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When to Use the Active Voice vs the Passive Voice in Business Communication

When to Use the Active Voice vs the Passive Voice in Business Communication

Professor Tanya Speaks

1,077 views 5 years ago

Warm-up Questions

In business communication, when do you think it’s better to use the active voice?
When might a business choose the passive voice in an email or report?
What kinds of messages (neutral vs bad news) do you write most often at work or school?

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When to Use the Active Voice vs the Passive Voice in Business Communication

Active vs. passive: the basic difference (00:00 – 01:22)

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1. What situation does the speaker use as an example?

A client left because they were unhappy with the wording of an email
A client left because a meeting was canceled
A client left because the company raised prices

2. Which sentence is an example of the passive voice in the example?

John sent an email.
An email was sent.
The client wrote an email.

3. What key information does the active voice clearly identify?

The actor (who did the action)
The email’s subject line
The meeting time

When to Use the Active Voice vs the Passive Voice in Business Communication

Business preference: active voice, with an exception (01:22 – 02:33)

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1. In general, which voice does the speaker say business communication tends to prefer?

Active voice
Passive voice
Neither—both equally

2. When does the speaker recommend using the passive voice?

When writing a friendly greeting
When the message is neutral
When the message is bad news

3. In the example about money, which sentence is presented as passive voice?

We lost your money.
The client lost the money.
Money was lost.

When to Use the Active Voice vs the Passive Voice in Business Communication

Advice: balance, review, and keep active primary (02:33 – 03:21)

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1. According to the speaker, passive voice should be ___ and active voice should be ___.

primary; secondary
secondary; primary
avoided; avoided

2. What should you do before you send your next email, letter, or report?

Remove all passive voice, even for bad news
Ask someone else to rewrite it completely
Do a quick review to make sure active voice is primary

When to Use the Active Voice vs the Passive Voice in Business Communication

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1. What is the main difference between active voice and passive voice?

Active voice is longer; passive voice is shorter
Active voice identifies who does the action; passive voice focuses on the action and may hide the actor
Active voice is only for spoken English; passive voice is only for writing

2. Why might a company choose passive voice for bad news?

To add more technical vocabulary
To avoid highlighting who is responsible
To make the message more emotional

3. Which choice best matches the speaker’s overall recommendation?

Avoid both active and passive voice in business writing
Use passive voice as much as possible
Use active voice most of the time, and use passive voice mainly for bad news

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

When to Use the Active Voice vs the Passive Voice in Business Communication

Think of a recent email you wrote (or received). Was it mostly active voice or passive voice? Why?
Do you agree that passive voice is useful for bad news? When can it be unclear or dishonest?
Rewrite these two sentences in the other voice: (1) “An email was sent.” (2) “We lost your money.” What changes in tone?
In your workplace or school, what types of documents should use more active voice (reports, memos, emails, letters)? Give examples.

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