How to use the passive voice checker
- Paste your text into the box. A short sample is loaded.
- Read the summary of how many sentences are flagged and the share they make up.
- Check each sentence. Flagged ones have a colored edge, and the matching words are highlighted.
- Turn on Show only flagged sentences to focus, or copy the flagged sentences.
One passive sentence in two
The text The ball was thrown by Sam. Sam threw the ball. has two sentences. The first has was followed by thrown, a past participle, so it is flagged, and the words was thrown are highlighted. The second is active, so it is not.
One of two sentences is flagged, which is 50%.
What the checker looks for
A passive sentence puts the receiver of an action first, and uses a form of the verb be (am, is, are, was, were, be, been or being) with a past participle: The report was written. The checker splits your text into sentences and looks for a form of be, optionally followed by one adverb ending in -ly or a word such as not, then a word that ends in -ed or is one of a built in list of common irregular participles such as written, taken or built.
If the words after the participle start with by, as in was thrown by Sam, the sentence names who did the action. Many writing guides suggest an active sentence when you want to name the person who acts, but passive voice is not wrong, and it is useful when the actor is unknown or unimportant.
A rule of thumb, not a grammar authority
This is a pattern match, not a full grammar parser, so it makes mistakes in both directions. It will flag sentences that use be with an adjective that looks like a participle, such as She is tired or The door was closed when it describes a state. It will miss passives that use get (The plan got approved), passives with unusual verbs, and sentences whose abbreviations or punctuation fool the sentence splitter.
Use the flags as places to look, and decide by reading. The tool does not change your text, judge your writing as good or bad or provide a grade. For more checks see the readability score calculator, the word counter and the repeated word finder. Text is checked in your browser and never uploaded.
Assumptions and limits
- Sentences are split at . ! and ? with a short list of common abbreviations skipped.
- A passive is flagged when a form of be is followed by a word ending in -ed or a listed irregular participle, with an optional adverb between.
- Passives using get, and participles not on the list, are missed. Adjectives that look like participles are flagged.
- The result is a hint, not a grade or a grammar ruling.
Frequently asked questions
What is passive voice?
A sentence in which the subject receives the action, as in The cake was eaten by the children, instead of The children ate the cake.
Why was my sentence flagged when it is not passive?
Phrases such as She was tired follow the same pattern, a form of be and a word ending in -ed, but they describe a state, not an action. The checker cannot tell them apart.
Why did it miss a passive sentence?
The checker does not look for get passives, unusual verbs or words outside its irregular list. It is a simple pattern match.
Is passive voice always wrong?
No. It is a normal part of English and is useful when the doer is unknown or unimportant. The tool only shows where it appears.