What counts as active
In the active voice the subject does the verb. That covers far more than people expect: progressive tenses (“she is writing”), perfect tenses (“he has written”), linking verbs (“the report is long”), expletives (“there are three options”) and sentences with no object at all (“they arrived”). None of those is passive, and a checker that flags every “is” or “was” is counting linking verbs, not passives.
The only pattern that makes a sentence passive is a form of be or get followed by a past participle, with the subject on the receiving end. This checker looks for that pattern and nothing else, which is why its unmarked sentences can be trusted as active. The Purdue OWL sets out the same distinction with examples.
Why active is usually the better choice
Active sentences are shorter, they name who is responsible, and they match the way people talk. The federal plain-language guidelines call passive voice one of the biggest problems in government writing because it hides who should do what. The APA Style guidance permits both voices and warns that writers overuse the passive.
That said, an active sentence is not automatically a good one. “There is a need for a review of the policy by the committee” is active and terrible. After you have dealt with the passives, look at the long sentences, the nominalisations (“conduct a review” → “review”) and the empty openers.
Using the results
Unmarked sentences are active — leave them. Amber sentences are passive; read the note for the rewrite and the verdict on whether the passive is justified. Dotted-underline sentences contain an adjective that only looks passive (“I am interested”); they are active and are shown only so you can see the engine’s reasoning.
Questions
- What is active voice?
A sentence is in the active voice when the subject performs the action: “The adjuster denied the claim.” The subject (the adjuster) does the verb (denied). In the passive voice the subject receives it: “The claim was denied.” See our guide to what active voice is.
- Why does an active voice checker flag passive sentences instead of marking active ones?
Because active is the default. Every sentence that is not passive is active (or a fragment), so the useful information is where the passives are. Sentences left unmarked by this checker are in the active voice.
- Is "she was running" active or passive?
Active. “Was running” is the past progressive tense — be plus an -ing verb — and the subject is doing the running. Passive needs a past participle: “she was chased.”
- Is a sentence with "is" or "was" always passive?
No. “The sky is blue” and “He was a teacher” use be as a linking verb and are active. Only be + past participle (“was written”) makes a passive.