1. Mini-Lesson

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

3.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoqVCz 6LIac http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoqVCz 6LIac

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

5.  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.)

6.  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.

7.  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.

8.  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.

9.  http://www.youtube.com/user/EducatorVids 3?v=F2fp39Y--LI

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