Passive Voice Spotter
Heuristically detect sentences that likely use passive voice to help you write more actively.
How to use this tool
- Enter text in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your passive-voice sentences (est.) and the full breakdown beneath it.
Heuristically detect sentences that likely use passive voice to help you write more actively.
How it works
This tool scans your text for sentences that are likely written in passive voice — constructions where the grammatical subject receives the action rather than performing it (for example, 'The report was written by Jane' instead of 'Jane wrote the report'). It uses a heuristic approach: it looks for forms of the verb 'to be' (is, are, was, were, been, being) followed closely by a past participle.
Paste your draft into the Text field and the tool highlights or lists the flagged sentences. This is a writing-quality aid, not a grammar enforcer — passive voice is sometimes the clearest choice (scientific writing, when the actor is unknown, or for stylistic variety). Use the results as prompts to review, not as mandatory corrections.
The heuristic will occasionally flag false positives (for example, 'The door was red' is a stative construction, not passive voice) and may miss some passive constructions that use unusual auxiliary combinations. Treat each flagged sentence as a candidate for revision, not a confirmed error.
Worked example
Review a paragraph for passive constructions
- Paste a paragraph such as: 'The contract was signed. Mistakes were made. The team delivered the project on time.'
- The tool scans each sentence.
- It flags 'The contract was signed' and 'Mistakes were made' as likely passive.
- Review each flagged sentence and decide whether to rewrite.
2 likely passive sentences identified
Common mistakes to avoid
- Automatically rewriting every flagged sentence without checking whether the passive was intentional or clearer.
- Expecting zero false positives — the tool is a heuristic scanner, not a full grammar parser.
- Pasting only a title or single sentence, where context is too limited for meaningful detection.
Key terms
- Passive voice
- A sentence structure where the subject receives the action: 'The ball was kicked by Tom.' The actor (Tom) is demoted or omitted.
- Past participle
- The form of a verb used in perfect tenses and passive constructions, typically ending in -ed, -en, or -t (for example, written, taken, built).
- Heuristic
- A rule-of-thumb detection method that is fast and useful but not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
Frequently asked questions
- How is passive voice detected?
- This tool uses a heuristic: it looks for a 'to be' verb (is, are, was, were, etc.) followed by a word ending in -ed or -en in the same sentence. It is an estimate, not a grammar parser.
- How much passive voice is acceptable?
- Most style guides recommend keeping passive voice below 10% of sentences. Active voice is generally more direct and engaging.