The-active-versus-passive

ACTIVE/PASSIVE VOICE ACTIVE—THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE NAMES THE ACTOR. PASSIVE—THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE NAMES THE RECEIVER OF THE ACTION.

ACTIVE VS PASSIVE STRUCTURE ACTIVE = DOER --- VERB --- RECEIVER ALL QUALIFIERS WILL ZERO THEIR WEAPONS BEFORE QUALIFICATION. PASSIVE = RECEIVER ---VERB --- DOER ALL WEAPONS WILL BE ZEROED BEFORE QUALIFICATION.

DISADVANTAGES OF USING PASSIVE VOICE LEAVES CRITICAL INFORMATION UNSTATED EVADES RESPONSIBILITY INCREASES LENGTH

“CLUES” TO CORRECT PASSIVE VOICE PUT THE DOER BEFORE THE VERB. APPROPRIATE CLOTHING WILL BE WORN BY ALL PERSONNEL. ALL PERSONNEL WILL WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHING.

“CLUES” DROP PART OF THE VERB. THE SOLDIER WAS TRANSFERRED TO FT BRAGG. HE TRANSFERRED TO FT BRAGG.

“CLUES” CHANGE THE VERB. PERSONNEL ARE PROHIBITED FROM SMOKING DURING REFUELING OPERATIONS. PERSONNEL MUST NOT SMOKE DURING REFUELING.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE PASSIVE VOICE BE AM IS ARE WAS WERE BEING BEEN

PAST PARTICIPLE ENDING IN –ED OR –EN GIVEN TAKEN IMPLEMENTED CONDUTED ORDERED

ACTIVE VOICE IS MORE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE … IT IS A STRONGER FORM OF EXPRESSION BECAUSE IT INDICATES THE AGENT AND SHOWS THE ACTION. IT STATES THE ACTION IN FEWER WORDS. IT PREVENTS CONFUSION ABOUT THE ACTOR. USE OF “I” AND “WE”—THE FIRST PERSON— TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTION.