How to Identify Passive Voice Using the “By Zombies” Test

An editor’s favorite trick for finding passive voice in your writing and changing it to active voice.

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I keep noticing it everywhere: passive voice sneaking into the way news reports, organizations, and even individuals describe events.

Errors were discovered.

The rent is increasing.

Policies were violated.

A woman was assaulted.

The cup broke.

So what’s wrong with it?

The sentences are concise. Neat, even. The grammar is correct. But… who did those things? The actors—the people who are responsible for those events—are absent. Accountability is nowhere to be found.

Passive voice isn’t wrong, but it flattens action. It drains urgency. Someone is responsible, somewhere, but the language isn’t letting them show up. That’s the problem in writing, and it’s the problem in communication. It’s why the sentences feel distant, even when they describe real harm or important events. In fiction, passive voice softens the impact of action and character. In headlines or official statements, it erases accountability.

What if, instead, those sentences told us about the doer?

Scientists discovered errors.

The landlord is increasing the rent.

Law enforcement violated policies.

The security guard assaulted a woman.

I broke the cup.

Changes things, doesn’t it? This is what we call active voice. It puts the living back into the sentence. It names the actor.

So how do we identify passive voice and implement active voice?

My favorite way is the by zombies test. If you can tack “by zombies” onto the end of a sentence and it still makes sense, it’s probably passive voice. 

Mistakes were made… by zombies. 

The rule was broken… by zombies. 

If it makes sense, that’s your cue to ask who was actually responsible for whatever happened in the sentence, then let them step back in and take credit. 

I made a mistake. 

The children broke the rule.

Whether you’re writing a novel, a headline, or just making an apology, active voice keeps clarity and responsibility at the center.