Passive phrasing using words like “started,” “was,” or “had been,” slow the pace of your story by bogging it down with extra words that don’t contribute to your reader’s experience. All I needed to do to give these sentences more punch was to get rid of the passive words. They build a more specific, detailed image than the passive versions.
Notice how these new sentences have more active, descriptive verbs. Here’s how you might convert these examples from passive phrasing to active phrasing: Active Voice DefinitionĪctive voice – the preferred phrasing – is when the sentence’s subject performs the action.
The author is reporting the story when they should be striving to build a more detailed experience for their reader. This type of passive phrasing is indicative of passive thinking when writing. Instead of showing Sarah acting or being sad, the sentence just tells the reader she is sad. Here the passive phrasing is telling, not showing. Instead of performing the running action, Jim only started to run. Words like “starting/beginning” and “feeling/felt” create this kind of passive voice. In creative writing, there are other ways a sentence is made passive: starting an action or telling your reader what a character is feeling. Extended Passive Voice Definition in Creative Writing Words like “is/was,” “be/been,” and “-ing” words after a verb like “was” are used to create passive voice in this way. The park is also not performing the action of decorating. Instead it is being acted upon by the water. Notice how the toilet is not performing the action of overflowing in this sentence.
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