• Linguistics and Language -> Grammar and Syntax

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How often is passive voice used in academic writing, and what are the reasons for its frequent use?

Danita Raspison

Passive voice, oh what a mystery! It is used so much in academic writing that it feels like a professor's signature move. But why do they do it? Is there some sort of magic behind this infamous grammatical structure? Let's roll up our sleeves and find out!

First things first, let's clarify what passive voice is. Passive voice is a grammatical construction that emphasizes the recipient of the action rather than the agent performing the action. For example, instead of saying "The professor graded the papers," we would say "The papers were graded by the professor." Do you see the difference?

Now let's address the first part of our question: how often is passive voice used in academic writing? The answer is quite simple, passive voice is used all the time in academic writing. In fact, authors prefer to use passive voice in academic writing more than any other genre because it is an effective way to present information in a neutral, objective, and impersonal tone. This quality is highly appreciated in academic writing since it is a style that emphasizes the importance of the subject over the author's opinions or emotions.

But wait – there's more! Passive voice is also used in academic writing to put the focus on the most important aspects of the text. Believe it or not, using passive voice can help the reader to concentrate on the most important points of a research article. This is because passive voice helps to place focus on the subject matter itself rather than who did what. In other words, passive voice shifts the spotlight onto the outcome of the action rather than the person who caused it.

Another reason that passive voice is frequently used in academic writing is to create a sense of authority in the text. Using passive voice can make a research article sound more professional, authoritative, and scientific. It follows a pattern of third-person narration that evokes a sense of worth that is often associated with academic writing.

So, there you have it, folks! Passive voice is used all the time in academic writing because it is an effective way to present information in an objective and impartial tone. It helps to place the focus on the most important aspects of the text and create a sense of authority in the writing itself.

Now, if you're anything like me, you may be thinking that passive voice sounds a bit boring. And, well, you are not wrong! But hey, academic writing has its own charm, and mastering passive voice may just be the key to effective communication in the academic world. So, if you're a fellow researcher, writer, or student, why not give passive voice a try? Who knows, it might become your signature move too!