Which statement about active and passive voice is generally true?

Which statement about active and passive voice is generally true?

• A. Passive voice is always preferred for clarity.
• B. Active voice is used only in informal writing.
• C. The active and passive voice are interchangeable in all contexts.
• D. Active voice has the subject perform the action; passive voice has the action done to the subject; active voice is generally preferred for clarity.

Answer: (D)

Active voice has the subject doing the action, while passive voice puts the focus on the action happening to the subject. This difference shapes how clearly a sentence communicates who is performing the action. Because active voice follows a straightforward subject–verb–object pattern, it tends to be shorter, crisper, and easier to follow, which is why it's usually preferred for clarity. That idea is reflected in a common pattern: active voice enhances directness. For example, “The chef cooked the meal” is clear and immediate, while “The meal was cooked by the chef” shifts emphasis toward the meal and adds extra words. In most writing, this directness helps readers understand who is responsible for the action right away. There are times when passive voice is appropriate—when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or when the emphasis should be on the action or its result rather than on who performed it. But the general guideline remains: use active voice for clarity and impact most of the time, and reserve passive for specific purposes. The other statements don’t fit as well because passive is not always clearer, active isn’t limited to informal writing, and you can’t swap active and passive freely in every context without changing meaning or emphasis.

Active voice has the subject doing the action, while passive voice puts the focus on the action happening to the subject. This difference shapes how clearly a sentence communicates who is performing the action. Because active voice follows a straightforward subject–verb–object pattern, it tends to be shorter, crisper, and easier to follow, which is why it's usually preferred for clarity.

That idea is reflected in a common pattern: active voice enhances directness. For example, “The chef cooked the meal” is clear and immediate, while “The meal was cooked by the chef” shifts emphasis toward the meal and adds extra words. In most writing, this directness helps readers understand who is responsible for the action right away.

There are times when passive voice is appropriate—when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or when the emphasis should be on the action or its result rather than on who performed it. But the general guideline remains: use active voice for clarity and impact most of the time, and reserve passive for specific purposes.

The other statements don’t fit as well because passive is not always clearer, active isn’t limited to informal writing, and you can’t swap active and passive freely in every context without changing meaning or emphasis.