Writing & communication · Operations & workflows
Active voice.
A sentence construction in which the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.
Useful when readers need to know who does what.
“Use active voice and name the owner: “The project lead approves the release.””
A closer look
“The team reviews requests” puts the actor in the subject position. “Requests are reviewed by the team” is passive. Active voice often makes responsibilities clearer, but passive voice can be appropriate when the actor is unknown or the affected object deserves emphasis.
Put it to work
“Rewrite “The report will be checked” to identify who checks it and when.”
A useful distinction
Active voice is grammatical voice, not an energetic tone. A short or forceful sentence can still be passive.