100 Examples of Active and Passive Voice for Better Writing

Looking through 100 examples of active and passive voice is honestly the fastest way to get your head around grammar without feeling like you're back in a stuffy classroom. Most of us use both styles every day without even thinking about it, but knowing when to flip the switch can make your writing way more engaging.

In a nutshell, active voice is about the person or thing doing the action. It's punchy, direct, and usually shorter. Passive voice flips the script, focusing more on what's being acted upon. It's a bit more formal, sometimes a little wordy, but super useful when you want to sound objective or when you just don't know who did the thing.

Let's dive into this list so you can see exactly how they look side-by-side.

Everyday Life and Habits

We use these kinds of sentences constantly. Most of the time, the active voice feels more natural here because we're talking about people doing things.

  1. Active: Sarah cleans the kitchen. | Passive: The kitchen is cleaned by Sarah.
  2. Active: The cat chased the mouse. | Passive: The mouse was chased by the cat.
  3. Active: I baked a cake for your birthday. | Passive: A cake was baked by me for your birthday.
  4. Active: Dad fixes the leaky faucet. | Passive: The leaky faucet is fixed by Dad.
  5. Active: The kids are playing football. | Passive: Football is being played by the kids.
  6. Active: She bought a new car yesterday. | Passive: A new car was bought by her yesterday.
  7. Active: Someone stole my bike! | Passive: My bike was stolen!
  8. Active: My brother wrote this letter. | Passive: This letter was written by my brother.
  9. Active: The gardener waters the plants every morning. | Passive: The plants are watered by the gardener every morning.
  10. Active: Mom is making dinner right now. | Passive: Dinner is being made by Mom right now.

The Professional World

In the office, you'll see the passive voice a lot. It sounds more "corporate," which can be good for reports but boring for emails.

  1. Active: The manager signed the contract. | Passive: The contract was signed by the manager.
  2. Active: Our team completed the project on time. | Passive: The project was completed on time by our team.
  3. Active: The CEO will give a speech today. | Passive: A speech will be given by the CEO today.
  4. Active: We have updated the software. | Passive: The software has been updated.
  5. Active: The HR department hired five new interns. | Passive: Five new interns were hired by the HR department.
  6. Active: They are reviewing the budget. | Passive: The budget is being reviewed.
  7. Active: The company launched a new app. | Passive: A new app was launched by the company.
  8. Active: You must submit the report by Friday. | Passive: The report must be submitted by Friday.
  9. Active: The technician is repairing the server. | Passive: The server is being repaired by the technician.
  10. Active: We found several errors in the document. | Passive: Several errors were found in the document.

A Quick Tip on Tone

Notice how "The software has been updated" sounds a lot more professional than "We updated the software"? Passive voice is great for when you want to sound like a faceless organization (in a good way). It shifts the focus to the result rather than the person doing the work.

Past Tense Stories

When we tell stories, we usually stick to the active voice because it keeps the action moving. But the passive voice can add a bit of mystery.

  1. Active: The storm destroyed the old barn. | Passive: The old barn was destroyed by the storm.
  2. Active: J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter. | Passive: Harry Potter was written by J.K. Rowling.
  3. Active: The police caught the thief. | Passive: The thief was caught by the police.
  4. Active: Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. | Passive: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
  5. Active: Firefighters extinguished the blaze. | Passive: The blaze was extinguished by firefighters.
  6. Active: The earthquake shook the entire city. | Passive: The entire city was shaken by the earthquake.
  7. Active: Someone left the window open. | Passive: The window was left open.
  8. Active: The chef prepared a five-course meal. | Passive: A five-course meal was prepared by the chef.
  9. Active: My grandfather built this house in 1950. | Passive: This house was built by my grandfather in 1950.
  10. Active: The dog ate my homework. | Passive: My homework was eaten by the dog.

Science and Technology

Passive voice is the "king" of science writing because it makes things sound objective and factual.

  1. Active: Scientists discovered a new planet. | Passive: A new planet was discovered by scientists.
  2. Active: The lab assistant mixed the chemicals. | Passive: The chemicals were mixed by the lab assistant.
  3. Active: Gravity pulls objects toward the earth. | Passive: Objects are pulled toward the earth by gravity.
  4. Active: The factory produces thousands of chips daily. | Passive: Thousands of chips are produced by the factory daily.
  5. Active: They are testing the new vaccine. | Passive: The new vaccine is being tested.
  6. Active: Heat expands metal. | Passive: Metal is expanded by heat.
  7. Active: Engineers designed the bridge. | Passive: The bridge was designed by engineers.
  8. Active: The rover explored Mars. | Passive: Mars was explored by the rover.
  9. Active: A virus infected the computer system. | Passive: The computer system was infected by a virus.
  10. Active: We measure temperature in Celsius. | Passive: Temperature is measured in Celsius.

Future Plans and Possibilities

Looking ahead? You can use both, but active voice usually sounds more confident.

  1. Active: I will finish the book tomorrow. | Passive: The book will be finished by me tomorrow.
  2. Active: They will build a new school here. | Passive: A new school will be built here.
  3. Active: The council will discuss the issue. | Passive: The issue will be discussed by the council.
  4. Active: We will announce the winner soon. | Passive: The winner will be announced soon.
  5. Active: She is going to paint the fence. | Passive: The fence is going to be painted by her.
  6. Active: Robots will perform the surgery. | Passive: The surgery will be performed by robots.
  7. Active: Someone will clean the hall later. | Passive: The hall will be cleaned later.
  8. Active: I'm going to send the email now. | Passive: The email is going to be sent now.
  9. Active: The judge will deliver the verdict. | Passive: The verdict will be delivered by the judge.
  10. Active: We will replace the batteries. | Passive: The batteries will be replaced.

Continuous and Progressing Actions

These are the "ing" sentences. They describe things happening right this second.

  1. Active: The mechanic is fixing my car. | Passive: My car is being fixed by the mechanic.
  2. Active: They are filming a movie in town. | Passive: A movie is being filmed in town.
  3. Active: The waiter is serving the drinks. | Passive: The drinks are being served by the waiter.
  4. Active: People are using the new park. | Passive: The new park is being used by people.
  5. Active: She was reading a story to the kids. | Passive: A story was being read to the kids by her.
  6. Active: We were painting the walls yesterday. | Passive: The walls were being painted by us yesterday.
  7. Active: He is organizing the files. | Passive: The files are being organized by him.
  8. Active: The tailor is mending the suit. | Passive: The suit is being mended by the tailor.
  9. Active: They were playing music loudly. | Passive: Music was being played loudly.
  10. Active: I am writing this list for you. | Passive: This list is being written for you by me.

Perfect Tense (The "Has/Have" Ones)

This is where things get a little wordy. Use these when an action is already finished but still matters now.

  1. Active: I have finished my work. | Passive: My work has been finished.
  2. Active: They have sold the house. | Passive: The house has been sold.
  3. Active: She had already cooked dinner. | Passive: Dinner had already been cooked by her.
  4. Active: Someone has eaten my sandwich! | Passive: My sandwich has been eaten!
  5. Active: We have invited everyone. | Passive: Everyone has been invited.
  6. Active: The government has changed the law. | Passive: The law has been changed by the government.
  7. Active: He had lost his keys before he got home. | Passive: His keys had been lost before he got home.
  8. Active: The company has hired a new director. | Passive: A new director has been hired.
  9. Active: They have cleaned the pool. | Passive: The pool has been cleaned.
  10. Active: I have sent the package. | Passive: The package has been sent.

Using Modals (Can, Should, Must)

Modals add a layer of meaning like permission, ability, or obligation.

  1. Active: You should wear a helmet. | Passive: A helmet should be worn.
  2. Active: We must follow the rules. | Passive: The rules must be followed.
  3. Active: He can play the guitar. | Passive: The guitar can be played by him.
  4. Active: You may keep the change. | Passive: The change may be kept by you.
  5. Active: They might cancel the meeting. | Passive: The meeting might be cancelled.
  6. Active: We could hear the ocean. | Passive: The ocean could be heard by us.
  7. Active: You should check the oil. | Passive: The oil should be checked.
  8. Active: We must protect the environment. | Passive: The environment must be protected.
  9. Active: She can solve the puzzle. | Passive: The puzzle can be solved by her.
  10. Active: You could buy the tickets online. | Passive: The tickets could be bought online.

Questions and Negatives

Even when we're asking things or saying "no," the rule stays the same.

  1. Active: Did you see the movie? | Passive: Was the movie seen by you?
  2. Active: Does he wash the car? | Passive: Is the car washed by him?
  3. Active: We did not find the treasure. | Passive: The treasure was not found by us.
  4. Active: She does not like coffee. | Passive: Coffee is not liked by her.
  5. Active: Will they help us? | Passive: Will we be helped by them?
  6. Active: Are you watching the game? | Passive: Is the game being watched by you?
  7. Active: They haven't fixed the roof yet. | Passive: The roof hasn't been fixed yet.
  8. Active: Can you see the stars? | Passive: Can the stars be seen?
  9. Active: Why did she break the vase? | Passive: Why was the vase broken by her?
  10. Active: We shouldn't ignore the problem. | Passive: The problem shouldn't be ignored.

Miscellaneous and Tricky Ones

To wrap things up, here are some final examples that show how the shift happens in different scenarios.

  1. Active: Everyone loves a good story. | Passive: A good story is loved by everyone.
  2. Active: The wind blew the door open. | Passive: The door was blown open by the wind.
  3. Active: We need more volunteers. | Passive: More volunteers are needed.
  4. Active: The teacher explained the lesson. | Passive: The lesson was explained by the teacher.
  5. Active: They speak English here. | Passive: English is spoken here.
  6. Active: Someone left a message for you. | Passive: A message was left for you.
  7. Active: I found your wallet on the street. | Passive: Your wallet was found on the street.
  8. Active: The sun warms the earth. | Passive: The earth is warmed by the sun.
  9. Active: People across the world watch the Olympics. | Passive: The Olympics are watched by people across the world.
  10. Active: You should enjoy your life! | Passive: Life should be enjoyed!

Why This Matters

Going through 100 examples of active and passive voice isn't just a grammar exercise. It's about learning how to control the vibe of your writing. If you're writing a fast-paced thriller, you're going to want 90% active voice. It's punchy. It keeps the reader moving.

But if you're writing a formal apology (like "Mistakes were made"), the passive voice is your best friend because it avoids pointing fingers. It focuses on the mistake, not the person who messed up.

Most writing "experts" tell you to avoid the passive voice like the plague, but honestly? That's bad advice. Use it when it makes sense, but try to use the active voice when you want to sound like a real person telling a real story.

Hopefully, these examples gave you a good feel for how to swap between the two without getting a headache!