Writing Tips For Bloggers: Active Voice Versus Passive Voice

Yesterday I talked about the importance of using the correct spelling, grammar, and puncuation in your posts, because it seemed logical to start a series on writing with the basics, and because words are the backbone and the heart of your blog.   Now it’s time to discuss how you can use those words to make a powerful impression.

One of things that makes writing compelling is the active voice. Using the active voice is attention-grabbing and usually results in clearer, more direct prose than the passive voice. You should use the active voice when you’re telling a story and you want to draw the reader in.  Here’s an example of each voice:

In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject acts:

The smart business blogger wrote an excellent post.

In a sentence written in the passive voice, the subject is acted upon:

The excellent post was written by the smart business blogger.

Although writing in the passive voice is not necessarily wrong or always a bad idea, using it all the time can lead to flat, uninteresting writing or awkward sentence construction.  The passive voice is a good call, however, when you’re writing about observations or research and you want to maintain objectivity- academic and scientific writing is typically done in the passive voice.  Also, sometimes it’s just the best way to convey your intended meaning (check out this article from Essay, I Say for more advice on when to go with the passive voice).

That said, there’s no denying the fact that the active voice is more compelling.  It’s clearer, more comprehensible, and less wordy, and when it comes to blogging, simplicity and brevity are key.  Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of your favorite bloggers - I’ll bet they use the active voice more often than not.

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