Although the passive voice is grammatically permissible and occasionally preferred, in business writing, the active voice is frequently preferred. Because they see other authors doing it, many business writers fall into the habit of using the passive voice. But if you want your readers to understand what you're saying, you should avoid using this device.
Always evaluate whether to use the passive or active voice while writing. It depends on what you want to portray as the writer: if you want to attract attention to the doer, use the passive voice; if you want to focus on the action, use the active voice. For example, "The book was read by many people" uses the passive voice because you are focusing on the action of reading rather than who performed it.
Another factor to consider is how you want the reader to feel about what is happening. If you want to show compassion, use the passive voice; if you want to seem strong, use the active voice. For example, "I know this will hurt me more than it hurts him" uses the passive voice because you are showing that you are compassionate toward someone else.
Finally, if you want your readers to understand something fully, use the active voice. For example, "Showing photos of all the times he saved me would be a great way to show how much I appreciate him." This sentence uses the active voice because it allows the reader to imagine what might happen in the future if he saved people instead of just me.
These are just some examples of how using the passive or active voice can change the meaning of your sentences. It's very important to understand these concepts when writing essays for school or jobs where grammar rules apply.
But in general, it's good writing style to avoid using the passive voice.
What is the passive voice? It is when a noun or a pronoun becomes the object of the verb instead of its subject. For example, "The book was read by many people" vs. "People read the book." In English, there are three ways to express something in terms of others. The first one is with be, which means that something belongs to someone or something. The second one is with to, which means that something is done by someone or something. The third one is with ve/vos, which means that something is caused by someone or something else. Using be after the verbed sentence makes it negative, which means that the action described does not belong to or cause the subject.
Use of the passive voice can be useful in writing when you want to show that someone or something else is responsible for an action. Avoid using it if you want your readers to understand who is doing the acting.
So, let's be clear: the passive voice is not incorrect. However, it is frequently more clunkier than an active sentence construction. The passive voice separates the subject from the action of the phrase, resulting in less clarity and urgency. Which one sounds better to you?
There are times when using the passive voice is necessary. For example, if I were describing a series of events that had no actor, such as "It rained on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday," there is no way to identify who or what caused these events. We could guess, but that would be all we could do. In this case, the passive voice is appropriate.
However, if we can avoid using the passive voice, we should because it can make our sentences longer and less clear.
To stop using passive voice and begin using active voice, first determine the verb in the phrase. This will make it much easier to identify and avoid passive voice in your own work. The verb in the phrase is the action word, and it can be active or passive. For example, "The book was read by everyone" is a passive sentence because the book is done being read and someone (usually someone else) is doing the reading. In contrast, "People read the book" is an active sentence because it shows who is doing the reading - people are reading the book.
Once you have found the verb, decide whether it is in the present or past tense. If it is in the present tense, such as "John reads books," then it is best to use the active voice. This will show who is currently reading the book instead of describing what someone else is doing. If the verb is in the past tense, such as "John read books," then it is better to use the passive voice. This will not only describe what someone else is doing but also show who is responsible for this action - in this case, John.
After making this decision, simply replace the word "who" with the appropriate form of the verb and you have created active or passive sentences.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Authors Cast Inc.
