What is Passive Voice and How can you Avoid it in Dissertation Writing?

According to American Psychology Association (APA) style guidelines, the use of passive voice should be avoided to enhance clarity and meaning in academic writing. When writing a dissertation, avoiding passive voice helps the reader to understand the subject or the doer of the action in sentences. 

However, in scientific writing, one may use active or passive voice depending on whether the main emphasis is on the subject, the object of the sentence, or the implications of the doer's action. To understand how to avoid passive voice in scholarly writing, it is essential to first define it. 

Understanding the difference between active and passive voices 

In passive voice, the sentence is structured in a manner that the subject receives the action of the verb while in active voice, the doer of the action represented by the verb assumes the subject position and the recipient of the action is in the object position. 

Although APA recommends the use of active voice in academic writing, passive voice can be used in some scientific and expository writing where the author wishes to emphasize the object or recipient of the action rather than the doer. 

How to Avoid Passive Voice in Dissertation Writing 

Sentences written in the active voice clearly demonstrate that the subject performs the action expressed by the verb unlike in passive sentences where it is not clear who or what the doer of the action is. 

Using active voice improves clarity whereas students who use passive voice may be perceived as lacking definite knowledge about what their dissertation paper discusses. Doctoral students can impress their dissertation committee members by avoiding passive voice in ways such as: 

1. Understanding the different parts of a sentence

 Sentences are made up of elements such as the verb, the subject, and the object. Understanding each element and its position in a sentence helps in detecting passive voice in academic writing. 

2. Identifying the voice of the sentence

 Identifying the voice helps in determining whether one needs to change the sentence from passive to active voice. A passive sentence has characteristics such as: 

• Has the verb the 'be verbs' such as am, are, were, was, is, and being, followed by a past participle of the main verb.
• Contains an action verb and the subject is positioned at the end.
• Contains a 'by' phrase after the verb.

3. Distinguishing active and passive voice in writing

 One can determine the presence of the passive voice in their written dissertation by checking whether the subject is the one performing the action expressed by the verb in a sentence rather than receiving the action. 

Students can also detect passive voice by checking for compound verbs or whether the doer of the action is preceded by a propositional phrase. A dissertation writing service can also help if one has challenges distinguishing the two types of voices. 

4. Understanding when to use either active or passive voice

 One may use passive or active voice based on whether he/she wishes to focus on the direct object or doer of the action in a sentence. While active voice is recommended for clarity and precision, the passive voice may be used intentionally and strategically to vary the sentence structure or remove the emphasis from the subject to either the object or the verb in a sentence. The purpose of the paper and the emphasis of the research process may influence the choice of voice. 

Frequently Asked Questions About the Use of Passive Voice in Dissertation Writing 

Some of the frequently asked questions about avoiding passive voice in academic writing include: 

(a). Why should one avoid passive voice in dissertation writing?

 Passive voice should be avoided because: 

• The doer of the action is not clear in passive sentences.
• Overusing passive voice may be considered as an implication for lacking explicit/definite knowledge about the subject matter of the dissertation.
• Passive sentences tend to be long, indirect, and unclear.

(b). Are there exceptions where passive voice is allowed in scholarly writing?

 The circumstances when passive voice is acceptable in dissertation writing include: 

• In some scientific writing when one is discussing data or reporting the research process/methods.
• In expository writing where the aim is to provide an explicit explanation, context, or background of the topic.
• If the main focus is the object or the implications of the action expressed by the verb.

(c). Can professional editing and proofreading help in avoiding passive voice?

 Allowing professional editors to review the dissertation objectively can be helpful in detecting and fixing passive voice issues before submitting it to the committee members or the assigned professor. On can also choose to make use of a capstone writing service or a dissertation writing company to avoid any challenges. Learn more about passive voice here.