The zombie test for passive voice

You write an English sentence, and it feels stiff. Heavy. You can’t quite say why. Often it’s the passive, and German nudges you straight into it.

“A decision was made.” “The report was finished.” “Mistakes were made.” All correct, but slow and oddly faceless. Nobody’s actually doing anything.

Here’s a test I came across, and it’s weirdly useful. Add “by zombies” after the verb. If it fits, the sentence is passive.

“The report was finished by zombies.” Fits. So make it active, and a real person steps back in: “We finished the report.“

Active isn’t a rule, and the passive has its place. But most of the time active is clearer and quicker because it says who did what.

Quick win: Read your next English email and drop “by zombies” into a heavy sentence. If it fits, try rewriting it with a real person at the front.

💬 Which are you, team passive or team active?