SAT Reading & Writing: Active vs. Passive Voice
24+ practice questions in Praczo
The concept, explained
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Active voice: the subject performs the action. "The scientist conducted the experiment."
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Passive voice: the subject receives the action. "The experiment was conducted by the scientist."
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The SAT prefers active voice for conciseness and clarity — passive constructions are often wordier and vaguer.
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Passive is acceptable when the actor is unknown, irrelevant, or intentionally de-emphasized.
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To test: can you add "by [actor]" after the verb? If yes and it makes sense, the sentence is passive.
- ✗ Thinking passive voice is always wrong — it has legitimate uses when the doer is unknown or less important than the action.
- ✗ Confusing past tense with passive voice. "She ran away" is active past tense, not passive.
SAT-style practice
Which sentence uses active voice most effectively?
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