For a long time scientists wrote in the passive voice when publishing their work in peer-reviewed journals or when writing in other forms, but they now prefer to write in the active voice in most situations1, 2, 3.
Generally, writing in the active voice should enhance conciseness and clarity4. For this reason, we believe that teaching science students to use the active voice (in most scenarios) will improve their writing. Our resources on this writing skill will help students learn the difference between the active and passive voice, spot the occasions when it might be preferable to use the passive voice, and then test their application of these concepts.
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This url does not meet the site security guidelines.
This url does not meet the site security guidelines.
The suggested solutions of these activities require a password for access. We encourage interested instructors to contact Dr. Jackie Stewart and the ScWRL team to obtain access. Please fill out the Access Request and Feedback Form to inquire about resources you are interested in.
Click here for the suggested solutions password protected page for: Version 1 and Version 2 Solutions
This url does not meet the site security guidelines.
This url does not meet the site security guidelines.
The suggested solutions of these activities require a password for access. We encourage interested instructors to contact Dr. Jackie Stewart and the ScWRL team to obtain access. Please fill out the Access Request and Feedback Form to inquire about resources you are interested in.
Click here for the suggested solutions password protected page for: In-class Activities Solutions
This url does not meet the site security guidelines.
This url does not meet the site security guidelines.
The suggested solutions of these activities require a password for access. We encourage interested instructors to contact Dr. Jackie Stewart and the ScWRL team to obtain access. Please fill out the Access Request and Feedback Form to inquire about resources you are interested in.
Click here for the suggested solutions password protected page for: Version 1 and Version 2 Solutions
Active vs. Passive Voice In-class PowerPoint
Pre-Class Activities: Version 1 | Version 2
Post-class Activities: Version 1 | Version 2
The suggested solutions of these activities require a password for access. We encourage interested instructors to contact Dr. Jackie Stewart and the ScWRL team to obtain access. Please fill out the Access Request and Feedback Form to inquire about resources you are interested in.
Click here for suggested solutions password protected page for: Pre-class activity, Post-class activity, and In-class activity solutions
References
1: Day RA. How to write and publish a scientific paper. 5th ed. Oryx Press. 1998.
2: Millar N, Budgell B, Fuller K. ‘Use the active voice whenever possible?’: The Impact of Style Guidelines in Medical Journals. App Ling. 2013; 34(4): 393-414.
3: Humphrey JD, Holmes JW. Style and Ethics of Communication in Science and Engineering. San Rafael, California: Morgan & Claypool. 2009.
4: Leong PA. The passive voice in scientific writing. The current norm in science journals. JCOM. 2014; 13(1): A03.
