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Passive Voice Checker

Paste your writing to highlight every passive voice construction, such as “was written by” or “has been approved”. The checker shows what share of your sentences are passive, names the tense of each one and suggests an active voice rewrite you can copy.

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Passive sentences 0% —
0Passive constructions
0 / 0Passive / all sentences
0With a named doer (by …)

Highlighted text

passive verb by-agent

Passive sentences & active rewrites

    Suggested rewrites follow grammar patterns. Read each one and adjust it; some passives are the right choice, for example when the doer is unknown.

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    How to use the Passive Voice Checker

    1. Paste or type your text into the box. Results update as you type.
    2. Press Check passive voice to refresh the highlights and statistics.
    3. Read the score: the share of sentences that contain at least one passive construction.
    4. Review each highlight: the list shows the passive phrase, its tense and the doer if one is named.
    5. Use the suggested rewrite as a starting point, then edit it so the sentence reads naturally.

    How passive voice is formed

    Every passive verb has two parts: a form of be that carries the tense, and the past participle of the main verb. The doer, if it is mentioned at all, follows in a by phrase.

    TensePassiveActive
    Present simpleThe rooms are cleaned by Ana.Ana cleans the rooms.
    Past simpleThe fence was painted by Leo.Leo painted the fence.
    Present progressiveThe road is being repaired.[Someone] is repairing the road.
    Present perfectThe order has been shipped.[Someone] has shipped the order.
    Past perfectThe tickets had been sold by noon.[Someone] had sold the tickets by noon.
    Future / modalThe form must be signed by a parent.A parent must sign the form.
    Get-passiveThe flight got delayed.[Something] delayed the flight.

    Turning passive voice into active voice

    1. Find the doer. It is usually in the by phrase. If there is none, ask who or what did the action.
    2. Make the doer the subject and put it at the start of the clause.
    3. Keep the tense but drop the form of be: was written becomes wrote, has been approved becomes has approved, will be sent becomes will send.
    4. Move the old subject after the verb as the object, and change pronouns: I becomes me, they becomes them.

    When passive voice is the better choice

    • The doer is unknown: My bike was stolen.
    • The doer is obvious or unimportant: The suspect was arrested.
    • You want to keep the focus on the result: The vaccine was tested on 2,000 volunteers.
    • Formal and scientific writing, where methods are described without naming the researcher.

    Not every highlight is an error. Adjectives that look like participles (She is tired) and states (The shop is closed) can be flagged, so read each highlight in context.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is passive voice?

    In a passive sentence the receiver of the action is the subject and the doer moves to a “by” phrase or disappears. “The cake was baked by Mia” is passive; “Mia baked the cake” is active. The passive is formed with a form of be (is, was, has been, will be…) plus a past participle.

    How does this checker find passive voice?

    It looks for a form of the verb be, optionally followed by words such as not or already, and then a past participle: a regular -ed verb or one of more than 150 irregular participles like written, taken or built. It also detects get-passives such as got delayed and marks a following by-phrase as the doer.

    Is passive voice wrong?

    No. Passive voice is grammatically correct and is the better choice when the doer is unknown, unimportant or obvious, as in “The museum was built in 1902,” and it is common in scientific methods sections. Too much of it can make writing wordy and vague, so many editors aim to keep it to a small share of sentences.

    What is a good passive voice percentage?

    There is no single official limit. Many style guides and editors suggest keeping passive sentences to about 10% or less in general, business and web writing. Technical and scientific writing often uses more. Use the percentage as a guide, not a rule.

    Why does the checker flag “I am excited” or “The door was closed”?

    Some past participles also work as adjectives that describe a state. “I am excited” describes a feeling rather than an action. Leave the adjective filter on to skip common ones like tired, excited and interested. “The door was closed” can be a state or an action, so read each highlight in context.

    Can the tool rewrite sentences automatically?

    It suggests a rewrite for each passive. When the doer is named, it moves the doer to the front and changes the verb tense to match. When no doer is named, it inserts a [someone] placeholder for you to replace. The suggestions follow patterns, so always read them before using them.

    Is my text uploaded?

    No. The analysis is done with JavaScript in your browser. Your text is not sent to any server.

    Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?

    Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.

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