Passivization in Academic Writing: Active and Passive Voice

Abstract

This study x-rays the use of active voice and passive voice in academic writing. The aim of the study is to identify the differences between the active and passive voice, to show how students used them in their writing and to show the possible ways they should be used. The problem is that a lot of students don’t know how to use them in interdisciplinary writing. The study verifies these through an analytical work of students’ production of long essay (project research writing). That is, the textual data, project research reports, were collected from Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State and used for the study. The data for the analysis were drawn more from the: abstracts, introductions, methodologies, discussions ad findings and less from literature reviews and others. The target population comprises graduate project research reports written in the English Language in the South Eastern Nigeria.  For the purpose of the study, a deliberate selection of four (4) project research reports was made. They were two (2) from Arts and Humanities and two (2) from Science and Technology English (STE). That is a sample of four students were selected, two from Arts and Humanities and two from sciences respectively. Major finding showed that Arts and Humanities use more of the active voice than the passive and Sciences use more of the passive voice than the active in their in their scholarly writings. Students in Arts and Humanities and STEM are advised to use active and passive properly in their writing.