Using Active and Passive Voices in Technical Writing

In technical writing, the choice between active and passive voice plays a crucial role in clarity and effectiveness.

The active voice is often preferred for its directness and clarity, making it ideal for instructions and explanations where the focus is on who is performing the action.

In contrast, the passive voice is useful when the action itself or its outcome is more important than the performer, often appearing in scientific or procedural contexts.

Both voices have their place, but overusing one can lead to confusion or a mismatched tone. In this article, we’ll explore the strengths and limitations of each voice and provide guidance on when to use them for clear, concise technical communication.

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action described by the verb. This structure typically follows the pattern: Subject + Verb + Object. For example:

The engineer (subject) designed (verb) the new software (object).

In this active voice sentence, the engineer is the one who designed the software.

Active voice is direct, clear, and typically more engaging. It clearly shows who is responsible for the action.

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action described by the verb. The structure follows this pattern: Object + Verb + Subject (optional). For example:

The new software (object) was designed (verb) by the engineer (subject).

The software is the focus of this passive voice sentence, and the engineer's role is secondary. The "by the engineer" portion is optional and can be omitted if the actor is not essential or known.

Next, let’s explore the benefits of both and when you would want to use either of them in your writing.

Benefits of Using Active Voice in Technical Writing

Clarity

The active voice clearly shows who is acting. It removes ambiguity and helps readers immediately understand the subject's role. This clarity is essential for easy comprehension of technical documents.

Example:

• Active: The researcher conducted the experiment.
• Passive: The experiment was conducted.

We can see who performed the experiment in the active voice example, while the passive voice leaves this information unclear.

Conciseness

The active voice often produces more concise sentences, eliminating the need for passive constructions, such as "was" or "were" + past participle.

Example:

• Active: The team fixed the bug.
• Passive: The bug was fixed by the team.

The active voice sentence is more concise and direct, making it a better choice when brevity is essential in technical writing.

Benefits of Using Passive Voice in Technical Writing

Emphasizing the Object or Result

Passive voice can be helpful when the sentence focuses on the object or result of an action rather than the actor.

This is common in scientific writing, where the emphasis is on the findings or observations rather than the individuals conducting the research.

Example:

• Passive: The new element was discovered in the lab.
• Active: Researchers discovered the new element in the lab.

In the passive voice sentence, the emphasis is on the new element, which may be more relevant to the context of a scientific paper.

Avoiding Blame or Responsibility

Passive voice can be diplomatic when discussing sensitive or potentially controversial topics. It allows writers to present information without explicitly assigning blame or responsibility.

Example:

• Passive: Mistakes were made during the project.
• Active: The team made mistakes during the project.

The passive voice sentence focuses on the mistakes rather than singling out the team members responsible, which might be more appropriate in specific contexts.

Now that you understand the benefits of active and passive voices in technical writing, it’s worth noting that passive voice is usually frowned upon in technical writing, and you should avoid using it as much as you can.

Let’s explore some reasons for this in the next section.

Reasons to Avoid Using Passive Voice in Technical Writing

Ambiguity

Overusing passive voice can lead to ambiguity. Without a clear actor in the sentence, readers may struggle to determine who is responsible for an action.

Always prioritize clarity in technical writing.

Overcomplication

While the passive voice can sometimes be appropriate, it can lead to unnecessarily complex sentences. Avoid passive constructions when more straightforward active-voice sentences suffice.

Hiding Responsibility

When accountability is essential, using a passive voice to avoid assigning blame can be problematic. Technical writing should include crucial details, especially regarding errors or failures.

Disconnected Information

Be cautious when using passive voice in sequences of actions or events. It can lead to a fragmented narrative that makes it harder for readers to follow the logical flow of information.

Examples of Using Strong Verbs in Technical Writing

Strong verbs are highly recommended to improve clarity and conciseness in technical writing. Let’s see some examples:

Example 1

Weak: The data collection process was done carefully and with great precision.

Strong: The data collection process was executed meticulously.

In the weak sentence, "carefully" and "with great precision" are adverbs that describe how the data collection process was performed.

The strong verb – "executed" conveys the same idea more directly, eliminating the need for adverbs.

Example 2

Weak: The software operates slowly and with a considerable degree of lag.

Strong: The software operates sluggishly.

"Slowly" and "with a considerable degree of lag" are adverbs and adjectives that describe the software's performance.

The strong verb – "operates sluggishly" conveys the same information more effectively, eliminating the need for these modifiers.

Example 3

Weak: The experiment was conducted in a very controlled and systematic manner.

Strong: The experiment was conducted methodically.

"In a very controlled and systematic manner" uses adjectives and adverbs to describe how the experiment was conducted.

The strong verb – "conducted methodically" encapsulates this description more succinctly and clearly.

Conclusion

This guide taught you how to use passive and active voices when creating technical content properly. Using different examples, you also saw how to use strong verbs and their benefits.

In the next part, we’ll explore how to organize information properly in technical writing.

Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions, corrections, or suggestions. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn.

See you in the next one!