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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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