How to Spot and Edit Passive Voice in Your Book

According to a study, passive voice is used in roughly 10-15% of all writing in published books.

As you compose a book, prose that flows smoothly is key for keeping readers engaged with what's being written. Unfortunately, many authors inadvertently use passive voice which makes sentences feel duller and weaker overall. Understanding and correcting passive constructions will allow for stronger narrative development when revising manuscripts or seeking professional book editing services - either way, this knowledge will enable more impactful stories!

In this post, we'll look at ways passive voice can impact writing - its recognition, appropriate uses, and editing to maximize its effect on books. These techniques will ensure your work remains compelling to readers no matter your skill or level as an author or editor.

What is Passive Voice?

Prior to editing passive voice in your book effectively, it's vitally important that you understand its definition and differences from active voice. Passive voice occurs when the subject of the sentence becomes the recipient rather than the initiator of its actions; active voice makes them doers instead.

Passive voice places the action upon its subject (in this instance the novel), while active voice puts John at the forefront, writing the novel himself. Passive voice may make your writing feel distant or indirect so when looking to add direct and engaging prose it's often best to opt for active voice as opposed to passive.

Identifying Passive Voice in Your Writing

Understanding passive voice in writing is the first step toward improving clarity. While passive constructions may be tricky to detect due to subtle shifts in sentence structure, there are certain indicators that will assist with finding them more quickly.

Looking for "To Be" Verbs

One key indicator of passive voice writing is using verbs with "to be" prepositions like "is," "was," was," were", ", being", or being", followed by past participle words like written, eaten and seen - for instance "The book was read by Sarah", wherein Sarah takes part in reading it; thus this sentence uses passive voice as Sarah is receiving the action (being read) rather than taking on active roles itself (subject).

As you review your manuscript, pay special attention to how verbs appear within sentences. If a "to be" verb followed by a past participle indicates passive voice structure - though this structure might not always be bad, consider whether active voice alternatives would make your sentences clearer and more dynamic.

Checking for Hidden or Missing Subjects

Passive voice writing often obscures or omits its subjects, leaving readers uncertain who performed an action - for instance "The decision was made yesterday", leaves out who actually took place - leading to confusion for readers and potentially diminishing its effect. To maintain impactful writing and avoid readers becoming confused by such writing errors.

An alternative, clearer sentence might read as such: "The team made their decision yesterday." By explicitly naming who's driving this action, readers gain more of an idea of who exactly is at play here.

Rewriting Sentences for Clarity

Passive voice can often result in convoluted or overly complicated sentences, making them hard for readers to follow or seem overly formal. Revamping these passages using active voice could potentially make them simpler to interpret for any future readers.

Steps to Edit Passive Voice in Your Book

Editing passive voice requires careful thought and strategy, below are several steps you can follow to ensure the text in your book remains engaging and accessible for readers.

Identifying Passive Constructions

To properly edit passive voice in your manuscript, the first step should be identifying where passive constructions appear. Look out for sentences using verbs like "to be", paired with past participle verbs like "be," as well as any instances of unclear subject material or sentences where passive constructions might have gone undetected during the initial draft stage. Hiring book editing services could aid this process and detect instances of passive voice that had passed unnoticed during the writing process.

Rewriting in Active Voice

Once you've recognized passive voice, the next step should be rewriting these sentences in active voice. This can often be accomplished by shifting focus away from objects (the receiver of actions), toward subjects (those doing them). For example, instead of writing "The report was completed by the manager" use active voice instead and make your sentence more direct and engaging e.g. "The manager completed the report." By shifting it away from receiver to subject instead you create more engaging and direct sentences which convey meaning directly.

Strengthening Verbs

Passive voice often dilutes verbs in sentences, diminishing their impact and energy. Rewriting passive constructions into active voice allows you to strengthen them: for instance instead of saying, "She opened the door," you could choose an action verb such as "She opened" instead to improve directness while also better conveying action more vividly.

Ensuring Clarity and Flow

While active voice can add clarity and flow to writing, too many active voice sentences in succession may make your writing sound stilted or robotic. As you revise, pay special attention to the overall flow as sentences transition smoothly from one another; finding an optimal mix between active and passive voices helps maintain a natural rhythm in writing.

When Is Passive Voice Acceptable?

While eliminating passive voice is generally encouraged, there may be certain situations in which its usage can be useful. Understanding when passive voice should be employed will enable more deliberate decisions when writing content or editing your writing.

Maintaining Object Emphasis

Passive voice can often help in situations when it is desired to emphasize an action's object rather than its subject, for instance in "The letter was written by its author." In such a sentence, the emphasis lies on the letter itself rather than who wrote it - this approach may prove especially helpful in scientific writing, where attention must remain focused on an object. Using passive voice may also serve to emphasize specific facts rather than individuals or groups performing actions themselves - this feature of passive voice often applies well when writing scientific literature and writing scientific texts where objects overshadow who is carrying out actions performed. 

When refining such sentences in your manuscript, a professional book editor can offer valuable guidance, ensuring that the passive voice is used effectively and appropriately, particularly for genres like science writing where the focus often needs to be on the object rather than the subject. Many book editing services can help authors maintain the right balance in their writing, ensuring clarity while preserving the emphasis on the subject matter rather than the individuals performing the actions.

Using Passive Voice in Formal or Scientific Writing

Passive voice can be effectively employed when writing formal or scientific works that focus on action or results rather than people performing them; an example would be "The experiment was conducted in a laboratory". This shifts focus away from who performed it to instead focus on its subject matter: the experiment.

Creating Mystery or Suspense

Passive voice can also be strategically used to add mystery or suspense in narrative writing, particularly thrillers or mysteries. An example would be "The treasure was found," leaving open information regarding who may have discovered it. Such use of passive voice adds an air of intrigue while providing just enough mystery that draws readers in further. This subtly used tactic of passive voice contributes to creating this atmosphere of unknown or uncertainty which works particularly well within certain genres such as mysteries.

Conclusion

Reducing passive voice in your book writing is an indispensable skill that can enhance its clarity and impact. By learning to recognize passive constructions and switch them over to active voice versions, you can craft more direct, engaging stories for readers that engage them directly and speak their language. While passive voice does have its place, overusing it will keep writing strong and clear. 

Therefore, working with a professional book writing and editing company can help you refine your manuscript, ensuring that passive voice is used appropriately and sparingly. Such services provide valuable expertise, making sure your writing maintains its clarity while staying engaging and true to your intended message. Whether you’re writing fiction, nonfiction, or technical content, a reputable book editing and writing company can guide you in creating a polished, impactful final product.