Kassie Howell Ling September 2014

 The Rule: Use Active Voice Whenever Possible

 History of Rule  Passive voice emerged in 4500 BC from the middle voice found in the Indo- European language, which English is derived.  “Is Being Done” The Galaxy by Richard Grant White (1869)  Had a strong bias against using passive voice.

 More History  “Grammarians, with all their faults, do not deform language with fantastic solecisms, or even seek to enrich it with new startling verb combinations.” – Grant  The Elements of Style by Struck and E.B. White (1918 & 1956)  They showed a favoritism to active voice use.  “The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive voice.”  Highly popular work and very influential.

 What is Active Voice?  Agent – the “doer” of the action.  Active voice always has the agent before the verb.  Example: “Jonas loves to play four square.”  Agent = Jonas.  Formula for active voice: T(M)(have + -en)(be + - ing)MV  Use active voice when you want to exemplify who is doing the action.

 What is Passive Voice?  In the passive voice the receiver of action is located before the main verb and the agent is either excluded or included at the end.  In every case, sentences in passive voice include a form of the verb to be (is, been, was) and a past participle.  Formula for passive voice: T(M)(have + -en)(be + -ing) be + -en MV  Example: “The ball was being thrown by Jonas” or “The ball was being thrown.”  Note that the emphases is placed on ball.

 Transitioning Between Voices Active to Passive  In order to make an active sentence passive it must have a transitive verb.  We went to the lake yesterday.  The lake was being visited yesterday  Katie is walking the dog.  The dog is being walked by Katie. Passive to Active  If the agent in a passive sentence is unmentioned then place someone in the noun phrase.  Water was pored into the pool.  Someone pored water into the pool.  The book is being read by Anne.  Anne is reading the book.

 Why Use Active Voice  Active voice clearly shows the agent in a sentence.  Sounds more confident compared to passive voice.  Is usually more direct and concise—requires less words to convey meaning.  Should be used predominately in academic writing, and news reporting, but not exclusively.

 Why Use Passive voice?  Passive voice should be used when placing emphasis on the direct object is desired (e.g. when transitioning to a new topic, or when the agent is unimportant to the context of your sentence.)  Examples: “John and mark bought a used car. The car needed to be detailed, but they could not afford it.”  “The dog was hit by a car.”  “The vase was broken.”  “Help may be required to understand Algebra.”

 Why Use Passive Voice?  Passive voice is popular amongst the scientific community, fiction authors, and for use in court cases when the perpetrator is unknown.  It allows for the agent to be concealed.  Example: “Nicole was being followed.”  Example: “Jones and Brown pored two cc of iodine into the solution.” Verses: “Two cc of iodine were pored into the solution.”

 Overuse of the Passive Voice  When used predominately, passive voice can make writing sound weak or uncertain.  Passive voice should only be used in select circumstances to avoid confusion.  Example: “Susan was being chased. As her pursuer drew close, fear was felt.”  This sentence would be clearer in active voice: “The man was chasing Susan. As her pursuer drew close, she felt afraid.”  Or by using both an active and passive sentence: “Susan was being chased. As her pursuer drew close, she felt afraid.”

 Misuse of the Passive Voice  Passive voice should not be used when the agent of the sentence is important to the meaning, or deserves greater emphasis.  Example: “The guitar is being played by Kelly.” Verses: “Kelly Plays the guitar.”

 Scholars Response  Many believe that passive voice is a unique and useful tool in writing.  Although writing is clearer when active voice is used predominately, passive voice is in no way inferior.  Allows for emphasis to be shifted in a sentence, which can be beneficial.  Provides variance in sentence structure.  Passive voice should be used in moderation to improve writing.

 Teachers’ Response  Interviewed teachers consistently preferred active voice.  They believed passive voice greatly weakened their students’ writing.  They believed the “use active voice” rule still applies when teaching students at both Jr. high and freshman college levels.  Student interviewed did not have a firm grasp of passive voice and why it was costing her points on her essays.  Passive is often taught to be interchangeable with active voice yet inferior, rather than circumstantial and useful.

 Teaching Active/Passive Voice  Teach students to use passive voice intentionally.  Show them how passive voice is not inferior to active voice.  Explain to students that their writing will sound more confident and precise if they predominately use active voice, but also demonstrate how intentional passive voice usage is beneficial.  Have students explain why they choose to use the passive voice in a sentence to help them understand that passive voice usage is important but should always be intentional.  Play games to help students understand. Making grammar enjoyable for students will help increase understanding.

 Conclusion  Active voice and passive voice both play important roles in English.  The rule of ‘use active voice whenever possible’ should be revised to be use passive voice intentionally.  Students should be taught how and when to use passive and active voice.