RE: Procedural syntax: "Click to expand" vs. "Expand by clicking"

["Dubin, David" <David -dot- Dubin -at- sage -dot- com>]

"A verb is in the active voice when it expresses an action performed by its
subject. A verb is in the passive voice when it expresses an action
performed upon its subject or when the subject is the result of the action"
-Warriner's English Grammar and Composition.
Let me ask this question for clarification. What do we want the outcome of
the action to be, and what is the action? The action is to click, the
outcome is the expansion of the folder. We do not want the action to be the
expansion and the outcome the clicking do we? 
Perhaps it would have been better if it were written like this, "To expand
the folder, click on the plus sign."

David B. Dubin, PHR 
Senior Curriculum Developer 
Sage Software 
727-579-1111 x 3356
david -dot- dubin -at- sage -dot- com
Your business in mind.

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith_Wolfe -at- mercmarine -dot- com [mailto:Keith_Wolfe -at- mercmarine -dot- com] 
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 8:50 AM
To: Dubin, David
Cc: TECHWR-L;
techwr-l-bounces+keith_wolfe=mercmarine -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; 'Yves
Barbion'
Subject: RE: Procedural syntax: "Click to expand" vs. "Expand by clicking"

How is option B passive voice?
Passive verb forms consist of some form of the verb to be plus the past
participle of the main verb.

A and B are both active voice.

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