• Linguistics and Language -> Grammar and Syntax

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Can using active voice change the tone of a message or article?

Graham Segrott

Yes, using active voice can change the tone of a message or article. When we use active voice, we make the subject of the sentence do the action. This makes the message or article more clear and direct.

For example, if we say "The dog was fed by the girl," it sounds like the dog didn't do anything and the girl did all the work. But if we use active voice and say "The girl fed the dog," it sounds like the girl did the action and the dog was the one who received the food. This makes the message or article more positive and focused on the action.

On the other hand, if we use passive voice, we make the action the focus of the sentence and hide the subject. This can make the message or article sound more distant and disconnected.

If we say "The car was hit by a tree," it sounds like the car was just unfortunate and the tree was the one who did the hitting. But if we use active voice and say "A tree hit the car," it sounds like the tree was the one responsible for the accident. This makes the message or article more negative and focused on the accident.

So using active voice can change the tone of a message or article by making it more clear, direct, positive, or negative. It's important to choose the right voice depending on the message we want to convey.