How to use the Passive Voice Checker
- Paste your text.
- Passive phrases are highlighted in the preview.
- Check the passive sentence percentage.
- Rewrite highlighted sentences so the subject performs the action.
Example
| Input | The report was written by the team. |
|---|---|
| Result | Passive: “was written” → Active: “The team wrote the report.” |
What passive voice is
In an active sentence the subject does the action: “The team reviewed the document.” In a passive sentence the subject receives it: “The document was reviewed by the team.” Passive sentences are not wrong, but too many make writing vague and wordy, because they often hide who did the action.
What the checker reports
- The number of sentences and how many of them are passive.
- The passive share as a percentage of all sentences.
- The number of passive phrases found, which can be more than one per sentence.
- Your text with each passive phrase highlighted.
A badge sums it up: up to 10% passive is Great, up to 20% is Okay, and above that is High, so try rewriting in active voice.
How it detects passive voice
The checker looks for a form of “to be” or “get”, such as is, was, were, been or got, followed by a past participle, which usually ends in “-ed” or is a known irregular verb like “written” or “taken”. A few adjectives that look like participles, such as “tired” and “interested”, are skipped. Because it relies on patterns, it can occasionally miss a passive or flag a phrase that is not one, so review the highlights.
Turning passive into active
- Find the person or thing doing the action and make it the subject: “The CEO announced the policy.”
- Keep the passive when the actor is unknown or unimportant, or when you want to stress the receiver, as in “The bridge was completed in 1932.”
- Reading it aloud helps. If a sentence sounds like a report, it is probably passive.
- Check how long your sentences are with the Sentence Counter and your overall score with the Readability Checker.
Frequently asked questions
What is passive voice?
In passive voice the subject receives the action (“The cake was eaten”). In active voice the subject performs it (“Sam ate the cake”). Active sentences are usually shorter and clearer.
Is passive voice always wrong?
No. It is useful when the doer is unknown or unimportant, as in scientific writing. Many style guides suggest keeping passive sentences under about 10% of the total.
How accurate is the checker?
It looks for a form of “to be” or “get” followed by a past participle. This catches most passive sentences but can flag some adjectives (“I am tired”), so review each highlight.
Is passive voice always bad?
No. It is useful when the actor is unknown or unimportant, and in some scientific writing. The problem is overusing it, especially in business and web writing.
Why was my sentence not flagged?
The checker finds common patterns only. Unusual constructions can slip through, so treat the result as a guide.