# How to find and fix passive voice in my writing on Mac: a 2026 routine

> Find passive voice in a revised draft with ⌘F, test each hit, then fix it by hand or with a checker. Steps for Word, Pages and Google Docs on Mac.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/problems/passive-voice-find-fix-revision
Updated: 2026-11-07

To find passive voice in your writing, search your draft for was, were, been, being, is and are, then check each hit for a past participle such as sent or approved. To fix it, ask who did the action and make that person the subject of the sentence.

## Quick answer

- Passive voice is a form of “to be” plus a past participle, such as “was sent” or “were found”. It is not a grammar error.
- Search with ⌘F for was, were, been, being, is and are. Then read each hit and mark the ones that hide the actor.
- Ask who did the action. If you know, make them the subject. If nobody knows, or the actor does not matter, passive can stay.
- Built-in checkers may not flag passive voice reliably. Grammarly and ProWritingAid offer passive voice checks, but you still read the draft.
- Lazur can point at sentences on screen and explain them, but you choose each rewrite.

## What passive voice in a revised draft costs you

- **Unclear responsibility.** A passive sentence can hide the one person a reader needs to know about. In a status update, “The budget was cut” does not say who cut it. Grammarly says passive voice tends to make writing unclear and hard to follow. That is a vendor’s claim, but the risk is easy to see in a draft that matters.
- **Longer sentences with extra parts.** Passive sentences need a helper verb and often an extra by phrase. “The results were reviewed by the committee” has more parts than “The committee reviewed the results.” Those extra parts add small chances for error, such as the wrong tense or a dropped helper. This is an editing observation, not a measured result.
- **Revision hours that add up.** I found no study that measures how much time passive voice costs a writer. You can still price the time. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median hourly pay for writers and authors at $36.98 in May 2025. If a full pass through a long report takes one hour, that hour is worth about $36.98 at that median rate. Your own rate may differ.
- **Trust lost with a reader.** Passive voice can make a writer look evasive. “Mistakes were made” is the classic case. A client, boss or reviewer may read that as dodging, even when you meant nothing by it. Reputation costs are hard to measure, but they are easy to feel after one unclear memo.
- **False comfort from a quiet checker.** A checker that stays quiet is not proof. Apple’s Pages guide describes grammar checking without mentioning passive voice. Microsoft’s Word help page does not name it either, and I could not confirm a passive voice rule for Word for Mac. If you skip the manual pass, passive sentences survive into the final draft.

## Why it happens

1. **The actor is unknown or unimportant.** Passive voice is useful when nobody knows who acted, or when the actor adds nothing to the point. Writers reach for it in those cases, and that is fine. The trouble starts when you know the actor and still use passive, usually because the first version of the sentence came out that way and you kept it.
2. **Revision removes the subject.** When you shorten a sentence, you often delete the subject and keep the verb. “The team reviewed the draft” becomes “The draft was reviewed” after a cut. Revision creates passive sentences as well as first drafts do. Check revised sections with the same care as new ones.
3. **The topic comes first.** A passive sentence can put the familiar topic at the start, so it links to the sentence before. “The sample was then heated” reads well right after a sentence about the sample. Writers use this to make paragraphs flow. It works, so the habit sticks, even when a clearer subject would work better.
4. **Copying the models you read.** Many writers copy the style of the reports, papers and manuals they read most. If those documents lean passive, your drafts will drift the same way. Notice which models you use, and check your own sentences against them before you send a draft.
5. **Softening bad news.** Passive can soften a bad fact. “The error was missed” does not say who missed it. Sometimes that is a kind choice, and sometimes it is a way to dodge responsibility. Readers can tell the difference when the sentence is about a mistake, a delay or a cost. Decide which one you mean before you rewrite.
6. **Fast typing under deadline.** When you rush, you write the easiest form. Passive forms come out quickly, especially in a long edit when you rewrite several sentences at once. Run the ⌘F search after the draft is done, not during a fast first pass, so you check each hit with a clear head.

## How to fix it

- **Search for the helper verbs.** Press ⌘F in Word, Pages or Google Docs. Search for was, were, been, being, is and are. Mark each hit with a highlight or a comment. This is faster than rereading the whole draft, and it catches the sentences your eye skips.
- **Ask who or what acted.** For each marked sentence, ask who or what did the action. If you can name it, make that the subject. “The vendor missed the deadline” is clearer than “The deadline was missed by the vendor.” Keep the sentence short, and check that the verb still fits.
- **Keep passive when the actor does not matter.** Passive is the right call when the actor is unknown, obvious or irrelevant. “The samples were stored at room temperature” is correct, because the storage matters and the person who stored them does not. Keep the sentence, mark it as reviewed and move on.
- **Catch got passives.** Search for got as well, as in got approved or got rejected. A search for was will not find those sentences. Read any sentence that uses a form of get as a helper before you call the section done.
- **Use a checker as a second pass.** Run Pages’ Check Document Now after your manual pass, and use Grammarly’s checker if your draft is in an app or browser it supports. Read every flag. Keep the ones that help the reader, and ignore the rest. Do not let the tool write the sentence for you.
- **Dictate the rewrite.** Put the cursor where the sentence goes, hold fn, and say the new version. Lazur dictation types clean, formatted text at the cursor in any app. Then read the new sentence against the old one, and keep whichever reads more clearly.
- **Read the paragraph aloud.** Read each rewritten paragraph out loud. Listen for sentences that sound like a notice or a form letter. Those are often the passive sentences you missed, and the fix is usually a named subject.
- **Ask a reader one narrow question.** Give one section to a colleague and ask them to say who did each action. If they cannot answer for a sentence, the passive form may be hiding someone. A 2026 trial found feedback improved revision quality, though it did not test passive voice, so a human reader is worth the time.
- **Use the 5% guideline as a loose check.** ProWritingAid suggests fewer than 50 passive instances per 1,000 sentences, about 5%. Use that as a rough check on a long draft. Do not force the number down if the passive sentences are doing a job, and do not treat it as a rule.

Passive voice moves the thing acted on to the front of the sentence. “The draft was revised” leaves out who revised it. The active version, “I revised the draft,” names the actor. Both forms are correct English. Grammarly’s checker page says passive voice “isn't a grammatical mistake, but it tends to make your writing unclear and hard to follow.” Treat that as the vendor’s view, and test it on your own draft.

## Find passive voice in your revised draft on Mac

Start with search. Passive voice needs a form of “to be” before a past participle, so a search for those helper verbs finds most cases. In Word or Pages, press ⌘F to open Find. In Google Docs, ⌘F does the same job. Search for was first, because past passive sentences use it often. Then search for were, been, being, is and are.

1. Open the draft and press ⌘F to open Find.
2. Search for was. Read each hit and mark the ones with a past participle after it, such as was sent or was approved.
3. Repeat the search for were, been, being, is and are.
4. Skip hits that are not passive, such as was happy or is ready.
5. Keep the marked list open while you edit, so you do not lose track.

![Writer at a Mac on how to find and fix passive voice in a revised draft](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/passive-voice-find-fix-revision/how-to-find-and-fix-passive-voice-1-bdc80d.jpg)

## Test each hit with the by-phrase test

Once you have a hit, ask one question. Could you add “by” and a name, and would that name help the reader? If the name is clear and matters, the active version usually reads better. If nobody knows the actor, or the actor does not matter, passive can stay.

| Passive sentence | Who acted? | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The draft was reviewed by Priya. | Priya | Rewrite: Priya reviewed the draft. |
| Mistakes were found in the data after the audit. | The audit team, if it matters | Keep it passive, or rewrite: The audit found mistakes in the data. |
| The form must be signed before the deadline. | The signer, not named | Keep it passive. The reader needs the rule, not the signer. |

_Three passive sentences and what to do with each._

The pattern is simple. A named person who matters usually means the active version wins. A missing actor is a reason to pause, not a reason to rewrite on reflex.

## Worked example: rewrite one paragraph from passive to active

Here is a paragraph from a revised report. “The survey was sent in March. Responses were collected over two weeks. Based on the results, a decision was made to delay the launch.” Each sentence hides the actor. If you were on the team that ran the survey, the paragraph should say so. The rewrite reads: “We sent the survey in March. Members had two weeks to respond. The results led us to delay the launch.” The new version is shorter, and every sentence names who acted or what caused the action.

> **Read the rewrite aloud:** Read each new sentence out loud. If the active version sounds blunt, try a different subject, such as the team or the result. Active voice is not the same as harsh wording.

## When passive voice is the right choice

Passive voice has real jobs. Use it when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context. A lab report can say the sample was heated, because the heating matters and the technician does not. Passive also keeps the topic first, so the sentence links back to the one before it.

Comprehension evidence is mixed, so do not assume a passive sentence is hard to read. In a 1997 University of Washington dissertation, Rhodes compared a text with 100% active verbs against a text with 42% passive verbs. Each participant read one of each article and answered 16 multiple-choice questions on each. Two experiments found no significant difference in reading speed or comprehension. A dissertation is one study, so use the result as a reason to test your own draft with a real reader.

## Mistakes people make when they fix passive voice

- Rewriting every hit. Some passive sentences are fine, and forced active sentences can sound strange.
- Deleting was and keeping the participle. “The report sent” is broken. You need the actor as the subject.
- Inventing an actor. If you do not know who acted, keep the passive or ask before you name anyone.
- Trusting a low score. A passive count near the benchmark does not prove the draft is clear.
- Missing the got passive. Sentences like “got approved” use got, so a search for was skips them.

## What Word and Pages check, and what they do not

In Microsoft Word, open Editor, then under Corrections select Grammar, then Options. Under Writing Style, choose Grammar & Refinements to turn individual rules on or off. Microsoft’s page does not mention passive voice. I could not confirm a passive voice rule in Word for Mac, so open those settings yourself and do not assume one is on. For Word-specific tips, see [Word for writers on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/word).

Pages on Mac checks grammar when you choose Edit > Spelling and Grammar > Check Grammar With Spelling, then Check Document Now. Grammar problems appear underlined in green. Apple’s guide does not mention passive voice, so a clean result does not mean the draft is free of it. For Pages habits, see [Pages for writers on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/pages).

## What the third-party checkers claim

Grammarly has a Passive Voice Checker page. It says the tool works in browsers and desktop apps, with integrations for Microsoft Word, Google Docs and Safari. The page also says passive voice can work well when the actor is general or unknown. It does not say which features are free, so check their pricing page before you sign up. ProWritingAid suggests fewer than 50 passive instances per 1,000 sentences, which is about 5%. That figure is a vendor guideline, and it cites no study.

- **42%** Share of passive verbs in the high-passive text in Rhodes (1997). Reading speed and comprehension did not differ significantly. ([source](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/items/214d8593-77d9-40e8-b735-d92d83fca1c4))
- **5%** ProWritingAid’s suggested ceiling for passive instances, about 5% of sentences. The vendor cites no study for it. ([source](https://prowritingaid.com/Passive-Index))
- **d = 0.50** Effect on revision quality in a 2026 randomized trial of 354 undergraduates. It tested general feedback, not passive voice. ([source](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.16820v2))
- **$36.98** Median hourly pay for writers and authors in May 2025, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ([source](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm))

Before you paste a draft into any checker or AI tool, check your employer’s rules on client or patient data. Lawyers, nurses and accountants often have strict limits. Those rules come before any tool. Lazur says audio and screenshots go to AI providers to answer and are not stored, and that content is never used to train AI models. Your employer’s policy still decides what you may share.

## Use a second reader for the hits a tool misses

A second reader catches passive sentences that a checker skips. In a 2026 randomized trial with 354 undergraduates, AI-mediated feedback improved revision quality, with an effect size of d = 0.50. That trial tested general feedback, not passive voice. Teaching assistants could adopt, edit or dismiss the AI suggestions. Ask a colleague a narrower question: who did each action in this section?

Read the draft aloud yourself, too. Passive sentences often sound like a notice from an office. Mark the ones that sound slow, then check whether each has a named actor.

## Where Lazur helps, and where it does not

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about anything on screen, and Lazur answers out loud. Ask where a sentence is, and Lazur draws a circle and a label around it. That helps with a passive hunt. Lazur reads what is on screen, so it can flag a sentence that is fine or miss one that is not. You still decide each rewrite.

Lazur does not click buttons, edit files or operate other apps for you. When you ask how to do something, it guides you one click at a time and waits for each click. It is not a plugin or add-in for Word, Pages or Google Docs, and it has no partnership with any app maker. The [3-day Pro trial](https://www.lazur.app/download) needs no credit card. Pro is $18/month, or $15/month billed annually. Compare plans on the [pricing page](https://www.lazur.app/pricing).

![Hands marking up a printed manuscript to find passive voice sentences](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/passive-voice-find-fix-revision/how-to-find-and-fix-passive-voice-2-242217.jpg)

## A routine for a long revised draft

A long draft needs a routine, or you will search forever and rewrite nothing. Search the whole draft once to see how big the job is. Then fix one section per sitting. Save a copy before each pass, so you can compare the versions if a rewrite reads worse.

Keep your list outside your head. Highlight or comment on each passive sentence as you find it. Remove the mark after you fix it, so the draft stays clean for the next reader. Work in the same order as the draft, so you do not skip a section. For Google Docs habits, see [Google Docs for writers on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/google-docs).

![Person typing on a laptop at a desk while rewriting passive sentences](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/passive-voice-find-fix-revision/how-to-find-and-fix-passive-voice-3-71452a.jpg)

## Next step for your draft

Pick one section today. Run the ⌘F search, apply the by-phrase test, and rewrite only the sentences where the actor matters. Then stop for the day. The goal is a draft where readers can see who did what, not a draft with no passive sentences at all.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Where is the passive voice in this paragraph?”: Lazur circles sentences it reads as passive and labels them. Check each one, since it can miss some. (Points at it)
- “Where are the passive sentences on this page?”: Lazur circles sentences it reads as passive and labels them. Check each one, because it reads the screen and can miss some.
- “Why does this sentence feel flat?”: Lazur explains out loud what the sentence hides, such as a missing actor, and suggests where to look next.
- “Walk me through Find in Pages.”: Lazur guides you one click at a time, waiting for each click. It does not click for you.
- “Give me three active versions of this sentence.”: Lazur drafts options and types the one you pick. You choose the wording and check the facts.
- “Hold fn and dictate the rewrite.”: Dictation types clean, formatted text at the cursor in any app. It is unlimited on both Pro and Power.
- “Find the current Grammarly pricing.”: Research runs in Lazur’s own Chrome tabs and comes back with a summary and a report. Check the pricing page yourself before you pay.

## A plan you can start this week

- **Day 1: Search and mark.** Open the draft, press ⌘F, and search for was, were, been, being, is and are. Highlight each hit. Do not edit yet. The goal is a list you can work through in order.
- **Day 2: Apply the by-phrase test.** Go through the list. For each hit, ask who acted and whether that person matters. Mark the sentences where the actor is known and matters. Leave the rest alone, and note any with an unknown actor.
- **Day 3: Rewrite the marked sentences.** Rewrite only the marked sentences. Put the actor first when you know them. Dictate new sentences with fn if typing slows you down. Read each paragraph out loud before you move on.
- **Day 4: Check and get a second reader.** Run the Pages grammar check, or Grammarly if you use it, as a second pass. Send one section to a colleague and ask who acted in each sentence. Fix what they cannot answer.

## FAQ

### Is passive voice always wrong?

No. Passive voice is correct English and has real uses, such as when the actor is unknown or unimportant. The aim is to choose it on purpose, so readers can see who did what when it matters.

### How do I find passive voice in Word for Mac?

Press ⌘F and search for was, were, been, being, is and are. Then read each hit for a past participle. I could not confirm a passive voice rule in Word for Mac, so do not rely on the built-in check alone.

### Does Pages on Mac find passive voice?

Apple’s Pages guide describes grammar checking with Check Document Now and does not mention passive voice. Search the helper verbs with ⌘F as well, then read each hit yourself.

### Does Google Docs flag passive voice?

I did not verify a built-in passive voice check in Google Docs. Use ⌘F on the helper verbs in any case. For automatic flags, Grammarly lists Google Docs among its integrations, and you can check its pricing page for plans.

### Is passive voice bad for readers?

The evidence is mixed. In Rhodes’s 1997 University of Washington dissertation, a text with 42% passive verbs did not differ significantly in reading speed or comprehension from a 100% active text. That is one dissertation, so test your own draft with a real reader when it matters.

### What percentage of passive voice is ideal?

No study I found sets a safe number. ProWritingAid suggests fewer than 50 passive instances per 1,000 sentences, about 5%, but it cites no study for that figure. Use it as a loose check, not a rule.

### Can Lazur find every passive sentence?

No. Lazur reads what is on screen, so it can point at a sentence it thinks is passive and miss others. Read the draft yourself after it points.

### Can I paste a client draft into a checker?

Check your employer’s rules first. Lawyers, nurses and accountants often have strict rules about client or patient data. If the rules allow it, read the tool’s privacy terms too. Lazur says audio and screenshots are not stored, and content is never used to train AI models.

## Sources

1. [The active and passive voice are equally comprehensible in scientific writing (Rhodes, 1997)](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/items/214d8593-77d9-40e8-b735-d92d83fca1c4), University of Washington Libraries, checked 2026-11-07
2. [Passive Voice: Writing Techniques (ProWritingAid)](https://prowritingaid.com/Passive-Index), ProWritingAid, checked 2026-11-07
3. [Passive Voice Checker](https://www.grammarly.com/passive-voice-checker), Grammarly, checked 2026-11-07
4. [Check grammar, spelling, and more in Word](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/training/check-grammar-spelling-and-more-in-word), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-07
5. [Editor's spelling, grammar, and refinement availability by language](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/editor-s-spelling-grammar-and-refinement-availability-by-language), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-07
6. [Check spelling in Pages on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/check-spelling-tanf3d8c3e49/mac), Apple Support, checked 2026-11-07
7. [AI-Mediated Feedback Improves Student Revisions: A Randomized Trial with FeedbackWriter in a Large Undergraduate Course](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.16820v2), arXiv (CHI '26 paper), checked 2026-11-07
8. [Writers and Authors, Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, checked 2026-11-07