Passive voice in writing is best described as

• A. The object and subject are reversed, often making sentences longer and less clear.
• B. The sentence never uses a subject.
• C. The verb always appears in past tense.
• D. The subject performs the action.

Answer: (A)

Passive voice centers on the action being done to the subject. In this form, the thing receiving the action often comes first, and the performer of the action may be mentioned after by or may be omitted. This structure adds a form of "to be + past participle" and can make the sentence longer, which can reduce directness and clarity.

That description matches the statement that the object and subject are reversed, often making sentences longer and less clear. The other ideas don’t fit: passive sentences still have a subject (the recipient of the action), the verb tense isn’t restricted to past tense, and saying the subject performs the action describes active voice, not passive.