Can passive voice make writing unclear?

In one line

The rule

Passive voice is when the subject of the sentence receives the action, instead of doing it.

For example: "The ball was hit by Rahul" (passive) instead of "Rahul hit the ball" (active).

Let's understand it simply

Imagine you are watching a cricket match. If someone says, "The ball was caught," you may wonder, "Who caught it?" But if they say, "Virat caught the ball," you know exactly who did it. Passive voice often leaves out the doer, which can confuse the reader.

How it works

1. In passive voice, the action comes before the doer, or the doer is missing.
2. The focus is on what happened, not who did it.
3. This can make it hard to know who is responsible.
4. In active voice, the doer comes first, making it clear who did what.

The story behind it

The idea of passive and active voice comes from how languages are structured. English teachers noticed that sentences can be written in two ways: focusing on the doer (active) or the receiver (passive). Writers and editors found that too much passive voice can make writing hard to follow.

Where you see it in real life

• Newspaper reports: "A decision was made" (Who made it?)
• School notices: "The test was postponed" (Who postponed it?)
• Cricket commentary: "The ball was bowled" (Who bowled it?)
• Science experiments: "The solution was heated" (Who heated it?)

Why it matters

• Clear writing helps people understand what you mean.
• In exams, teachers want to see who did what.
• In jobs, clear instructions prevent mistakes.
• Good writing skills are needed in essays, letters, and reports.

Common mistakes

• Thinking passive voice is always wrong (it is not, but overusing it can confuse readers).
• Forgetting to mention the doer, making the sentence unclear.
• Using passive voice to hide responsibility ("Mistakes were made" instead of "I made a mistake").

Remember it

If you ask, “Who did it?” and the answer is missing, the passive voice may be making your writing unclear.