{"id":153,"date":"2017-07-20T16:29:57","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T16:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/chapter\/using-the-passive-voice\/"},"modified":"2017-07-20T16:29:57","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T16:29:57","slug":"using-the-passive-voice","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/chapter\/using-the-passive-voice\/","title":{"raw":"Using the Passive Voice","rendered":"Using the Passive Voice"},"content":{"raw":"
There are several different situations where the passive voice is more useful than the active voice.\n<\/p>
When you don't know who did the action:\u00a0The paper had been moved.<\/em>\n
The active voice would be something like this: \"Someone had moved the paper.\" While this sentence\u00a0is technically fine, the passive voice sentence has a more subtle element of mystery, which can be especially helpful in creating a mood in fiction.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
When you want to hide who did the action:\u00a0The window had been\u00a0broken.<\/em>\n
The sentence is either hiding who broke the window or they do not know. Again, the sentence can be reformed to say \"Someone had broken the window,\" but using the word someone<\/em>\u00a0clearly indicates that someone (though we may not know who) is at fault here. Using the passive puts the focus on the window rather than on the person who broke it, as he or she is completely left out of the sentence.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
When you want to emphasize the person or thing the action was done to: Caroline\u00a0was hurt\u00a0when Kent broke up with her.<\/em>\n
We automatically focus on the subject of the sentence. If the sentence\u00a0were to say \"Kent\u00a0hurt Caroline when he broke up with her,\" then our focus would be drawn to Kent rather than Caroline.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
A\u00a0subject that can't actually do <\/em>anything:\u00a0Caroline was hurt when she fell into the trees.<\/em>\n
While the trees hurt Caroline, they didn't actually do anything. Thus, it makes more sense to have Caroline as the subject rather than saying \"The trees hurt Caroline when she fell into them.\"<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Note:<\/strong> It's often against convention in scholarly writing to\u00a0use I<\/em>.\u00a0<\/em>While this may seem\u00a0like a forced rule, it also stems from the fact that scholars\u00a0want to emphasize the science or research as opposed to the author of the paper. This often results in the passive voice being the best choice. This is not the case in other formal settings, such as in resumes and in cover letters.<\/div>\n
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Practice<\/h3>\nConsider the following instances. In each case, determine why\u00a0the writers\u00a0might\u00a0want to use active or passive voice. Write\u00a0an example sentence based on their circumstances.\n
Antonella made an error in her calculations that ruined an experiment. This error ended up costing both time and materials. She has to write a report to her boss. What might she say about the experiment?<\/li>\n \t
Isabel is writing a\u00a0supernatural thriller. Her main character, Liam, notices that\u00a0his keys aren't where he left them. How might Isabel word this realization?<\/li>\n \t
Thiago is\u00a0writing\u00a0a\u00a0cover letter\u00a0to apply for a new job. He is listing out tasks that he does at his current job. How would he want to word these items?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\n[reveal-answer q=\"176375\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"176375\"]\n
Antonella would likely want to write in the passive voice. Even if her boss knows she made the error, writing in the passive will draw attention away from that fact. She might say something like this:\n
An error was made that ended up costing time and resources. The experiment will have to be repeated with new materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
Isabel could use either the passive or the active. It depends on the emphasis she wants.\u00a0The passive voice subtly hints at a mysterious actor. The active voice blatantly states it:\n
Liam's keys had been moved when he wasn't looking.<\/li>\n \t
Something\u2014or someone\u2014had moved Liam's keys when he wasn't looking.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
Thiago would want to use the active voice. Since he's apply for a job, he would want to emphasize the fact that he is accomplishing the tasks: the fact that he's doing them is more important than the simple fact that the things were done. He might write something like the following:\n
I\u00a0currently work as a teaching assistant for a linguistics professor. I organize her mail, flagging important items so she knows what needs immediate attention; I aid her in her research, finding interesting articles and studies; and I often help her students when her attention is needed elsewhere.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[\/hidden-answer]\n\n<\/div>\n
Using the Passive<\/h2>\nNow that we know there are some instances where passive voice is the best choice, how do we\u00a0use the passive voice to it fullest? The answer lies in writing direct sentences\u2014in passive voice\u2014that have simple subjects and verbs. Compare the two sentences below:\n
Photomicrographs were taken to facilitate easy comparison of the samples.<\/li>\n \t
Easy comparison of the samples was facilitated by the taking of photomicrographs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nBoth sentences are written in the passive voice, but for most ears the first sentence is more direct and understandable, and therefore preferable. Depending on the context, it does a clearer job of telling us what was done and why it was done. Especially if this sentence appears in the \u201cExperimental\u201d section of a report (and thus readers already know that the authors of the report took the photomicrographs), the first sentence neatly represents what the authors actually did\u2014took photomicrographs\u2014and why they did it\u2014to facilitate easy comparison.\n
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Practice<\/h3>\nRead the following sentences. Are they using the passive effectively?\u00a0If there are any errors, rewrite the sentences accordingly.\n
The machine needs to be\u00a0reset at 10:23, 11:12, and 11:56 every night.<\/li>\n \t
The final steps, which need to be finished\u00a0before the sun sets over the mountains, are\u00a0going\u00a0to be completed\u00a0by Kajuana.<\/li>\n \t
The difficult task of measuring minute fluctuations in weight was made easier by the use of a new digital scale.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\n[reveal-answer q=\"72415\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"72415\"]\n
Yes. In this case, it doesn't matter who\u00a0accomplishes the action; it simply needs to be done. If this sentence appears in an academic article, the passive\u00a0may be even more appropriate, as that style often demands the actor be left out of the sentence.<\/li>\n \t
No. This would be better in the active voice. There are a lot of different parts to the sentence, and by converting the sentence to the active voice, they come in a more logical order that is easier to understand:\n
Kajuana is\u00a0going to complete\u00a0the final steps, which need to be finished\u00a0before the sun sets over the mountains.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
No. This passive construction is very convoluted.\u00a0An active sentence would serve well here:\n