Active Voice
Make the doer the subject to increase clarity and energy.
What & why
Listeners tend to process information most easily in the standard Subject-Verb-Object order, and research on sentence comprehension suggests active constructions are often understood more quickly than passives, especially out of context. That advantage tends to shrink when context, plausibility, or familiarity make a passive easy to follow, so it is a general tendency rather than a guarantee. Active voice usually matches the order listeners expect, so it tends to read as clearer, more direct, and more energetic. It also names who performs the action, which can help listeners track agency and accountability instead of guessing who is responsible.
Before & after
“Mistakes were made.”
“We made mistakes and we fixed them.”
When you’ll use it
Taking ownership of decisions and outcomes in business meetings
Writing clear action items and status updates
Creating compelling narratives and stories
Avoiding vague, bureaucratic language in presentations
Pro tip
Ask, who did what, then write it in that order.
Questions & answers
What is active voice in business communication?
Why should I use active voice in business presentations?
When might passive voice be appropriate in business communication?
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