Rewrite a passive-heavy paragraph to reveal who did what — using clear, direct active voice.
Below is a paragraph drowning in passive voice. The actors are hidden, the sentences are wordy, and the writing feels weak and evasive.
Your Task: Rewrite the paragraph using active voice throughout.
What's wrong with passive voice (when overused):
- Hides the actor: "The contract was breached" — by whom?
- Adds unnecessary words: "was reviewed by the court" vs "the court reviewed"
- Sounds weak and bureaucratic
- Makes accountability unclear
How to fix it:
- Find the hidden actor in each sentence
- Make that actor the subject
- Use strong, direct verbs
Example:
- Passive: "The motion was denied by the court after it was determined that the evidence had been improperly obtained."
- Active: "The court denied the motion after determining that police improperly obtained the evidence."
Note: Passive voice isn't always wrong — it's useful when the actor is unknown or unimportant. But this paragraph has no good reason for passive. Every sentence has a clear actor who should be the subject.
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