Step-by-step explanation:
Active and Passive Voice
Active voice and passive voice are grammatical constructions that communicate certain information about an action. Specifically, APA explains that voice shows relationships between the verb and the subject and/or object (see APA 7, Section 4.13). Writers need to be intentional about voice in order to ensure clarity. Using active voice often improves clarity, while passive voice can help avoid unnecessary repetition.
Active voice can help ensure clarity by making it clear to the reader who is taking action in the sentence. In addition, the active voice stresses that the actor (or grammatical subject) precedes the verb, again, putting emphasis on the subject. Passive voice construction leaves out the actor (subject) and focuses on the relationship between the verb and object.
The order of words in a sentence with active voice is subject, verb, object.
Active voice example: I conducted a study of elementary school teachers.
This sentence structure puts the emphasis of the sentence on the subject, clarifying who conducted the study.
Passive voice example: A study was conducted of elementary school teachers.
In this sentence, it is not clear who conducted this study.
Generally, in scholarly writing, with its emphasis on precision and clarity, the active voice is preferred. However, the passive voice is acceptable in some instances, for example:
if the reader is aware of who the actor is;
in expository writing, where the goal of the discussion is to provide background, context, or an in-depth explanation;
if the writer wants to focus on the object or the implications of the actor’s action; or
to vary sentence structure.
Also, much like for anthropomorphism, different writing styles have different preferences. So, though you may see the passive voice used heavily in articles that you read for your courses and study, it does not mean that APA style advocates the same usage.
Examples of Writing in the Active Voice
Here are some examples of scholarly writing in the active voice:
Example: I will present the results of this study at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development conference.
This is active voice because the subject in the sentence precedes the verb, clearly indicating who (I) will take the action (present).
Example: Teachers conducted a pilot study addressing the validity of the TAKS exam.
Similarly, teachers (subject) clearly took the action (conducted) in this sentence.