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As noted before, passive voice is allowed in APA style and can be quite appropriate, especially when writing about methods and data collection. However, students often overuse the passive voice in their writing, which means their emphasis in the sentence is not on the action taker.
- What does APA say about active and passive voice?
- Is passive voice OK in academic writing?
- What voice do you use in APA?
- Is passive voice allowed?
What does APA say about active and passive voice?
Both the active and the passive voice are permitted in APA Style. However, writers often overuse the passive voice. Use the active voice as much as possible to create direct, clear, and concise sentences, especially when you are writing about the actions of people.
Is passive voice OK in academic writing?
In academic writing, passive voice is used to describe a process, the results of study, or similar material which is objective in nature. But active voice is used to describe actions. Related: Having trouble with grammar and punctuations in your research paper? Get help from native language experts now!
What voice do you use in APA?
APA Style encourages using the active voice ("We interpreted the results ..."). The active voice is particularly important in experimental reports, where the subject performing the action should be clearly identified (e.g. "We interviewed ..." vs. "The participants responded ...").
Is passive voice allowed?
Yes, it's perfectly valid to write sentences in the passive voice. The APA language guidelines do caution against overusing the passive voice, because it can obscure your meaning or be needlessly long-winded.
