Passive Voice: Hemingway Rule-Based Detection
Published: September 23, 2025 | Last Updated: September 23, 2025
Passive voice weakens writing, but you don’t need AI to fix it. Our Hemingway-inspired checker uses rule-based detection for privacy-conscious writers. See also our Flesch-Kincaid vs ARI and accessibility guide.
What is Passive Voice?
Passive voice occurs when the subject receives the action (e.g., "The ball was thrown by John"). Active voice is direct: "John threw the ball."
Simple Rules to Detect It
- Look for forms of "to be" (is, was, were) followed by a past participle.
- Check if the actor is omitted or introduced with "by."
- Use sentence parsing to identify structure.
Before/After Example
Before: "Mistakes were made by the committee." (Passive)
After: "The committee made mistakes." (Active)
Implement these rules yourself or use our open-source code on GitHub.
FAQ
Why avoid passive voice?
Passive voice can make writing less direct and harder to read. Active voice improves clarity and engagement.
Is this tool free?
Yes, our Hemingway-style checker is completely free and open-source.
Why avoid AI-based readability tools?
AI tools often rely on opaque models and server-side processing, risking data privacy. Our rule-based tool is transparent and local.
This post will be updated quarterly with new detection rules and examples.