![]() Scientific writers should also be careful not to let necessary use of the passive degenerate into wordiness or pomposity.Ħ. Revision: In the diagram above, lens L forms a magnified image. In the diagram above, a magnified image is formed by lens L. However, even scientific writers should use the active voice whenever they can do so without making a personal reference.ĥ. Revision: The diameter of the rod was measured with the Vernier caliper. My lab partner and I measured the diameter of the rod with the Vernier caliper. Since the active construction focuses attention on the exploiters and the passive construction emphasizes their suffering employees, the writer of a paper about the experience of exploited laborers might appropriately decide to use the passive version.Īnother circumstance under which the passive voice is sometimes appropriate is in scientific writing, where the identity of the experimenter is irrelevant to the description of an experimental procedure or to the results of the experiment.Ĥ. Revision: The managers of the sweatshops exploited and dehumanized their employees, who were mostly immigrant women. In the sweatshops, the employees, mostly immigrant women, were exploited and dehumanized. Consider these two versions of the same idea:ģ. However, there are times when a passive construction may be the better choice. Revisions: Falstaff introduces an element of comic relief to the play or, Through Falstaff, Shakespeare introduces an element of comic relief to the play.] Through Falstaff, an element of comic relief is introduced to the play. ![]() Revision: Most people see the modernization of any society as a positive change.Ģ. The process of modernization in any society is seen as a positive change. The use of the passive voice often leads to other awkward constructions:ġ. The writer should choose the sentence that most clearly expresses her ideas. In The Marriage of Figaro, Count Almaviva presents himself to his family and tenants as a likeable, honest, and open-minded person. ![]() The Marriage of Figaro presents Count Almaviva as a likeable, honest, and open-minded person. The two sentences below, using the active voice, state two possible meanings: Because the object of the verb ( Count Almaviva) is the grammatical subject of the sentence, we cannot determine who really does the presenting. but the addition makes the sentence clumsier and wordier.Ĭonsider the following sentence, in which the passive voice creates an uncertain meaning:Ĭount Almaviva, in The Marriage of Figaro, is presented as a likeable, honest, and open-minded person. The definition of the latter even sounds more complicated than that of the former.Īctive voice follows a standard English subject-verb-object word order for example:Ī version of the sentence in the passive voice:Ī prepositional phrase can add information to a passive construction. ![]() An active construction has a subject, a transitive verb, and a direct object, whereas in a passive construction the object of the action of the verb is the grammatical subject of the sentence. The active voice, on the other hand, makes a sentence clear and lively. ![]() Passive constructions are also frequently wordy, pompous, vague, and misleading. Because much published material is written in the passive voice (as I just exemplified in that clause), we frequently misidentify the passive voice as “academic.” In the passive clause in my previous sentence, to whom am I referring as the writer of such erroneous material? The reader cannot tell therefore, the passive voice becomes more an opportunity to deflect blame than to do anything else. ![]()
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