---
title: "Active Voice"
description: "Active verbs make your sentences direct and easy to read, while passive verbs can make sentences confusing. Use passive voice only in case you do not know who or what the subject of a sentence is."
canonical: "https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/styleguide/tw/active_voice.html"
breadcrumb: "Style Guide > Plain English > Active Voice"
dateModified: "2026-09-03"
---

# Active Voice

Active verbs make your sentences direct and easy to read, while passive verbs can make sentences confusing.

Use passive voice only in case you do not know who or what the subject of a sentence is. Even though you must know every component of the workflow when describing a technical concept, passive voice is acceptable in the following situations:

- Using active voice sounds like you are blaming the user. You can use passive voice in an error message or troubleshooting content when the active subject is the user.
- The subject of the action is unknown, or you want to de-emphasize the subject and emphasize the object on which the action is performed.
- Recasting the sentence in active voice is wordy or awkward.

To learn more about the difference between active and passive voice, see [this Grammarly article](https://www.grammarly.com/blog/active-vs-passive-voice/).

## Examples

1. The .zip file [should be downloaded]{.mdhl-incorrect}.

   [Download]{.mdhl-correct} the .zip file.

2. If the build fails, [you probably missed]{.mdhl-incorrect} a bug. 

   If the build fails, a bug [could have been missed]{.mdhl-correct}.

3. The [product, OS or database returns the messages]{.mdhl-incorrect} to the user. 

   [The messages are returned]{.mdhl-correct} to the user.

4. In 2009, [engineers developed]{.mdhl-incorrect} a software that simplifies the installation. 

   A software that simplifies the installation [was developed]{.mdhl-correct} in 2009.