{"id":20255,"date":"2023-06-14T02:27:37","date_gmt":"2023-06-14T06:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/?p=20255"},"modified":"2024-01-01T08:16:02","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T12:16:02","slug":"use-the-active-voice-in-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2023\/06\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"Use the active voice in writing"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Write about people doing things<\/h2>\n<p>Which of these headlines is most likely to spur you to sign up for a webinar?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31944\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31944\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"31944\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/how-to-avoid-passive-voice\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"use-the-active-voice-in-writing\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I like to move it, move it&lt;\/strong&gt; It\u2019s one of the best writing tips I know. In any kind of business writing, write about people doing things. &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/es\/image-photo\/lets-do-inspiration-concept-631405850&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Photo credit: rawpixel.com&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing-300x200.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing.png\" alt=\"Use the active voice in writing\" title=\"Use the active voice in writing\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31944 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing.png 450w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing-300x200.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 450px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 450\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"31944\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/how-to-avoid-passive-voice\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"use-the-active-voice-in-writing\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I like to move it, move it&lt;\/strong&gt; It\u2019s one of the best writing tips I know. In any kind of business writing, write about people doing things. &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/es\/image-photo\/lets-do-inspiration-concept-631405850&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Photo credit: rawpixel.com&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing-300x200.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing.png\" alt=\"Use the active voice in writing\" title=\"Use the active voice in writing\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31944\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing.png 450w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/use-the-active-voice-in-writing-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31944\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>I like to move it, move it<\/strong> It\u2019s one of the best writing tips I know. In any kind of business writing, write about people doing things. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/es\/image-photo\/lets-do-inspiration-concept-631405850\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Photo credit: rawpixel.com<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">New webinar helps managers improve productivity<\/h5>\n<p>Or:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Get all your work done in half the time, be the office hero and go home early<\/h5>\n<p>The first focuses on the webinar. But the second one focuses on me doing things. That makes the second one more compelling.<\/p>\n<p>Want to watch your words get shorter, your sentences sleeker? See your passive voice disappear and your readability soar? Energize your writing?\u00a0 Populate it with real, live humans? Focus on benefits instead of features?<\/p>\n<p>Use the active voice in writing. In other words, write about people doing things.<\/p>\n<h3>Why use the active voice in writing?<\/h3>\n<p>When you write about people doing things, you:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Activate passive sentences<\/strong>. You know the difference between active and passive voice:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>In a sentence written in passive voice<\/strong>, the subject is acted upon by the object. <em>Object verb subject.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>In a sentence written in active voice<\/strong>, the subject performs the action. <em>Subject verb object.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<p>That\u2019s important: Writing in the active voice helps people read sentences faster, understand them more easily, remember them longer and enjoy the process more.<\/p>\n<p>People doing things \u2014 Subject verb object \u2014 is the structure of the active voice. So turn passive-voice sentences into active-voice sentences by writing about people doing things:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #990000;\">No<\/span>: Mortgage payments must be made \u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #38761d;\">Yes<\/span>: Homeowners must make mortgage payments \u2026<\/p>\n<li><strong>Improve readability<\/strong>. Writing in the passive voice also makes sentences and words longer and reduces readability. Take this passage:<\/li>\n<div class=\"excerptbox\" style=\"border:1px solid black;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #990000;\">No<\/span>: Medicaid eligibility is organized by category or population each of which has different rules for how much income and resources you can have. For the most part, only citizens and qualified immigrants can qualify. The largest Medicaid categories covering most eligible individuals are Children under age 19, Parents raising children under age 19, Pregnant Women, Individuals 65 and older, and Persons with Disabilities.<\/p>\n<p>\tThe subjects of these sentences are <em>Medicaid, citizens<\/em> and <em>categories<\/em>. Write about people doing things, and you make messages easy to read:<\/p>\n<p>\t<span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #38761d;\">Yes<\/span>: Are you eligible for Medicaid? That depends on who you are, how high your income is and how many other resources you have. The largest groups of people who qualify for Medicaid are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Children under 19<\/li>\n<li>Parents raising children under 19<\/li>\n<li>Pregnant women<\/li>\n<li>People 65 and older<\/li>\n<li>People with disabilities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>\tThe difference in readability between writing about <em>Medicaid<\/em> and writing about <em>you<\/em>? Sentences are 73% shorter; words, 111% shorter; and Flesch Reading Ease is up 192%.\n<\/ol>\n<h3>How to use the active voice in writing<\/h3>\n<p>The Little Red Schoolhouse writing course recommends that you:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Use the simple sentence structure<\/strong>: <em>Subject verb object. <\/em>Think of your sentences as short stories with clearly identifiable characters acting concretely.\n<p style=\"margin-left:30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #990000;\">No<\/span>: Its failure could affect vehicle directional control, particularly during heavy brake application.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #38761d;\">Yes<\/span>: You won\u2019t be able to steer when you put on the brakes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make subjects humans.<\/strong> Write about <strong><em>people<\/em><\/strong> doing things, not about <strong><em>things<\/em><\/strong> doing things.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #990000;\">No<\/span>: Growth occurred in Pinocchio\u2019s nose when lies were told by him to Geppetto.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #38761d;\">Yes<\/span>: Pinocchio\u2019s nose grew longer when he lied to Geppetto.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Write in verbs, not nouns. <\/strong>Nix nominalizations, or words that turn verbs (like <em>explain<\/em>) into nouns (like <em>explanation<\/em>).\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"excerptbox\" style=\"border:1px solid black;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #990000;\">No<\/span>: Our expectation was for a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that management interference with the strike or harassment of picketing workers was not permitted.<\/div>\n<p>OK, that one\u2019s been through the De-Verb-O-Rizer a few times! Look at the verbs buried in those nouns: <em>expectation, ruling, interference, harassment.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t commit verbicide. Write about people doing things:<\/p>\n<div class=\"excerptbox\" style=\"border:1px solid black;\"><span style=\"font-weight:bold; color: #38761d;\">Yes<\/span>: We expected the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to rule that management could not interfere with the strike or harass picketing workers.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Active voice in action<\/h3>\n<p>Wendy Jorgensen increased readability of this message by 40%, mostly by focusing on people doing things.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the City of Plano senior marketing and communication coordinator\u2019s before:<\/p>\n<div class=\"excerptbox\" style=\"border:1px solid black;\">\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #a61c00;\">[Subject: plan]<\/span> <strong>Plano Tomorrow Draft Interactive Plan Launches<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\">On April 3, <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #a61c00;\">[Subject: plan]<\/span> the Plano Tomorrow comprehensive plan was launched online in draft form. <em>[Subject: plan]<\/em> The plan will be the guiding document for future development, transportation design, City service implementation and management of City parkland. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #a61c00;\">[Subject: format]<\/span> The web-based, interactive format of Plano Tomorrow is an emerging concept in cities around the world and is the first to be introduced by a Texas community. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #a61c00;\">[Subject: plan]<\/span> Historically, Plano\u2019s comprehensive plan has been in a printed format that could only be accessed in person or downloaded online. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #a61c00;\">[Subject: it (plan)]<\/span> \u201cIn essence by doing the comprehensive plan in this format, it becomes a living document that can evolve as our population changes and new trends in development arise,\u201d said Planning Director Christina Day. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> Explore the 15 videos outlining aspects of the plan, watch as actions in the plan progress and rank the actions that matter most to you.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #a61c00;\">[Subject: plan]<\/span> The plan was launched in advance of the Planning and Zoning Commission work session on Thursday, April 9 at 6 p.m. at Plano Municipal Center, 1520 K Ave. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #a61c00;\">[Subject: session]<\/span> The work session will focus on the draft Plano Tomorrow plan. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: residents]<\/span> Residents will be able to attend in person or to message questions through the City of Plano Facebook page or to post questions on Twitter with #PlanoTomorrow. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> Check out the plan at planotomorrow.org.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Note that 70% of these sentences focus on things doing things, not on people doing things.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s Wendy\u2019s after:<\/p>\n<div class=\"excerptbox\" style=\"border:1px solid black;\">\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> <strong>Make Your Community Stronger and Safer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: Tom Smith]<\/span> Tom Smith takes the DART Rail every day to work. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: Tom Smith]<\/span> To get to the station, he walks 3 miles and some days the lack of sidewalks is challenging. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: Tom Smith]<\/span> He hopes to change that with Plano\u2019s comprehensive plan.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: Tom Smith]<\/span> He ranks sidewalks as a program he wants prioritized in the new Plano Tomorrow interactive.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> Put your mark on the plan to shape future growth and improve traffic delays and City services and parkland use. <span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #a61c00;\">[Subject: rankings]<\/span> Rankings are weighed during the annual budget process.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> Watch the Planning and Zoning Commission Plano Tomorrow work session on Thursday, April 9, at\u00a0 6 p.m.:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> Ask questions in person at Plano Municipal Center<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> Message us through the City of Plano Facebook<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> Post questions on Twitter (#PlanoTomorrow)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; color: #38761d;\">[Subject: you]<\/span> Show us how you want your tax dollars invested at planotomorrow.org.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>This time, 92% of the sentences focus on things doing things, not on people doing things. What a difference in readability that makes. By writing about people doing things, Wendy:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Whittled word count by 13%.<\/li>\n<li>Slashed paragraph length by 68%.<\/li>\n<li>Streamlined sentences by 45%.<\/li>\n<li>Reduced syllables per word.<\/li>\n<li>Reduced Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level by 38%.<\/li>\n<li>Increased Flesch Reading Ease by 40%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:center; font-weight:bold;\">Want results like these for your own message? Use the active voice in writing. Write about people doing things.<\/p>\n<div id='MMC-Clear' class='widgets_on_page wop_tiny1  wop_small1  wop_medium1  wop_large1  wop_wide1'>\n\t\t\t<ul><li id=\"custom_html-81\" class=\"widget_text widget widget_custom_html\"><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><a title=\"Clear-writing workshop, a mini master class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/clear-writing-course\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/clear-writing-training-mmc.png\" alt=\"Clear-writing workshop, a mini master class\" title=\"Clear-writing workshop, a mini master class\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" border=\"0\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 250px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 250\/250;float:left; text-align:left; margin: 0 auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18x; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; color: #FFFFFF; max-width:100%; max-height:100%;\" class=\"img-max lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/clear-writing-training-mmc.png\" alt=\"Clear-writing workshop, a mini master class\" title=\"Clear-writing workshop, a mini master class\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" border=\"0\" style=\"float:left; text-align:left; margin: 0 auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18x; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; color: #FFFFFF; max-width:100%; max-height:100%;\" class=\"img-max\"><\/noscript><\/a><h3>Reach more readers with tight writing<\/h3>\r\n\t\r\n<p>Would your piece be twice as good if it were half as long? Yes, say readability experts.<\/p>\r\n\t\r\n<p>So how long should your message be? Your paragraphs? Your sentences? Your words? What reading ease level should you hit?<\/p>\r\n\t\r\n<p>Learn how to write clearer, more concise messages at our <a title=\"Clear-writing workshop, a mini master class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/clear-writing-course\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>clear-writing course<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"btn btn--depth\" style=\"text-align: center;  margin: 10px 0 20px; width:100%;\"><a id=\"btnTT\" style=\"\" title=\"BOOK NOW\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/clear-writing-course\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-width=\"91\">BOOK NOW<\/a>\r\n<!-- [if mso]>\r\n<p style=\"line-height:0;margin:0;\"><v:roundrect xmlns:v=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/clear-writing-course\/\" style=\"width:153px\" arcsize=\"8%\" strokecolor=\"#D96237\" filled=\"t\"><v:fill type=\"gradient\" angle=\"180\" color=\"#f16522\" color2=\"#f16522\"><\/v:fill><v:textbox style=\"mso-fit-shape-to-text:t\" inset=\"0px,11px,0px,11px\"><center style=\"font-size:16px;line-height:24px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:sans-serif;font-weight:bold;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;mso-text-raise:4px\">BOOK NOW<\/center><\/v:textbox><\/v:roundrect><\/p>\r\n<![endif]--><\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><!-- widgets_on_page -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Write about people doing things<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":31944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[274],"tags":[240,495,75],"class_list":{"0":"post-20255","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-readability","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-subjects","10":"tag-writing-tips","11":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v23.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Use the active voice in writing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I like to move it, move it: It\u2019s one of the best writing tips I know. 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