![]() A writer may intentionally include the subject later in the sentence so as to reduce the emphasis and/or importance of the subject in the sentence. Sometimes, even in scholarly writing, the passive voice may be used intentionally and strategically. This revised sentence is in the active voice and makes the actor the subject of the sentence.Active voice revision: The school administrators will administer the survey instrument.Issue: Here, the actor follows the verb, which reduces emphasis and clarity.Passive voice example: The survey instrument will be administered by the school administrators.More concise active voice revision: Rogers (2016) conducted a study on nursing and turnover.Issue: Though the verb and the actor (action taker) are clearly identified here, to improve clarity and word economy, the writer could place that actor, Rogers, before the verb.Wordier passive voice example: The study on nursing and turnover was conducted by Rogers (2016).Making the actor the grammatical subject that comes before the verb helps to streamline the sentence. Even if the action taker is clearly identified in a passive voice construction, the sentence is usually wordier. Here are some signs to look for in your paper:Īnother indication of passive voice is when the verb precedes the actor in the sentence. Using the past tense of the verb “to be” and the past participle of a verb together is often an indication of the passive voice. ![]() Using “I” to identify the writer’s role in the research process is often a solution to the passive voice and is encouraged by APA style (see APA 7, Section 4.16). This revised sentence clearly indicates the action taker.In this case, if the context of the paragraph does not clarify who did the action, the writer should revise this sentence to clarify who conducted the study.Įxample: I conducted a study of job satisfaction and turnover. Here, it is not clear who did the conducting.Consider these examples to help determine which form of the verb is most appropriate:Įxample: A study was conducted of job satisfaction and turnover. 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.Īccording to APA, writers should select verb tenses and voice carefully. if the writer wants to focus on the object or the implications of the actor’s action orĪlso, much like for anthropomorphism, different writing styles have different preferences. ![]()
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