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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 71 (from laksa064)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa071.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/revising/passive-voice/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/revising/passive-voice/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/passive-voice\/","crawl_time":1775695467,"first_indexed_time":1548942097,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"ca,utoronto!writing,advice,\/revising\/passive-voice\/ s443","src_root_hash":"5127611876598251271","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Passive Voice: When to Use It and When to Avoid It | Writing Advice","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"What is passive voice?\nIn English, all sentences are in either “active” or “passive” voice:\nactive:\nWerner Heisenberg\nformulated the uncertainty principle in 1927.\npassive:\nThe uncertainty principle was formulated by\nWerner Heisenberg\nin 1927.\nIn an active sentence, the person or thing responsible for the action in the sentence comes first. In a passive sentence, the person or thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added at the end, introduced with the preposition “by.” The passive form of the verb is signaled by a form of “to be”: in the sentence above, “was formulated” is in passive voice while “formulated” is in active.\nIn a passive sentence, we often omit the actor completely:\nThe uncertainty principle was formulated in 1927.\nIn some sentences, passive voice can be perfectly acceptable. You might use it in the following cases:\nThe actor is unknown:\nThe cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. [We don’t know who made them.]\nThe actor is irrelevant:\nAn experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert. [We are not interested in who is building it.]\nYou want to be vague about who is responsible:\nMistakes were made. [Common in bureaucratic writing!]\nYou are talking about a general truth:\nRules are made to be broken. [By whomever, whenever.]\nYou want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic:\nInsulin\nwas first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes.\nYou are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section:\nThe sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid.\nIn these sentences you can count on your reader to know that you are the one who did the dissolving and the titrating. The passive voice places the emphasis on your experiment rather than on you.\nNote: Over the past several years, there has been a movement within many science disciplines away from passive voice. Scientists often now prefer active voice in most parts of their published reports, even occasionally using the subject “we” in the Materials and Methods section. Check with your instructor or TA whether you can use the first person “I” or “we” in your lab reports to help avoid the passive.\nTo learn more about the use of passive voice in the sciences, visit our handout on\nwriting in the sciences\n.\nWhen should I avoid passive voice?\nPassive sentences can get you into trouble in academic writing because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action:\nBoth Othello and Iago desire Desdemona. She\nis courted.\n[Who courts Desdemona? Othello? Iago? Both of them?]\nAcademic writing often focuses on differences between the ideas of different researchers, or between your own ideas and those of the researchers you are discussing. Too many passive sentences can create confusion:\nResearch\nhas been done\nto discredit this theory. [Who did the research? You? Your professor? Another author?]\nSome students use passive sentences to hide holes in their research:\nThe telephone\nwas invented\nin the nineteenth century. [I couldn’t find out who invented the telephone!]\nFinally, passive sentences often sound wordy and indirect. They can make the reader work unnecessarily hard. And since they are usually longer than active sentences, passive sentences take up precious room in your paper:\nSince the car was being driven by Michael at the time of the accident, the damages should be paid for by him.\nWeeding out passive sentences\nIf you now use a lot of passive sentences, you may not be able to catch all of the problematic cases in your first draft. But you can still go back through your essay hunting specifically for passive sentences. At first, you may want to ask for help from a writing instructor. The grammar checker in your word processor can help spot passive sentences, though grammar checkers should always be used with extreme caution since they can easily mislead you. To spot passive sentences, look for a form of the verb to be in your sentence, with the actor either missing or introduced after the verb using the word “by”:\nPoland\nwas\ninvaded in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War.\nGenetic information\nis\nencoded by DNA.\nThe possibility of cold fusion\nhas been\nexamined for many years.\nTry turning each passive sentence you find into an active one. Start your new sentence with the actor. Sometimes you may find that need to do some extra research or thinking to figure out who the actor should be! You will likely find that your new sentence is stronger, shorter, and more precise:\nGermany invaded Poland in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War.\nDNA encodes genetic information.\nPhysicists have examined the possibility of cold fusion for many years.","attrs_markdown":"[![](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/writing-uoft_bootstrap3\/_inc\/img\/U-of-T-logo.svg)](http:\/\/www.utoronto.ca\/ \"Go to U of T homepage\")\n\n[Writing Advice](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/ \"Writing Advice\")\n\n- [Writing Home](http:\/\/writing.utoronto.ca\/)\n- [Writing Advice Home](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/)\n- [Quercus](http:\/\/q.utoronto.ca\/)\n\nSearch\n\nMenu\n\n[Skip to content](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/passive-voice\/#content \"Skip to content\")\n\n- [Writing Home](http:\/\/writing.utoronto.ca\/)\n- [Writing Advice Home](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/)\n- [Quercus](http:\/\/q.utoronto.ca\/)\n\n- [General](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/)\n  - [General Advice](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/general-advice\/)\n  - [Transition to University](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/transition-to-university\/)\n  - [Essay Topics](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/essay-topics\/)\n  - [Writer’s Block](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/writers-block\/)\n  - [Grading Policy](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/grading-policy\/)\n- [Planning](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/)\n  - [Organizing](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/organizing\/)\n  - [Thesis Statements](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/thesis-statements\/)\n  - [Intros and Conclusions](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/intros-and-conclusions\/)\n  - [Paragraphs](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/paragraphs\/)\n  - [Topic Sentences](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/topic-sentences\/)\n- [Researching](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/)\n  - [Critical Reading](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/critical-reading\/)\n  - [Get the Most from Reading](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/get-the-most-from-reading\/)\n  - [Notes from Research](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/notes-from-research\/)\n  - [New Words](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/new-words\/)\n  - [Research Using Internet](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/research-using-internet\/)\n  - [Preview](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/preview\/)\n  - [Skim and Scan](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/skim-and-scan\/)\n  - [Summarize](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/summarize\/)\n- [Using Sources](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/)\n  - [How Not to Plagiarize](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/how-not-to-plagiarize\/)\n  - [Documentation](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/documentation\/)\n  - [Quotations](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/quotations\/)\n  - [Paraphrase](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/paraphrase\/)\n- [Revising](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/)\n  - [Revising and Editing](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/revising-and-editing\/)\n  - [Hit Parade Of Errors](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/hit-parade-of-errors\/)\n  - [Using the Computer](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/using-the-computer\/)\n  - [Wordiness](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/wordiness\/)\n  - [Unbiased Language](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/unbiased-language\/)\n  - [Punctuation](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/punctuation\/)\n  - [Comma Splices](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/comma-splices\/)\n  - [Faulty Parallelism](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/faulty-parallelism\/)\n  - [Passive Voice](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/passive-voice\/)\n  - [Dangling Modifiers](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/dangling-modifiers\/)\n  - [Spelling](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/spelling\/)\n  - [Plurals](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/plurals\/)\n  - [Possessives](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/possessives\/)\n  - [Subject-Verb Agreement](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/subject-verb-agreement\/)\n  - [Sentence Fragments](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/sentence-fragments\/)\n- [Types of Writing](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/)\n  - [Book Review](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/book-review\/)\n  - [Film Analysis](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/film-analysis\/)\n  - [Annotated Bibliography](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/annotated-bibliography\/)\n  - [Literature Review](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/literature-review\/)\n  - [Abstract](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/abstract\/)\n  - [Comparative Essay](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/comparative-essay\/)\n  - [History](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/history\/)\n  - [Literature](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/literature\/)\n  - [Philosophy](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/philosophy\/)\n  - [Science](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/science\/)\n  - [Active Voice in Science](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/active-voice-in-science\/)\n  - [Admission Letters](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/admission-letters\/)\n  - [Application Letters](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/application-letters\/)\n  - [Academic Proposal](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/academic-proposal\/)\n  - [Academic Proposals in Graduate School](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/academic-proposals-in-graduate-school\/)\n  - [Lab Report](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/lab-report\/)\n  - [Oral Presentations](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/oral-presentations\/)\n  - [Writing for the Public](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/public-writing\/)\n- [English Language](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/)\n  - [Articles](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/articles\/)\n  - [Definite Article](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/definite-article\/)\n  - [Expressions of Quantity](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/expressions-of-quantity\/)\n  - [Gerunds](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/gerunds\/)\n  - [Referring to Sources](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/referring-to-sources\/)\n\nPrimary Menu\n\n- [General](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/)\n  - [General Advice](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/general-advice\/)\n  - [Transition to University](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/transition-to-university\/)\n  - [Essay Topics](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/essay-topics\/)\n  - [Writer’s Block](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/writers-block\/)\n  - [Grading Policy](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/general\/grading-policy\/)\n- [Planning](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/)\n  - [Organizing](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/organizing\/)\n  - [Thesis Statements](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/thesis-statements\/)\n  - [Intros and Conclusions](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/intros-and-conclusions\/)\n  - [Paragraphs](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/paragraphs\/)\n  - [Topic Sentences](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/planning\/topic-sentences\/)\n- [Researching](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/)\n  - [Critical Reading](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/critical-reading\/)\n  - [Get the Most from Reading](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/get-the-most-from-reading\/)\n  - [Notes from Research](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/notes-from-research\/)\n  - [New Words](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/new-words\/)\n  - [Research Using Internet](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/research-using-internet\/)\n  - [Preview](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/preview\/)\n  - [Skim and Scan](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/skim-and-scan\/)\n  - [Summarize](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/researching\/summarize\/)\n- [Using Sources](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/)\n  - [How Not to Plagiarize](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/how-not-to-plagiarize\/)\n  - [Documentation](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/documentation\/)\n  - [Quotations](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/quotations\/)\n  - [Paraphrase](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/using-sources\/paraphrase\/)\n- [Revising](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/)\n  - [Revising and Editing](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/revising-and-editing\/)\n  - [Hit Parade Of Errors](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/hit-parade-of-errors\/)\n  - [Using the Computer](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/using-the-computer\/)\n  - [Wordiness](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/wordiness\/)\n  - [Unbiased Language](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/unbiased-language\/)\n  - [Punctuation](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/punctuation\/)\n  - [Comma Splices](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/comma-splices\/)\n  - [Faulty Parallelism](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/faulty-parallelism\/)\n  - [Passive Voice](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/passive-voice\/)\n  - [Dangling Modifiers](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/dangling-modifiers\/)\n  - [Spelling](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/spelling\/)\n  - [Plurals](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/plurals\/)\n  - [Possessives](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/possessives\/)\n  - [Subject-Verb Agreement](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/subject-verb-agreement\/)\n  - [Sentence Fragments](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/sentence-fragments\/)\n- [Types of Writing](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/)\n  - [Book Review](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/book-review\/)\n  - [Film Analysis](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/film-analysis\/)\n  - [Annotated Bibliography](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/annotated-bibliography\/)\n  - [Literature Review](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/literature-review\/)\n  - [Abstract](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/abstract\/)\n  - [Comparative Essay](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/comparative-essay\/)\n  - [History](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/history\/)\n  - [Literature](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/literature\/)\n  - [Philosophy](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/philosophy\/)\n  - [Science](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/science\/)\n  - [Active Voice in Science](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/active-voice-in-science\/)\n  - [Admission Letters](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/admission-letters\/)\n  - [Application Letters](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/application-letters\/)\n  - [Academic Proposal](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/academic-proposal\/)\n  - [Academic Proposals in Graduate School](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/academic-proposals-in-graduate-school\/)\n  - [Lab Report](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/lab-report\/)\n  - [Oral Presentations](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/oral-presentations\/)\n  - [Writing for the Public](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/types-of-writing\/public-writing\/)\n- [English Language](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/)\n  - [Articles](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/articles\/)\n  - [Definite Article](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/definite-article\/)\n  - [Expressions of Quantity](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/expressions-of-quantity\/)\n  - [Gerunds](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/gerunds\/)\n  - [Referring to Sources](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/english-language\/referring-to-sources\/)\n\n[Writing Advice Home](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/ \"Go to Writing Advice.\")\n\n\\>\n\n[Revising](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/revising\/ \"Go to Revising.\")\n\n\\>\n\nPassive Voice: When to Use It and When to Avoid It\n\n# Passive Voice: When to Use It and When to Avoid It\nWritten by Tim Corson and Rebecca Smollett, University College Writing Centre\n\n- [Printable PDF Version](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/passive-voice.pdf)\n- [Fair-Use Policy](https:\/\/writing.utoronto.ca\/fair-use\/)\n## What is passive voice?\nIn English, all sentences are in either “active” or “passive” voice:\n\n> **active:** Werner Heisenberg formulated the uncertainty principle in 1927.\n> \n> **passive:** The uncertainty principle was formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927.\n\nIn an active sentence, the person or thing responsible for the action in the sentence comes first. In a passive sentence, the person or thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added at the end, introduced with the preposition “by.” The passive form of the verb is signaled by a form of “to be”: in the sentence above, “was formulated” is in passive voice while “formulated” is in active.\n\nIn a passive sentence, we often omit the actor completely:\n\n> The uncertainty principle was formulated in 1927.\n## When do I use passive voice?\nIn some sentences, passive voice can be perfectly acceptable. You might use it in the following cases:\n\n1. The actor is unknown:\n   > The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. \\[We don’t know who made them.\\]\n2. The actor is irrelevant:\n   > An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert. \\[We are not interested in who is building it.\\]\n3. You want to be vague about who is responsible:\n   > Mistakes were made. \\[Common in bureaucratic writing!\\]\n4. You are talking about a general truth:\n   > Rules are made to be broken. \\[By whomever, whenever.\\]\n5. You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic:\n   > Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes.\n6. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section:\n   > The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid.\n   In these sentences you can count on your reader to know that you are the one who did the dissolving and the titrating. The passive voice places the emphasis on your experiment rather than on you.\n   Note: Over the past several years, there has been a movement within many science disciplines away from passive voice. Scientists often now prefer active voice in most parts of their published reports, even occasionally using the subject “we” in the Materials and Methods section. Check with your instructor or TA whether you can use the first person “I” or “we” in your lab reports to help avoid the passive.\n   To learn more about the use of passive voice in the sciences, visit our handout on [writing in the sciences](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/specific-types-of-writing\/science\/).\n## When should I avoid passive voice?\nPassive sentences can get you into trouble in academic writing because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action:\n\n> Both Othello and Iago desire Desdemona. She is courted. \\[Who courts Desdemona? Othello? Iago? Both of them?\\]\n\nAcademic writing often focuses on differences between the ideas of different researchers, or between your own ideas and those of the researchers you are discussing. Too many passive sentences can create confusion:\n\n> Research has been done to discredit this theory. \\[Who did the research? You? Your professor? Another author?\\]\n\nSome students use passive sentences to hide holes in their research:\n\n> The telephone was invented in the nineteenth century. \\[I couldn’t find out who invented the telephone!\\]\n\nFinally, passive sentences often sound wordy and indirect. They can make the reader work unnecessarily hard. And since they are usually longer than active sentences, passive sentences take up precious room in your paper:\n\n> Since the car was being driven by Michael at the time of the accident, the damages should be paid for by him.\n## Weeding out passive sentences\nIf you now use a lot of passive sentences, you may not be able to catch all of the problematic cases in your first draft. But you can still go back through your essay hunting specifically for passive sentences. At first, you may want to ask for help from a writing instructor. The grammar checker in your word processor can help spot passive sentences, though grammar checkers should always be used with extreme caution since they can easily mislead you. To spot passive sentences, look for a form of the verb to be in your sentence, with the actor either missing or introduced after the verb using the word “by”:\n\n> Poland was invaded in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War.\n> \n> Genetic information is encoded by DNA.\n> \n> The possibility of cold fusion has been examined for many years.\n\nTry turning each passive sentence you find into an active one. Start your new sentence with the actor. Sometimes you may find that need to do some extra research or thinking to figure out who the actor should be! You will likely find that your new sentence is stronger, shorter, and more precise:\n\n> Germany invaded Poland in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War.\n> \n> DNA encodes genetic information.\n> \n> Physicists have examined the possibility of cold fusion for many years.\n\n- [Fair Use](http:\/\/writing.utoronto.ca\/fair-use\/)\n- [Contact](http:\/\/writing.utoronto.ca\/contact\/)\n- [Credits](http:\/\/writing.utoronto.ca\/credits\/)\n- [Student PDFs](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/student-pdfs\/)\n- [Faculty PDFs](http:\/\/writing.utoronto.ca\/faculty-pdfs\/)\n- [Info PDFs](http:\/\/writing.utoronto.ca\/info-pdfs\/)\n\n© University of Toronto","attrs_readable_markdown":"## What is passive voice?\nIn English, all sentences are in either “active” or “passive” voice:\n\n> **active:** Werner Heisenberg formulated the uncertainty principle in 1927.\n> \n> **passive:** The uncertainty principle was formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927.\n\nIn an active sentence, the person or thing responsible for the action in the sentence comes first. In a passive sentence, the person or thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added at the end, introduced with the preposition “by.” The passive form of the verb is signaled by a form of “to be”: in the sentence above, “was formulated” is in passive voice while “formulated” is in active.\n\nIn a passive sentence, we often omit the actor completely:\n\n> The uncertainty principle was formulated in 1927.\n\nIn some sentences, passive voice can be perfectly acceptable. You might use it in the following cases:\n\n1. The actor is unknown:\n   > The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. \\[We don’t know who made them.\\]\n2. The actor is irrelevant:\n   > An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert. \\[We are not interested in who is building it.\\]\n3. You want to be vague about who is responsible:\n   > Mistakes were made. \\[Common in bureaucratic writing!\\]\n4. You are talking about a general truth:\n   > Rules are made to be broken. \\[By whomever, whenever.\\]\n5. You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic:\n   > Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes.\n6. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section:\n   > The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid.\n   In these sentences you can count on your reader to know that you are the one who did the dissolving and the titrating. The passive voice places the emphasis on your experiment rather than on you.\n   Note: Over the past several years, there has been a movement within many science disciplines away from passive voice. Scientists often now prefer active voice in most parts of their published reports, even occasionally using the subject “we” in the Materials and Methods section. Check with your instructor or TA whether you can use the first person “I” or “we” in your lab reports to help avoid the passive.\n   To learn more about the use of passive voice in the sciences, visit our handout on [writing in the sciences](https:\/\/advice.writing.utoronto.ca\/specific-types-of-writing\/science\/).\n## When should I avoid passive voice?\nPassive sentences can get you into trouble in academic writing because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action:\n\n> Both Othello and Iago desire Desdemona. She is courted. \\[Who courts Desdemona? Othello? Iago? Both of them?\\]\n\nAcademic writing often focuses on differences between the ideas of different researchers, or between your own ideas and those of the researchers you are discussing. Too many passive sentences can create confusion:\n\n> Research has been done to discredit this theory. \\[Who did the research? You? Your professor? Another author?\\]\n\nSome students use passive sentences to hide holes in their research:\n\n> The telephone was invented in the nineteenth century. \\[I couldn’t find out who invented the telephone!\\]\n\nFinally, passive sentences often sound wordy and indirect. They can make the reader work unnecessarily hard. And since they are usually longer than active sentences, passive sentences take up precious room in your paper:\n\n> Since the car was being driven by Michael at the time of the accident, the damages should be paid for by him.\n## Weeding out passive sentences\nIf you now use a lot of passive sentences, you may not be able to catch all of the problematic cases in your first draft. But you can still go back through your essay hunting specifically for passive sentences. At first, you may want to ask for help from a writing instructor. The grammar checker in your word processor can help spot passive sentences, though grammar checkers should always be used with extreme caution since they can easily mislead you. To spot passive sentences, look for a form of the verb to be in your sentence, with the actor either missing or introduced after the verb using the word “by”:\n\n> Poland was invaded in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War.\n> \n> Genetic information is encoded by DNA.\n> \n> The possibility of cold fusion has been examined for many years.\n\nTry turning each passive sentence you find into an active one. Start your new sentence with the actor. Sometimes you may find that need to do some extra research or thinking to figure out who the actor should be! You will likely find that your new sentence is stronger, shorter, and more precise:\n\n> Germany invaded Poland in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War.\n> \n> DNA encodes genetic information.\n> \n> Physicists have examined the possibility of cold fusion for many years.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	What is passive voice? In English, all sentences are in either “active” or “passive” voice: active: Werner Heisenberg formulated the uncertainty principle in 1927. passive: The uncertainty principle was formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927. In an active sentence, the person or thing responsible for the action in the sentence comes first. In a passive sentence, the person or thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added at the end, introduced with the preposition “by.” The passive form of the verb is signaled by a form of “to be”: in the sentence above, “was formulated” is in passive voice while “formulated” is in active. In a passive sentence, we often omit the actor completely: The uncertainty principle was formulated in 1927. In some sentences, passive voice can be perfectly acceptable. You might use it in the following cases: The actor is unknown: The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. [We don’t know who made them.] The actor is irrelevant: An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert. [We are not interested in who is building it.] You want to be vague about who is responsible: Mistakes were made. [Common in bureaucratic writing!] You are talking about a general truth: Rules are made to be broken. [By whomever, whenever.] You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic: Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section: The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid. In these sentences you can count on your reader to know that you are the one who did the dissolving and the titrating. The passive voice places the emphasis on your experiment rather than on you. Note: Over the past several years, there has been a movement within many science disciplines away from passive voice. Scientists often now prefer active voice in most parts of their published reports, even occasionally using the subject “we” in the Materials and Methods section. Check with your instructor or TA whether you can use the first person “I” or “we” in your lab reports to help avoid the passive. To learn more about the use of passive voice in the sciences, visit our handout on writing in the sciences . When should I avoid passive voice? Passive sentences can get you into trouble in academic writing because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action: Both Othello and Iago desire Desdemona. She is courted. [Who courts Desdemona? Othello? Iago? Both of them?] Academic writing often focuses on differences between the ideas of different researchers, or between your own ideas and those of the researchers you are discussing. Too many passive sentences can create confusion: Research has been done to discredit this theory. [Who did the research? You? Your professor? Another author?] Some students use passive sentences to hide holes in their research: The telephone was invented in the nineteenth century. [I couldn’t find out who invented the telephone!] Finally, passive sentences often sound wordy and indirect. They can make the reader work unnecessarily hard. And since they are usually longer than active sentences, passive sentences take up precious room in your paper: Since the car was being driven by Michael at the time of the accident, the damages should be paid for by him. Weeding out passive sentences If you now use a lot of passive sentences, you may not be able to catch all of the problematic cases in your first draft. But you can still go back through your essay hunting specifically for passive sentences. At first, you may want to ask for help from a writing instructor. The grammar checker in your word processor can help spot passive sentences, though grammar checkers should always be used with extreme caution since they can easily mislead you. To spot passive sentences, look for a form of the verb to be in your sentence, with the actor either missing or introduced after the verb using the word “by”: Poland was invaded in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War. Genetic information is encoded by DNA. The possibility of cold fusion has been examined for many years. Try turning each passive sentence you find into an active one. Start your new sentence with the actor. Sometimes you may find that need to do some extra research or thinking to figure out who the actor should be! You will likely find that your new sentence is stronger, shorter, and more precise: Germany invaded Poland in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War. DNA encodes genetic information. Physicists have examined the possibility of cold fusion for many years.
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[Articles](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/english-language/articles/) - [Definite Article](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/english-language/definite-article/) - [Expressions of Quantity](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/english-language/expressions-of-quantity/) - [Gerunds](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/english-language/gerunds/) - [Referring to Sources](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/english-language/referring-to-sources/) [Writing Advice Home](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/ "Go to Writing Advice.") \> [Revising](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/revising/ "Go to Revising.") \> Passive Voice: When to Use It and When to Avoid It # Passive Voice: When to Use It and When to Avoid It Written by Tim Corson and Rebecca Smollett, University College Writing Centre - [Printable PDF Version](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/passive-voice.pdf) - [Fair-Use Policy](https://writing.utoronto.ca/fair-use/) ## What is passive voice? In English, all sentences are in either “active” or “passive” voice: > active: Werner Heisenberg formulated the uncertainty principle in 1927. > > passive: The uncertainty principle was formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927. In an active sentence, the person or thing responsible for the action in the sentence comes first. In a passive sentence, the person or thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added at the end, introduced with the preposition “by.” The passive form of the verb is signaled by a form of “to be”: in the sentence above, “was formulated” is in passive voice while “formulated” is in active. In a passive sentence, we often omit the actor completely: > The uncertainty principle was formulated in 1927. ## When do I use passive voice? In some sentences, passive voice can be perfectly acceptable. You might use it in the following cases: 1. The actor is unknown: > The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. \[We don’t know who made them.\] 2. The actor is irrelevant: > An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert. \[We are not interested in who is building it.\] 3. You want to be vague about who is responsible: > Mistakes were made. \[Common in bureaucratic writing!\] 4. You are talking about a general truth: > Rules are made to be broken. \[By whomever, whenever.\] 5. You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic: > Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes. 6. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section: > The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid. In these sentences you can count on your reader to know that you are the one who did the dissolving and the titrating. The passive voice places the emphasis on your experiment rather than on you. Note: Over the past several years, there has been a movement within many science disciplines away from passive voice. Scientists often now prefer active voice in most parts of their published reports, even occasionally using the subject “we” in the Materials and Methods section. Check with your instructor or TA whether you can use the first person “I” or “we” in your lab reports to help avoid the passive. To learn more about the use of passive voice in the sciences, visit our handout on [writing in the sciences](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/specific-types-of-writing/science/). ## When should I avoid passive voice? Passive sentences can get you into trouble in academic writing because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action: > Both Othello and Iago desire Desdemona. She is courted. \[Who courts Desdemona? Othello? Iago? Both of them?\] Academic writing often focuses on differences between the ideas of different researchers, or between your own ideas and those of the researchers you are discussing. Too many passive sentences can create confusion: > Research has been done to discredit this theory. \[Who did the research? You? Your professor? Another author?\] Some students use passive sentences to hide holes in their research: > The telephone was invented in the nineteenth century. \[I couldn’t find out who invented the telephone!\] Finally, passive sentences often sound wordy and indirect. They can make the reader work unnecessarily hard. And since they are usually longer than active sentences, passive sentences take up precious room in your paper: > Since the car was being driven by Michael at the time of the accident, the damages should be paid for by him. ## Weeding out passive sentences If you now use a lot of passive sentences, you may not be able to catch all of the problematic cases in your first draft. But you can still go back through your essay hunting specifically for passive sentences. At first, you may want to ask for help from a writing instructor. The grammar checker in your word processor can help spot passive sentences, though grammar checkers should always be used with extreme caution since they can easily mislead you. To spot passive sentences, look for a form of the verb to be in your sentence, with the actor either missing or introduced after the verb using the word “by”: > Poland was invaded in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War. > > Genetic information is encoded by DNA. > > The possibility of cold fusion has been examined for many years. Try turning each passive sentence you find into an active one. Start your new sentence with the actor. Sometimes you may find that need to do some extra research or thinking to figure out who the actor should be! You will likely find that your new sentence is stronger, shorter, and more precise: > Germany invaded Poland in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War. > > DNA encodes genetic information. > > Physicists have examined the possibility of cold fusion for many years. - [Fair Use](http://writing.utoronto.ca/fair-use/) - [Contact](http://writing.utoronto.ca/contact/) - [Credits](http://writing.utoronto.ca/credits/) - [Student PDFs](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/student-pdfs/) - [Faculty PDFs](http://writing.utoronto.ca/faculty-pdfs/) - [Info PDFs](http://writing.utoronto.ca/info-pdfs/) © University of Toronto
Readable Markdown	## What is passive voice? In English, all sentences are in either “active” or “passive” voice: > active: Werner Heisenberg formulated the uncertainty principle in 1927. > > passive: The uncertainty principle was formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927. In an active sentence, the person or thing responsible for the action in the sentence comes first. In a passive sentence, the person or thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added at the end, introduced with the preposition “by.” The passive form of the verb is signaled by a form of “to be”: in the sentence above, “was formulated” is in passive voice while “formulated” is in active. In a passive sentence, we often omit the actor completely: > The uncertainty principle was formulated in 1927. In some sentences, passive voice can be perfectly acceptable. You might use it in the following cases: 1. The actor is unknown: > The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age. \[We don’t know who made them.\] 2. The actor is irrelevant: > An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert. \[We are not interested in who is building it.\] 3. You want to be vague about who is responsible: > Mistakes were made. \[Common in bureaucratic writing!\] 4. You are talking about a general truth: > Rules are made to be broken. \[By whomever, whenever.\] 5. You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it may be your main topic: > Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes. 6. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section: > The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid. In these sentences you can count on your reader to know that you are the one who did the dissolving and the titrating. The passive voice places the emphasis on your experiment rather than on you. Note: Over the past several years, there has been a movement within many science disciplines away from passive voice. Scientists often now prefer active voice in most parts of their published reports, even occasionally using the subject “we” in the Materials and Methods section. Check with your instructor or TA whether you can use the first person “I” or “we” in your lab reports to help avoid the passive. To learn more about the use of passive voice in the sciences, visit our handout on [writing in the sciences](https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/specific-types-of-writing/science/). ## When should I avoid passive voice? Passive sentences can get you into trouble in academic writing because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action: > Both Othello and Iago desire Desdemona. She is courted. \[Who courts Desdemona? Othello? Iago? Both of them?\] Academic writing often focuses on differences between the ideas of different researchers, or between your own ideas and those of the researchers you are discussing. Too many passive sentences can create confusion: > Research has been done to discredit this theory. \[Who did the research? You? Your professor? Another author?\] Some students use passive sentences to hide holes in their research: > The telephone was invented in the nineteenth century. \[I couldn’t find out who invented the telephone!\] Finally, passive sentences often sound wordy and indirect. They can make the reader work unnecessarily hard. And since they are usually longer than active sentences, passive sentences take up precious room in your paper: > Since the car was being driven by Michael at the time of the accident, the damages should be paid for by him. ## Weeding out passive sentences If you now use a lot of passive sentences, you may not be able to catch all of the problematic cases in your first draft. But you can still go back through your essay hunting specifically for passive sentences. At first, you may want to ask for help from a writing instructor. The grammar checker in your word processor can help spot passive sentences, though grammar checkers should always be used with extreme caution since they can easily mislead you. To spot passive sentences, look for a form of the verb to be in your sentence, with the actor either missing or introduced after the verb using the word “by”: > Poland was invaded in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War. > > Genetic information is encoded by DNA. > > The possibility of cold fusion has been examined for many years. Try turning each passive sentence you find into an active one. Start your new sentence with the actor. Sometimes you may find that need to do some extra research or thinking to figure out who the actor should be! You will likely find that your new sentence is stronger, shorter, and more precise: > Germany invaded Poland in 1939, thus initiating the Second World War. > > DNA encodes genetic information. > > Physicists have examined the possibility of cold fusion for many years.
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