Mini-Lesson

 What is passive voice?  How to identify passive voice?  Why is passive voice bad?  How to improve writing with active/passive.

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 Passive voice takes power away from the subject.  Often used to shift responsibility.  Politicians  Guilty Parties  Passive voice weakens academic writing.

 Passive voice takes power away from the subject. (The subject’s power is taken away…)  Often used to shift responsibility. (Responsibility is shifted)  Politicians  Guilty Parties  Passive voice weakens academic writing. (Academic writing is weakened.)

 The verb “be” often preceeds a passive verb  Mistakes were made.  The potatoes should be eaten.  Many passive sentences have an optional “by phrase”  Mistakes were made…by me.  The potatoes should be eaten…by you.

 Passive voice creates weak verbs.  Sentences are not very direct.  Passive voice lowers a speakers credibility.  Active voice is straight to the point  There are no questions of who,what,where…etc.

 Examine a sentence  Is the verb “be” before a verb?  This should be eaten…  Is there an optional “by phrase”  This should be eaten…BY you.  Who/what is doing the action?  This should be eaten…BY you.  Make the actor before the verb.  Remove the “by phrase.”  You should be eating this.

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 What is passive voice?  How to identify passive voice?  Why is passive voice bad?  How to improve writing.