RE: Passive voice [was RE: "Is energized"]

Subject: RE: Passive voice [was RE: "Is energized"]
From: "Janoff, Steve" <Steve -dot- Janoff2 -at- Teradata -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 18:58:22 -0500

Thanks. I cited it partly for that reason but what's more interesting
to me about that example is its poetry. It conjures up images almost as
vividly as the picture of the guy standing in front of the column of
tanks during Tiananmen Square.

Many memories are evoked by a phrase like that, most associated with
Watergate. Even though passive isn't always the best choice for
technical writing, we'd be lessened without it, as if we had to give up
metaphors in some way. (I guess the proper way to say it is that
passive voice can sometimes be used as an effective rhetorical device.)

Steve

________________________________

From: bbegin -at- aol -dot- com [mailto:bbegin -at- aol -dot- com]
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 11:59 AM
To: Janoff, Steve; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Cc: milan -dot- lists -at- gmail -dot- com
Subject: Re: Passive voice [was RE: "Is energized"]


The feature of the active voice is that it attributes responsibility.
And passive disassociates from responsibility - perfect example!

Thanks!

Beth

In a message dated 12/3/2009 1:44:42 P.M. Central Standard Time,
Steve -dot- Janoff2 -at- Teradata -dot- com writes:

And speaking of the power of the passive voice, where would we
be
without phrases like this one, seen today in a story about the
DC "gate
crashers," and so reminiscent of the old Watergate days:

"Mistakes were made"


-----Original Message-----
From:
techwr-l-bounces+steve -dot- janoff2=teradata -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+steve -dot- janoff2=teradata -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On Behalf Of Milan Davidovic
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 7:50 AM
To: BBEGIN -at- aol -dot- com
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: "Is energized"

On Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 8:57 AM, <BBEGIN -at- aol -dot- com> wrote:
> I'm working on a project that must all be in the active voice.

Even at the cost of clarity?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_passive_voice#Uses_of_the_passive_v
oice

--
Milan Davidovic
http://altmilan.blogspot.com

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
http://www.doctohelp.com/

Help & Manual 5: The all-in-one help authoring tool. True single- sourcing --
generate 8 different formats and as many different versions as you need
from just one project. Fast and intuitive. http://www.helpandmanual.com/

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.

Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat


Follow-Ups:

References:
Re: Passive voice [was RE: "Is energized"]: From: bbegin

Previous by Author: Passive voice [was RE: "Is energized"]
Next by Author: RE: Passive voice [was RE: "Is energized"]
Previous by Thread: Re: Passive voice [was RE: "Is energized"]
Next by Thread: RE: Passive voice [was RE: "Is energized"]


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads