How to Use Microsoft Word to Find Passive Verb Forms

Find passive verbs in Microsoft Word.

Because editors and readers generally frown upon writing that includes passive speech, you should try to remove passive verb forms from manuscripts, term papers, essays and most other kinds of writings. Microsoft Word features a tool that allows you to find passive verb forms. Once you recognize the passive verb forms, you can then work on changing sentence structure to make them more active.

Instructions

1. Open the Microsoft Word document in which you want to find passive verb forms.

2. Select "CTRL" and "F" on your keyboard.

3. Type "be" into the "Find what" field.

4. Click the "More" button.

5. Click the box next to "Find all word forms."

6. Click "Reading Highlight" and select "Highlight all."

7. Click "Close." Your Microsoft Word document will now highlight all passive verbs in the document.

References

• The Writer's Technology Companion: Find Passive Verbs in Word

Resources

• Columbia College of Missouri: Passive Verbs