By In Dubai, students often struggle with using active and passive voices in academic writing, as English is not their first language. They do not get the difference between the two voices, thus they don’t know which voice should be used. As a result, they get poor grades.
Do you also struggle with using active and passive voices in your essays and assignments? No worries! We are here to help you. This blog will guide you on using active and passive voices in academic writing sources through some tips and examples. So what are we waiting for? Let’s dive into it!
What Is Active & Passive Voice?
Let’s start this blog by understanding what active and passive voice actually are.
In the active voice, the subject performs the action on the object. Alternatively, in passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb instead of performing it.
Active Voice:
Active voice is generally short and to the point.
Its structure is: Subject + Verb + Object
Example: I baked cookies.
Passive Voice:
Passive voice makes the writing sound more formal and objective.
Its structure is: Object + (is/was/were) + Verb(past participle) + by + Subject
Example: Cookies were baked by me.
In academic writing, writers are told to use the active voice more and avoid the usage of passive voice. But this does not mean that you should fully avoid it. Rather, you can use it only when it’s necessary.
Why Should You Use The Active Voice?
You should use the active voice in your academic writing as it makes it more concise, clear, and to the point by focusing on the subject performing the action. Along with that, it provides a natural flow and helps the reader understand it more easily.
The following are some of the reasons why you should use the active voice:
1. To Be Clear:
Active voice provides the clarity of who is performing the action, and prevents any type of confusion.
2. To Be Direct:
The active voice directly provides the information by placing the subject at the start of the sentence.
3. To Be Concise:
Sentences that use the active voice are often shorter than passive sentences.
4. To Be Engaging:
Active voice can make your essay more engaging by keeping the flow of the sentences.
Why Should You Use The Passive Voice?
You should use the passive voice to keep the focus on the action or the object instead of the subject. Besides that, it is used when the subject is not known, unimportant, or when you want to keep a formal or objective tone.
The following are some of the reasons why you should use the passive voice in your academic writing:
1. To Keep The Subject Unknown:
Passive voice is used to keep the subject unknown. Additionally, it is also used when the subject is not important.
2. To Focus On The Object Or The Action:
The main focus of the sentence is either on the action or on the object that receives the action.
3. To Create A Formal Tone:
Passive sentences have a formal and objective tone.
Tips To Use Each Voice:
In order to understand when you should use active voice and passive voice, you must first understand the context and requirements of your writing.
Active Voice:
Use voice when:
- You have to present concepts in a clear and direct manner.
- Highlighting the subject who performs the action.
- Writing introductions, discussion, and results.
- You want to engage your audience.
- Writing a non-scientific paper to avoid any confusion and maintain the interest of readers.
Passive Voice:
Use voice when:
- You have to present concepts in a formal and objective tone.
- The doer is unknown or not important.
- Highlighting the object that receives the action instead of the subject.
- You have to mention the methods or the process.
- Writing a scientific
How To Maintain The Balance Between The Two Voices?
It is essential to keep the balance between the two voices for a well-written academic writing source. And for this, you first need to understand the purpose of your writing. Secondly, identify the voice that will help you mention your objectives effectively. Moreover, try to use both voice in your essays to keep the balance.
However, if you struggle to maintain this balance, then you can consider seeking an Essay Writing Service in Dubai. These services provide professional essay writers who help you with your essays. In addition to this, they also help students understand concepts like the usage of voice and other related things.
Examples Of Active & Passive Voice In Academic Writing:
- Active voice: The professor asked the students to participate in the survey.
Passive voice: The students were asked to participate in the survey / The students were asked to participate in the survey by the professor.
(it depends on whether you have to keep the doer known or unknown)
- Active voice: We collected blood samples.
Passive voice: Blood samples were collected / Blood samples were collected by us.
- Active voice: The students must read books.
Passive voice: Books must be read / Books must be read by the students.
- Active voice: I made a mistake.
Passive voice: A mistake was made / A mistake was made by me.
You must have noticed that in all the above examples, the focus shifts from the subject to the object or the action.
Apart from all this, if you are still confused about how to use voices in your academic writing, then you can seek Assignment Help in Dubai. They provide services like assignment writing, essay writing, etc. Moreover, they have qualified and skilled writers from top universities. Consequently, these writers will help you write essays and assignments, and along with that, they will also teach you the proper use of voices and grammar.
Wrapping Up!
In conclusion, the use of both active and passive voice is vital for excellent academic writing. You just need to understand how to balance them in your writing, and with constant practice, you will be able to balance them soon.
This brings us to the end of our guide! We hope this was helpful for you.