The advantages of using active voice can be that readers engage in the text more easily because the text is less wordy . Also, all the elements are mentioned, so the sentence will be less confusing. For example, the sentence: " A group of kids smashed the window pane" may be more enganging than : " A window pane was smashed by a group of kids"; and less confusiong than: " A window pane was smashed". Why is the active voice less wordy? Because you do not need to use the italised words: " A window pane <em>was</em> smashed <em>by</em> a group of kids." Why is the active voice less confusing? , Because you will never omit the agent. Compare: "<em>A group of kids</em> smashed the window pane." This has an agent -see italised phrase. " A window pane was smashed". This has not got an agent.
