Passive Voice

Simple Verbs

  • is  
  • are 
  • be 
  • being 
  • been 
  • was 
  • were 

Passive v Active 

  • passive: The sky was filled with owls.
  • active: Owls filled the sky.

Tips to Avoid Passive Verbs

  • make sure the subject of the sentence performs the action 
    • The window was hit by the owl.
    • The owl hit the window.

Reasons to Avoid Passive

  • awkward phrasing
  • informal tone
  • uninteresting tone

For more helpful with passive voice check out Purdue Owl