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How to Add Passive Voice to Microsoft Word’s Grammar Check and Readability Statistics

By Erin Wright

Last week’s post discussed the difference between active voice and passive voice. The steps below explain how to add passive voice to Microsoft Word’s grammar check and readability statistics.

This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 150 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word 2013; however, these steps will work for Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2010.

For images from Word 2016, visit “How to Use the Passive Voice Tool in Word 2016.”

1. Select the File tab.

Word 2013 File tab

2. Select Options on the left-hand side of the Backstage view.

Word-2013-Options2

3. Select Proofing in the Word Options window.

Word 2013 Word Options Screen

4. Select Show readability statistics in the When correcting spelling and grammar in Word section.

5. Select Settings.

Word 2013 Writing Styles Settings

6. Select Passive sentences in the Grammar Settings window.

7. Click OK.

Word 2013 Grammar Settings

8. Select Recheck Document in the Word Options window if the document is already in progress. (This step isn’t necessary for blank documents.)

9. Select OK.

Word 2013 Recheck Document option

When you’re ready to run a grammar check:

10. Select the Review tab.

11. Select Spelling & Grammar.

Word 2013 Spelling & Grammar check in Review tab

 12. Change or ignore the results of your grammar check.

Passive voice result in Word 2013 grammar check

13. Review your passive sentence percentage in the Readability Statistics window. (This window won’t appear until you complete the grammar check.)

Passive sentences in the Readability Statistics window

14. Select OK.

And now you know if your writing leans toward passivity or activity!

Filed Under: Microsoft Word Tagged With: readability, Word 2010, Word 2013, Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 365

Home » How to Add Passive Voice to Microsoft Word’s Grammar Check and Readability Statistics

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Technical Writer and Editor Erin WrightHello! My name is Erin. I am a technical writer and editor who shares step-by-step software tutorials and writing tips for the real world on this website and YouTube.

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