active voice is more engaging and direct, which makes it preferable to passive voice in most cases.
What is Grammarly?
Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant tool that helps users improve the quality of their writing.
It is used by students, writers, professionals, and anyone in need of help with their writing.
By using machine learning, Grammarly can detect errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and more.
It also flags potential issues such as overused words, typos, and passive voice.
By flagging these errors, Grammarly helps users write more clearly and effectively, ensuring their writing is up to standard.
What is Passive Voice?
Passive voice is a grammatical construction that highlights the recipient of an action rather than the actor.
It is formed using a conjugated form of the verb to be and a past participle, and it can make writing less direct and unclear.
For example, in the sentence The ball was thrown by him, the passive voice is used to emphasize the ball instead of the person who threw it.
While passive voice can be used in certain situations for emphasis or clarity, it is generally discouraged in formal writing as it can make writing less direct and make it more difficult for the reader to understand the meaning.
For example, The ball was thrown by him is less direct than He threw the ball.
This is why Grammarly flags passive voice in its writing assistant tool.
Grammarlys goal is to help users improve their writing and make it more direct and clear.
Why Does Grammarly Flag Passive Voice?
Grammarly flags passive voice because it can make writing less direct and unclear.
Passive voice is a grammatical construction that is structured differently than active voice.
In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action, while in passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon.
This can lead to sentences that are unclear or overly wordy, making it difficult for the reader to understand the message being conveyed.
Grammarly also flags passive voice because it is often considered a sign of poor writing.
Passive voice can be used effectively to emphasize the object of the sentence, but when used too often in a piece of writing it can make the writing sound dull and unengaging.
Grammarly helps users identify when they are using too much passive voice so they can make changes to make their writing more direct and engaging.
Finally, passive voice can also lead to awkward or incorrect sentences.
Passive voice is often used to avoid responsibility for an action or to obscure who was responsible for it.
Grammarly flags passive voice in order to help users avoid these types of mistakes and ensure they are using the most accurate and appropriate sentence structure.
By flagging passive voice, Grammarly helps users make their writing more direct, clear, and engaging, leading to higher quality work overall.
Examples of Passive Voice
When it comes to grammar, passive voice is a common issue flagged by writing assistant tools like Grammarly.
But what is passive voice, and why does it get such a bad rap? Let’s take a closer look at passive voice and why Grammarly flags it.
Passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the object of an action (rather than the subject) is the focus of the sentence.
In passive voice sentences, the object receives the action of the verb and the subject of the sentence is either omitted or appears in a prepositional phrase following the verb.
For example, “The ball was thrown by him” is an example of a passive voice sentence.
Here, the ball is the object and the subject, “he,” is omitted.
Passive voice can also be used when the action of a sentence is unknown, such as in the sentence, “The window was broken.” Here, the subject of the sentence is unknown, so passive voice is used.
Passive voice can make writing less direct and unclear, which is why Grammarly flags it.
Grammarly flags passive voice so that users can make their writing more direct and clear, improving the overall quality of their work.
Passive voice can be used in certain situations, but it should be used sparingly.
So why does Grammarly hate passive voice? Grammarly flags passive voice because it can make writing less direct and unclear.
Grammarly wants users to be able to make their writing as clear and direct as possible, which is why it flags passive voice.
By flagging passive voice, Grammarly helps users improve the overall quality of their writing.
Tips for Writing without Passive Voice
Good writing is all about clarity and directness, and one of the best ways to achieve that is to avoid using the passive voice. Grammarly flags passive voice so that users can make their writing more direct and clear, improving the overall quality of their work. But how does one go about writing without the passive voice? Here are some tips to help get you started:
1. Identify the subject of the sentence. The subject is the person or thing that is performing the action. For example, if the sentence is “The book was written by the author,” the subject is “the author.”
2. Make sure the subject is performing the action. Once you’ve identified the subject, make sure they are performing the action. For example, if the sentence is “The book was written by the author,” you can rewrite it to say “The author wrote the book.”
3. Use the active voice. Once you’ve identified the subject and ensured they are the ones performing the action, you can now write in the active voice. This means that the subject will come first, followed by the verb. For example, “The author wrote the book” is written in the active voice.
4. Avoid using “to be” verbs. “To be” verbs, such as “is,” “was,” “are,” and “were,” are often used in passive voice constructions. To avoid using passive voice, try to use more action-oriented verbs instead. For example, instead of saying “The book was written by the author,” you can say “The author composed the book.”
By following these tips, you’ll be able to write more direct, clear, and engaging text without using passive voice.
Grammarly will still flag passive voice, but you’ll be able to confidently make the changes necessary to improve your writing.
Benefits of Writing without Passive Voice
Using active voice in your writing has many advantages.
It can help you communicate your ideas and thoughts more clearly, as it makes sentences direct, concise, and easier to understand.
Active voice also forces you to be precise, ensuring that your writing is specific and to the point.
With active voice, you can also maintain a consistent flow in your writing, making it much easier to read.
Finally, using active voice can help you create a more engaging narrative, as it helps draw readers in and hold their attention.
All in all, active voice can be a great way to make sure your writing is clear, concise, and engaging.
Is it Always Wrong to Use Passive Voice?
Not all instances of passive voice are wrong.
In fact, there are times when using passive voice can actually make your writing more concise and direct.
For example, when the focus in a sentence is on the action and not the actor, passive voice can be used to emphasize the action.
It can also be more effective than active voice if the actor of the sentence is unknown or unimportant.
That said, too much passive voice can make writing unclear and difficult to read.
It can also lead to sentences with too many words, making them hard to understand.
That’s why Grammarly flags passive voice; it wants to ensure that users are writing in a clear and direct manner that is easy to read.
When deciding whether to use passive voice or active voice in your writing, it’s important to consider the context and what you want to emphasize.
If the focus is on the action rather than the actor, passive voice can be an effective tool.
However, if the focus is on the actor, active voice should be used.
Grammarly can help you make this decision, flagging passive voice when it’s not the best choice and helping you make your writing more clear and direct.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know why Grammarly flags passive voice, its time to put this knowledge into practice.
Writing without passive voice can be challenging at first, but the benefits are worth it.
Next time youre writing, try to identify and eliminate any passive voice constructions.
This will make your writing more direct and clear, resulting in higher quality work.