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Re: Hocus Pocus (was "appears" vs. "is displayed")

Subject: Re: Hocus Pocus (was "appears" vs. "is displayed")
From: Sandra Charker <scharker -at- connectives -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 20:32:12 +1100

Oh Good Grief!!!!

An earlier poster was correct in stating that "The New Customer window
appears" is a passive construction, since one hallmark of the passive voice
is difficulty in identifying the subject. Who or what made the New Customer
window appear? In the above sentence, on the face of it, the New Customer
window appeared, wraithlike, by itself!

I don't know where this superstitious fear of the passive voice comes from, but I do wish those who panic at a legitimate and widely-used language construction at least learn to identify it properly. In sentences written in active voice, the subject of the sentence and the actor in the sentence are the same. In sentences written in passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon by something else that might or might not be identified. You use passive voice when the actor is unimportant or unknown, or for some other rhetorical reason. Overuse is a problem; appropriate use is one of the signs of good writing.

Actually, I have a superstitious belief that Strunk & White are responsible (no that's NOT a passive construction) for this inane taboo. I would therefore like to suggest that TechWhirlers take a look at "Adios Strunk & White", by Gary & Glynis Hoffman (ISBN 0937363 154). The subtitle is "A Handbook for the New Academic Essay", which might serve to remind us that Strunk wrote his cranky handbook as a guideline for undergraduate students nearly 100 years ago. We're professional writers; we shouldn't need the language training wheels.

Sandra Charker

http://www.connectives.com/
mailto:scharker -at- connectives -dot- com


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