Effortless FREE Passive to Active Voice Converter

Want to bring your writing to life? Understanding the difference between passive and active voice can dramatically enhance your copy’s clarity and readability.

Passive voice leads to weaker sentences that muddy your message, whereas active voice communicates your message concisely. Fortunately, once you understand how to avoid passive voice, you can do so even without an active voice converter.

You can also use AI writing software to convert copy in seconds. We’ll cover AI tools towards the end of this article. If you want a copy of my AI prompting guide, tap the button below to let me know and I’ll send it to you.

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What is Passive Voice VS Active Voice

In active voice the subject performing the action is identified first, followed by the verb (action) and the object or modifier of the sentence.

Active Structure: Subject – Verb – Object.

In passive voice, the subject is usually at the end of the sentence or unidentified, leading to less informative, vague sentences.

Passive Structure: Object – Verb – Subject.

Let’s take a look at a sentence using passive structure first, to identify the most common pitfalls.

Passive Voice Explained: Weaknesses and Use Cases

Passive sentences are less informative, less direct, less concise, and often seem less authoritative or trustworthy. Whether you’re writing sales copy, blog posts, or fiction, active structure helps keep readers engaged and enjoying the reading experience.

Passive Voice Examples

Active Structure: The chicken crossed the road.

Passive Structure: The road was crossed by the chicken.

The active version allows the reader to immediately build a mental image of the scene in a logical fashion.

The passive version doesn’t inform the reader WHO is crossing the road until they’ve already formed a mental image, which can be confusing.

The active sentence is also two words shorter (5 instead of 7). That may not seem like a lot, but if a 2000 word article consistently uses passive voice, it could be rewritten into a 1400 word article without losing anything important just by correcting the structure.

Passive sentences often use “to be” verbs followed by a past participle, such as “was eaten,” “is written,” or “were painted.” Converting passive sentences to active structure  can immediately make your writing easier to understand.

Active Voice Examples and Explanation

Active writing follows the Subject – Verb – Object structure, communicating information in a way that facilitates comprehension.

Active Voice Examples

1. Passive: The ball was thrown by John. Active: John threw the ball.
2. Passive: The report was written by our team. Active: Our team wrote the report.
3. Passive: The movie was watched by the kids. Active: The kids watched the movie.

In each example, unnecessary words are eliminated and the events unfold in a logical sequence that most readers will follow with ease.

How to Convert Passive Voice into Active Voice

Converting passive voice into active voice is easy now that you understand the differences in sentence structure. Just follow these two simple steps:

1. Identify the Subject and Action: In passive sentences, the subject often follows the action or is omitted.
2. Rearrange the Sentence: Place the subject before the verb and ensure it performs the action.

Demonstration: Changing Passive into Active Voice

Consider this passive sentence: “A delicious meal was cooked by Mary.”

• Step 1: Identify the subject (Mary) and the action (cooked).
• Step 2: Rearrange to active voice: “Mary cooked a delicious meal.”

This adjustment results in a more compelling writing style. With practice, writing in active structure can become as natural as speaking.

AI-Powered Passive to Active Voice Converters

AI-powered passive to active voice converters are software that assist users in writing more concise copy. These tools make it fast and easy to perform the conversion, and can help you learn along the way if you get stuck.

Best AI Writing and Editing Software Platforms

AI writing and editing software have become game-changers in the field of writing, offering a wide variety of user-friendly tools. They can help with academic papers, blog posts, or any other text where you want to turn passive construction into  active voice sentences.

The following AI writers are my personal favorites for improving sentence structure and overall writing form and output quality.

QuillBot

QuillBot is a versatile AI tool designed to assist with paraphrasing, grammar checking, and improving sentence structure. It helps with writing clearer paragraphs, especially when using complex sentences. QuillBot can also function as a passive-active converter. You can see it in action by checking out their free access tier.

Grammarly

Grammarly is a well-known AI tool that offers comprehensive features including grammar checks, style enhancements, and rewriting suggestions.

It’s helpful for improving just about any type of text, especially for less experienced writers who don’t know have all the rules memorized. You can try Grammarly for free by signing up here.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a chat-based AI writer created by OpenAI.  It’s great for research, brainstorming, and writing, but can also be used to improve existing copy.

Just paste any passive paragraphs you have into ChatGPT along with a command to rewrite with active structure, and it will do the rest.

Benefits of Writing Concise Content With Active Voice

Active voice sentences are direct and simple, making them easier for readers to understand and engage with. This writing style reduces the complexity of passive constructions, allowing for more effective communication, which is ideal for all types of writing.

Here are some case-specific benefits you may find compelling.

SEO Benefits (NLP-Friendly Content)

Search engines favor content that is easy to parse and understand. Writing in an active voice improves SEO by aligning with natural language processing (NLP) techniques.

Well-structured content is more likely to surface in search results because it mirrors how humans naturally communicate.

To learn more about writing NLP-friendly content for SEO, watch this tutorial on my YouTube channel.

Copywriting Benefits (Higher Trust Factor)

Direct sentences foster a higher trust factor, especially in situations where commanding authority is important.

Active writing grabs attention and enhances engagement, making readers more likely to keep reading and take a desired action, which is the purpose of copywriting.

Efficiency and Engagement

Direct, clear copy helps hold a reader’s attention, encouraging them to read more and interact with elements on the page such as calls-to-action and lead forms. It also keeps word counts low, which makes it easier for readers to get the information they want efficiently.

Who Can Use AI Writing and Editing Tools?

AI writing and editing tools are versatile resources accessible to a wide range of users. These tools are designed to enhance writing quality, improve readability, and streamline the editing process.

Freelance Writers

Freelance writers can benefit from AI writing and editing tools whether they write blog content, technical papers, or sales copy. Freelancers save time on both drafting and editing, allowing them to concentrate more on creativity and delivering high-quality work to their clients.

Content Creators

Content creators often require a quick turnaround while maintaining quality. AI software can draft text quickly and help optimize it for search engines, essential for organic content marketing.

Students and Teachers

Students and teachers can use AI tools to refine academic writing. They aid in checking passive constructions and turning complex sentences into clearer ones, enhancing the overall clarity of academic papers.