Many writers use the passive voice in their essays, but the best writers know it should be used only rarely, if ever.
The passive voice puts the verb in the “wrong” place in the sentence, thereby removing the “action.” Subjects become acted upon rather than performing actions. Sentences with the passive voice typically include verb phrases such as “was” or “has been” (e.g., “it was determined,” “the project has been completed”).
Consider this example of the passive voice:
“The marathon was run despite my injury.”
In this sentence, the verb (or action) is diminished because the writer says the marathon “was run.” A better way of describing the same activity is to use the active voice, as illustrated in this example:
“I ran the marathon despite my injury.”
Here are two more examples:
Passive: “The contract was awarded to us.”
Active: “We won the contract.”
Passive: “It was decided that I would be in charge of the project.”
Active: “My boss selected me to be in charge of the project.”
Remember—you are the center and subject of your essays. The best way to tell your stories and explain your accomplishments is to make sure that you are the catalyst of the stories you tell. Using the active voice ensures that the admissions committee(s) will see you as an active person who makes things happen.
