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The argument is, in the main, for mainstream U.S. technical
communication, use the active voice because it's more concise than the
passive voice.
This is not a prohibition against using the passive voice, just a
general recommendation that you use the active voice more often than the
passive voice.
Cheers,
Sean
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+sean -dot- brierley=ipc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sean -dot- brierley=ipc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Fred Ridder
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:50 AM
To: suzette -dot- leeming -at- gmail -dot- com
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Escaping gender usage (was RE: Pet Peeves)
Ah, but if you do that, a different faction of the language police will
condemn you for using the passive voice because some teacher or editor
in thier past insisted that the passive voice should never be used under
any circumstances.
And it seems to me that the passive voice is even more impersonal than
"the user" because it completely eliminates the doer of the action.
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