How to Effectively Use Active and Passive Voice in Letters: 10 Practical Tips
How to Effectively Use Active and Passive Voice in Letters
In letter writing, effectively using active and passive voice is key to clear and impactful communication. Whether you are an IELTS candidate, an English teacher, or someone planning to study abroad or immigrate, mastering the use of these voices can significantly enhance your letter writing skills. This article will explore in detail how to effectively use active and passive voice in letters for different purposes, helping you write more persuasive and influential letters.
What are Active and Passive Voice?
Active voice refers to sentences where the subject performs the action. For example: "I write the letter." This sentence structure directly and clearly expresses who is doing what. In contrast, passive voice is when the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action. For example: "The letter is written by me." This structure focuses more on the action itself or the recipient of the action.
Understanding the difference between active and passive voice is crucial in letter writing, as they can affect the tone and impact of the letter. Active voice typically makes the letter more direct and forceful, while passive voice can make the letter more formal and objective.
Why is Using Active and Passive Voice Important in Letters?
Using active voice in letters can make your expressions more direct and forceful. This helps to clearly convey your intentions and needs. For example, in an application letter, saying "I apply for a visa" is more direct than "A visa is applied for by me." Active voice makes your letter more persuasive and straightforward, which is particularly important in business letters, recommendation letters, and complaint letters.
On the other hand, passive voice can be used to emphasize the recipient of the action or when the doer of the action is unimportant. For example, in a thank-you letter, you might want to emphasize the thing being thanked rather than the person thanking: "This help is deeply appreciated by me." Passive voice can also maintain an objective and formal tone in official letters, which is very useful in academic and official communications.
How to Use Active Voice in Letters?
Clarify the Subject and Action
When using active voice, ensure that the subject of the sentence is the person or thing performing the action. For example: "I apply for a visa." This expression directly indicates who is performing the action, making the letter clearer and more direct. Avoid unnecessary use of passive voice unless there is a specific reason to use it. For example: "I sent the document." instead of "The document was sent by me."
Enhance the Directness of Expression
Active voice can make your letter more persuasive. For example: "I request your help." This expression is more direct and forceful than "Your help is requested by me." Active voice is particularly effective in letters where you need to clearly express intentions and needs, such as application letters, complaint letters, and recommendation letters.
Application in Formal Letters
In formal letters, active voice can help you express your views and requests more clearly. For example, in a business letter, you might need to directly express: "I request the meeting minutes." This direct expression can help you get a quicker response and take action.
How to Use Passive Voice in Letters?
Emphasize the Recipient of the Action
When you want to highlight the recipient of the action, use passive voice. For example: "This letter was carefully read." This expression emphasizes the "letter" rather than the person reading it. Passive voice is very useful in letters where you need to emphasize the result or the object.
When the Doer of the Action is Unimportant
If the doer of the action is unimportant or unclear, use passive voice. For example: "The report was completed." This expression does not need to mention who completed the report, only that it was completed. This usage is very common in academic and research letters.
Maintain Formality and Objectivity
In formal letters, passive voice can make the tone more objective. For example: "The application was reviewed." This expression is more formal and objective than "I reviewed the application." In academic and official communications where formality and objectivity are required, passive voice is a very useful tool.
Application in IELTS Exams and Studying Abroad
In IELTS writing, active voice can help you express your views more clearly and improve your score. For example, using "I think this is a good idea" in a writing task is more direct than "This is thought to be a good idea." Passive voice is used when you need to emphasize the result or maintain a formal tone. For example: "The results were carefully analyzed." This expression is more suitable for academic writing.
For those planning to study abroad or immigrate, mastering the use of active and passive voice can help you express yourself more effectively in application letters and official communications. For example, using active voice "I apply for this course" in an application letter is more direct than "This course is applied for by me."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When using active and passive voice, there are some common mistakes to avoid. For example, using too much passive voice can make the letter unclear or appear to avoid responsibility. For example: "The decision was postponed." This expression is less direct and clear than "We decided to postpone."
Using active voice inappropriately in formal settings can also seem rude. For example: "I demand an immediate response." This expression may seem too direct and impolite. In such cases, using passive voice "An immediate response is demanded." might be more appropriate.
In academic letters, using passive voice to maintain scientific objectivity can sometimes make the letter unnecessarily complex. For example: "The data were analyzed." This expression is less clear and direct than "We analyzed the data."
Practice to Master the Use of Voice in Letters
To master the use of active and passive voice in letters, you can practice the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Rewrite Letters Using Active and Passive Voice
Write a formal request letter using only active voice, then rewrite it using passive voice, and observe the changes in tone and focus. For example: "I request the meeting minutes." can be rewritten as "The meeting minutes were requested."
Exercise 2: Switch Voices in Complaint Letters
Practice writing a complaint letter, switching between active and passive voice within the letter to find the most effective way to express yourself. For example: "I am dissatisfied with the service." can be changed to "The service has caused dissatisfaction."
Exercise 3: Analyze IELTS Sample Essays
Analyze sample essays in IELTS preparation materials, observe the strategic use of voice, and try to apply these techniques in your own writing. For example, observe how active voice is used to express opinions in writing tasks, and how passive voice is used to describe processes or results.
Exercise 4: Use Online Resources and Language Learning Apps
Use online resources and language learning apps to practice using voice in different letter writing scenarios, improving your skills through interactive learning. For example, use Duolingo or other language learning apps to practice using active and passive voice in different contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Active and Passive Voice?
Active voice refers to sentences where the subject performs the action, for example: "I write the letter." Passive voice refers to sentences where the subject is the recipient of the action, for example: "The letter is written by me."
Why is Using Active and Passive Voice Important in Letters?
Using active voice in letters can make your expressions more direct and forceful, helping to clearly convey your intentions and needs. Passive voice can be used to emphasize the recipient of the action or when the doer of the action is unimportant.
How to Use Active Voice in Letters?
When using active voice, ensure that the subject of the sentence is the person or thing performing the action, avoid unnecessary passive voice, and enhance the directness of expression. For example: "I apply for a visa." instead of "A visa is applied for by me."
How to Use Passive Voice in Letters?
When using passive voice, emphasize the recipient of the action, use it when the doer of the action is unimportant, and maintain formality and objectivity. For example: "This letter was carefully read." instead of "Someone carefully read this letter."
How are They Applied in IELTS Exams and Studying Abroad?
In IELTS writing, active voice can help you express your views more clearly and improve your score. Passive voice is used when you need to emphasize the result or maintain a formal tone. For those planning to study abroad or immigrate, mastering the use of active and passive voice can help you express yourself more effectively in application letters and official communications.
How to Avoid Common Mistakes When Using Voice?
Avoid using too much passive voice, using active voice inappropriately, and maintain clarity and directness in academic letters. For example, use "We decided to postpone." instead of "The decision was postponed."
Conclusion
Effectively using active and passive voice in letter writing is key to clear and impactful communication. By understanding the difference between active and passive voice and mastering their use, you can write more persuasive and influential letters. Whether you are an IELTS candidate, an English teacher, or someone planning to study abroad or immigrate, mastering these skills can significantly enhance your letter writing abilities.