Gender-inclusive writing: Use the passive voice

Section: Inclusive writing

Go to the main page of this section: Inclusive writing – Guidelines and resources.

On this page

Introduction

You’ve likely been told that you should avoid passive constructions in your writing. However, the passive voice can sometimes be a practical tool for any writer. And if it’s used sparingly, the passive can also be a useful technique for gender-inclusive writing.

Turning an active sentence into a passive one is fairly simple. As a general rule, you flip your sentence around so that the object in the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence. This way, you can often eliminate a gender-specific pronoun and make your sentence inclusive.

Example of a gendered sentence and an inclusive solution
Gendered sentence Inclusive solution
If a worker needs to leave early, he should warn his supervisor beforehand. The supervisor should be warned beforehand if a worker needs to leave early.

Similarly, you can make a clause within your sentence passive in order to eliminate a gender-specific pronoun.

Example of a gendered sentence and an inclusive solution
Gendered sentence Inclusive solution
The scientist who is drafting a report must use fact-based evidence of the hypothesis (that) she is investigating. The scientist who is drafting a report must use fact-based evidence of the hypothesis (that is) being investigated.

Guidelines for using the passive voice

The passive voice can come in handy when you want to avoid over-using other gender-inclusive writing techniques. It also lends itself especially well to simple sentences.

Examples of gendered sentences and inclusive solutions
Gendered sentence Inclusive solution
Every new employee must complete her compulsory training. Compulsory training must be completed by every new employee.
Each participant should submit his feedback at the end of the day. Feedback should be submitted by each participant at the end of the day.
One partner in a couple may claim all of the couple’s donations on his or her income tax return. All of a couple’s donations may be claimed on one partner’s income tax return.

In sentences containing a dependent clause, sometimes you can even eliminate both the subject of the clause and a gender-specific pronoun without changing the meaning of the sentence:

Examples of gendered sentences and inclusive solutions
Gendered sentence Inclusive solution
The game begins when the player places his token on the board. The game begins when the token is placed on the board.
A session is opened after the user enters her login credentials. A session is opened after login credentials are entered.

A word of caution about using the passive voice

Remember that the passive shifts the reader’s focus. When you convert an active sentence into a passive one, the emphasis that was initially on the subject is now transferred to the object. Since you’re omitting the original subject, your message may not be as clear. You should therefore ask yourself if your new passive sentence still conveys your message accurately.

Also remember that passive sentences can sometimes make your writing less impactful and elegant. You should therefore think carefully about using the passive and consider whether other techniques might be more suitable.

Example of a gendered sentence, a passive but awkward solution and a preferable inclusive solution
Gendered sentence Passive but awkward solution Preferable inclusive solution
The doctoral candidate must defend her dissertation virtually by the end of the semester. The dissertation must be defended virtually by the doctoral candidate by the end of the semester. Doctoral candidates must defend their dissertation virtually by the end of the semester.

Additional information

Copyright notice for Writing Tips Plus

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada

Search by related themes

Want to learn more about a theme discussed on this page? Click on a link below to see all the pages on the Language Portal of Canada that relate to the theme you selected. The search results will be displayed in Language Navigator.

 

Date modified: