Re: Active versus passive (WAS Displays versus Appears-Which One? )

Subject: Re: Active versus passive (WAS Displays versus Appears-Which One? )
From: "Michael West" <mbwest -at- bigpond -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 03:15:31 +1100


----- Original Message -----
From: "Sharon Deitch" <sharon -at- sintecmedia -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2000 9:59 PM
Subject: RE: Active versus passive (WAS Displays versus Appears-Which One? )


> Mike writes:
> > I think a more useful rule is this:
> >
> > Passive voice is fine when the
> > identity of the actor doesn't matter.
> >
> > When it matters, use active voice.
>
> I've seen similar comments on this list about the passive voice not
> identifying the "actor." This is simply untrue.
>



Sharon,

Please read more carefully.

I do not say or mean that the passive voice
CANNOT identify the actor -- though
in actual practice the actor is usually
omitted from a construction.

(The reason the actor is omitted is precisely
for the reason you mention: using the active
voice says the same thing in fewer words.)

What I said was that the passive voice
is most useful when the identity of the actor
doesn't matter; i.e., is deliberately left out.

This is why the passive voice is useful
for describing a process but not useful for
describing a procedure.

PROCESS:

The laundry is sorted, washed, dried and folded.

(Actor doesn't matter)


PROCEDURE:

Do the following:
1. Sort the laundry
2. Wash the laundry
3. Dry the laundry
4. Fold the laundry

(Actor=YOU!)

Sure, you could write:

"The laundry must be sorted by you" -- but what writer
or reader wants to go through all that agony?

--
Michael West
Melbourne, Australia




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