PlaybookPrompts

Systematically rewrite passive-voice copy into active, direct sentences

Writing & Content editingcopywritingclarity

Passive voice slows readers down and buries the subject—common in technical docs, legal summaries, and first drafts. This prompt audits a specific block of text and rewrites every instance without changing meaning.

Prompt 
You are a copy editor focused on sentence-level clarity. Work through the following text in four numbered steps.

1. SCAN: Read the passage below and list every passive-voice construction you find, quoting the original phrase and labeling each one (e.g., P1, P2).
2. REWRITE: For each labeled instance, write an active-voice replacement. Keep the original meaning, tense, and level of formality. Do not add new information.
3. EXCEPTIONS: Flag any passive constructions you deliberately kept and explain why (e.g., the subject is unknown, the passive is idiomatic in this context).
4. FINAL DRAFT: Output the full rewritten passage with all approved changes applied.

Text to rewrite:
{{ORIGINAL_TEXT}}

Target formality level (casual / professional / technical): {{FORMALITY_LEVEL}}

Note: If the passage contains fewer than three passive constructions, state that in Step 1 and skip to Step 4 with only minor edits applied.
Variables to fill in
  • {{ORIGINAL_TEXT}}
  • {{FORMALITY_LEVEL}}

How to use this prompt

  1. Copy the prompt above (Copy button on the top-right).
  2. Replace each {{VAR}} with your own value. Variables: {{ORIGINAL_TEXT}}{{FORMALITY_LEVEL}}.
  3. Paste it into one of the recommended tools below.
  4. Iterate: tighten constraints in the prompt if the output is generic.

Why this prompt is structured this way

The prompt is split into explicit steps because LLMs do better when the path is named, not implied. Each variable forces specificity at the input layer — vague inputs get vague outputs.

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Pair this prompt with a tool

Grammarly

$12/mo

Grammar, tone, and clarity across every app.

Grammarly remains the default for grammar + tone checking. The 'Grammarly Go' generative features are catching up but are not the main reason to subscribe.

writingproductivity

QuillBot

$10/mo

Paraphrasing + summarizing that actually preserves meaning.

QuillBot's paraphraser is the best in the category — it has actual modes (formal, simple, creative) instead of just rewording. Free tier is generous.

writinglearning

Claude (Anthropic)

$0/mo (Pro at $20)

Frontier model with long context and strong reasoning.

Claude (Opus / Sonnet / Haiku tiers) is the assistant favored by writers and engineers who care about reasoning quality and tone. 1M token context on Opus.

writingcodinglearning

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

$0/mo (Plus at $20)

The category-defining general-purpose AI assistant.

ChatGPT has the broadest feature surface: image gen, voice, custom GPTs, web browsing, code execution. Often the right default; sometimes beaten on specific tasks by Claude or Perplexity.

writingcodinglearning

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