Passive Voice Checker
Find passive voice in English writing: every sentence with a form of “be” plus a past participle, the doer after “by”, and the share of passive sentences.
A rule-based check: it looks for a form of “be” (or “get”) followed by a past participle, so it can miss passives with unusual word order and flag a few adjectives. Passive voice is not wrong; it is useful when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
| # | Sentence | Passive verb | Doer named | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The report was written by our team last week. | was written | by our team last week | Passive |
| 3 | Mistakes were made, and some figures have been corrected since then. | were made; been corrected | — | Passive |
| 4 | The manager is interested in the results. | is interested | — | Possibly an adjective |
| 5 | The new office will be opened in May. | be opened | — | Passive |
In the passive voice the subject receives the action (“The report was written by our team”) instead of doing it (“Our team wrote the report”). Too much passive makes writing wordy and vague about who did what. Paste your text and the checker lists every sentence with a passive construction, shows the doer when it is named after “by”, and tells you what share of your sentences are passive.
How to use this tool
- Paste your English text.
- Read the number and share of passive sentences.
- Go through the table: each row shows the passive verb and, if present, the “by …” phrase that names the doer.
- Rewrite the sentences where the doer matters: put the doer first and use an active verb.
Formula
Passive = form of “be” (am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being) or “get” + up to two adverbs + past participle
Past participles are regular -ed forms plus a built-in list of about 200 irregular ones (written, taken, built, known…). Common -ed words that are not verbs (need, hundred, naked) are ignored. Participles that usually act as adjectives after “be” (interested, tired, located, married) are listed as “possibly an adjective” and not counted as passive. Share = passive sentences ÷ all sentences × 100. Sentences are found with the browser’s sentence segmenter.
Example
The sample has 5 sentences, and 3 are passive (60%): “was written” (with the doer “by our team last week”), “were made” and “(have) been corrected” in the same sentence, and “(will) be opened”. “is interested” is listed only as possibly an adjective, and “We tested every claim” is active.
Frequently asked questions
Is passive voice always wrong?
No. It is the right choice when the doer is unknown, unimportant or obvious (“The road was repaved last year”), and it is common in scientific methods. The aim is to use it on purpose, not by habit.
How much passive voice is too much?
Many readability guides suggest keeping passive sentences to about 10% of the total in general writing. Technical and legal writing often uses more.
How do I change a passive sentence to active?
Find who does the action (often after “by”), make it the subject, and use an active verb: “The cake was eaten by the kids” becomes “The kids ate the cake”.
Last updated:
Page address with these inputs: https://kakao.mobile/tools/passive-voice-checker/
Cite or embed this tool
kakaoCalc. (2026, November 8). Passive Voice Checker. https://kakao.mobile/tools/passive-voice-checker/
“Passive Voice Checker.” kakaoCalc, 8 Nov. 2026, kakao.mobile/tools/passive-voice-checker/.
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