Even though you could cut it out altogether, in my experience it’s not worth the effort. Nor does this blog post: the only passive verbs are those I’ve given as examples.īut when you need to leave out who or what is doing the action, the passive voice is useful. And, with a bit of thought, you can still achieve the tone you want.įor example, look at the appellate brief written by Assistant Attorney General, Christopher G Wren, published in Clarity (2002) 48 on pages 13 to 17. Anything you can say in the passive voice, you could say in the active. Passive (and tentative): It is thought that this argument would probably not be accepted.Active: I think the judge will probably reject this argument.The risk, if you have too many passive verbs, is that the tone may become non-committal, tentative, defensive or evasive. Give a reason: If you reply by 5 August, I can include your answers in my report the next day.Say “please”: Please send your reply by close of business on 5 August.Change the verb: Your reply should arrive by close of business on 5 August.There are other ways to soften a curt or abrupt message, apart from the passive voice. Passive: Your reply should be sent by close of business on 5 August.Active: Send your reply by close of business on 5 August.More active verbs make it more direct, modern, efficient or even curt. More passive verbs make writing more wordy, elaborate, formal, polite and old-fashioned. The choice between passive and active verbs also affects the tone of your writing. That’s why, for those writers, the active voice is in my top 3 suggested writing habits. But for writers who habitually use the passive voice, as many lawyers do, the cumulative effect can be strong. The difference in length is small in these short, clear examples.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |