When writing, there are two voices you can use: passive and active. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action while in active voice, the subject does the action. While both passive and active voices are grammatically correct, active voice is generally preferred because it is more effective by being simpler, more direct and less wordy.

There are times, however, when the passive voice is actually preferable. This happens when the writer either wants to emphasize the receiver of the action or wants to minimize the importance of the doer. For example, passive voice is preferable in the sentence, "Often, native Hawaiians are forced to leave their beaches to make room for hotels." Here the passive form "are forced" is preferable because the Hawaiians are the focus of the sentence even though they receive the action rather than doing it.

Passive: "My first visit to London will always be remembered by me."

Active: "I will always remember my first visit to London."

Passive: "There were a great number of dead leaves laying on the ground."

Active: "A great number of leaves covered the ground."

Passive: "The reason he left his job is because his health was impaired."

Active: "Failing health compelled him to leave his job."