Re: Re: Active voice / passive voice studies

Subject: Re: Re: Active voice / passive voice studies
From: "Saravanan" <sara_techwrit -at- rediffmail -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: 26 Jul 2003 10:10:59 -0000


Hi Jan,

"For example, in describing an order processing system, you could write smething like "After the data has been entered, the application verifies it against the a set of plausibility rules."

Here, it doesn't matter whether you have entered tha data, the CEO has done so, or the secretary - the application verifies it in the same way. "

---> Well, this can be rephrased as "The application verifies it against the set of plausibilty rules, after you enter the data."

"Thus, there is no benefit in mentioning the actor (who has entered the data), and doing so can in fact lead to confusion because the reader might assume that the verification of the data is tied to the entering person (when it is not)."

--> Well thats the reason why almost everybody use "You" in active voice instead of saying the "user", "administrator", "Mr.X" or "Miss. Y" ;).

In cases like this, the passive voice may be preferable to the active voice. (Although I do not have studies to prove it.)

-->Hope, now you dont need to get the proof.

Correct me if i am wrong plz !!

Thanks and Regards,
Saravanan.

M.Saravanan,
Technical Writer,
Future Software Limited, Chennai.
Ph:+91.44.24330550 Mobile: 098411 58426
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