active vs. passive voice

[Mike Starr]

Even though I'm in the minority (possibly even alone) in rejecting the 
MMOS received wisdom, I avoid passive voice by using a phrase like:

"<product name> displays an Add User dialog box similar to the one shown 
here."

 From my perspective, it reads much better and is much easier for the 
user to understand when I use this type of phrase. It also give me the 
added benefit of eliminating captions and figure numbers.

However, I also believe it's important that all members of a team use 
the same approach. Get together with your team, thrash it out and come 
to an agreement on which approach to use. If there's a team lead, that 
person should listen to all sides of the discussion with an open mind 
and make a decision. Incorporate that decision into your corporate 
documentation style guide and move on.

Mike
--
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Michelle Vina-Baltsas wrote:
> I've read many threads on this listserv related to the use of "appears" 
> vs. "displays" or "is displayed". During a meeting yesterday, with my 
> fellow tech writers, we had a heated discussion about whether we should 
> use "is displayed" or "displays" when writing a result (For example, 
> "Select the XYZ button. The EXY dialog box is displayed.") One writer 
> insisted that the use of  "is displayed" should not be used because it is 
> in the passive voice. To be honest, my head was spinning so quickly that I 
> decided to refrain from offering my opinion. I did tell them I'd 
> investigate though. 
>
> Is the use of "is displayed" passive voice?
>
> Thank you,
> Michelle