Manuscript Analysis Free · in-browser · optional cloud history

Passive Voice Scanner

Flag likely passive constructions so you can tighten action and clarify the subject.

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Paste your text above, then click Analyze — or use Try sample for a quick demo.

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About this tool

Passive voice can flatten action scenes and hide your subject — a common AI draft habit in descriptive paragraphs. This passive voice scanner flags likely passive constructions, including was/were plus past participle and "by the" agent phrases, so you can decide whether to rewrite for stronger active voice. Paste a chapter from Story Studio or any export; scanning runs entirely in your browser with no server upload.

What you can do

  • Pattern matching for was/were + past participle passive constructions
  • Flags "by the" agent phrases that often signal unnecessary passives
  • Highlighted lines in context for quick active-voice rewrites
  • Works on action scenes, dialogue-heavy chapters, and full manuscripts
  • Heuristic guidance — flags candidates for review, not automatic errors
  • Fast enough to re-scan after each revision pass
  • Pairs with sentence rhythm and show-don't-tell checkers for scene polish

Give action scenes an actor again

Passive voice is a tool, not a sin — but AI stacks it until fight scenes feel narrated from the hallway. Flag candidates, keep mystery-hiding passives on purpose, activate the rest.

Manuscript cleanup · Show-don't-tell checker · AI novel workflow

How to use it

  1. Paste your manuscript text into the analyzer.
  2. Click Analyze to scan for passive voice patterns.
  3. Review highlighted lines in context before rewriting.
  4. Convert passives where the subject should act — keep intentional passives.
  5. Re-scan after revision to confirm action scenes read with more agency.

Tips for fiction authors

  • Passive voice is a valid choice in mystery and suspense when you deliberately hide the actor: "The vial was emptied" creates tension.
  • Convert "The door was opened by Marcus" to "Marcus opened the door" — the active version is tighter and assigns agency.
  • Check your opening paragraphs first. Passive openings ("It was decided that…") signal low-energy prose to agents and readers.
  • AI models often chain passives in descriptive paragraphs. Break the pattern by leading with a character doing something.
  • In fight scenes, every passive slows impact. Prioritize passives in chapters with the highest action density.

Related guides

Why AI Writes Every Character Wanting the Same Thing How to Use AI to Diagnose and Fix Sentence-Level Monotony Why AI Resolves Every Scene's Emotional Beat Too Neatly Use AI to Find Where Scenes Overstay Their Welcome

Common questions
Is passive voice always wrong?

No. Passive voice is a stylistic choice. This tool flags candidates for review, not errors to delete blindly.

How accurate is the scanner?

It uses pattern matching, not full NLP. Verify each flag — some false positives occur with compound verb phrases.

Why does AI writing use passive voice?

AI models often produce formal, distanced sentences. A passive scan helps tighten action and dialogue scenes before KDP.

Is my manuscript uploaded?

No. Passive voice scanning runs entirely in your browser on Entangled Text.

Should I fix passives before or after filter words?

Either order works. Many authors run Manuscript Cleanup first, then use this tool for a focused passive pass on flagged chapters.

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