Digital Content: Use the Active Voice

The active voice describes a sentence where the subject performs the action stated by the verb. It follows a clear subject + verb + object construct that's easy to read. In fact, sentences constructed in the active voice add impact to your writing.

With passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb. It makes for a murky, roundabout sentence; you can be more straightforward with active voice.

In other words, for clarity and impact, put the doer in the driver's seat.

Example

  • Passive voice: Canvas re-enrollment is possible for PeopleSoft entered TAs. 
  • Active voice: You can re-enroll TAs if they have been entered into PeopleSoft.

Example

  • Passive voice: The disaster recovery orientation video can be watched by anyone using VPN.
  • Active voice: Anyone using VPN can watch the disaster recovery orientation video.

Additional Considerations for Comms

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Additional Considerations for Knowledge

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Additional Considerations for Website Content

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Additional Resources

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