![]() ![]() > Keep it conversational Use active voiceĪctive voice makes it clear who is supposed to do what. ![]() Tips for starting a plain language program."With respect to writing, would be to write clear, straight, fresh, active sentences with as many aggressive verbs as possible, and to avoid conventional journalistic writing." In his essay 'Politics and the English Language,' George Orwell describes the relationship between language abuse and political abuse, how corrupt leaders use the passive voice to obscure the unspeakable truths and shroud responsibility for their actions They say, 'It must be admitted, now that the report has been reviewed, that mistakes were made,' rather than, 'I read the report, and I admit I made a mistake.' Here's a life tool: always apologize in the active voice." Passive verbs emphasize the receiver, the victim. Active verbs move the action and reveal the actors. Davis, Painless Police Report Writing, 2nd ed. (passive voice)" (Barbara Frazee and Joseph N. " Examples: The officer wrote the citation. Put the doer immediately in front of the action. If the doer is written but not located just in front of the action, the sentence is weak.ģ. ![]() If the doer is implied and not written in or is being acted on by the action, the sentence is weak or passive. This is the doer (subject) of the sentence. Locate the action (verb) of the sentence.Ģ. "Use the following three steps to write in the active voice:ġ. (Gary Provost, 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing. When that's the case, you will use the passive voice." If the object of the action is the important thing, then you will want to emphasize it by mentioning it first. But realize that there are times when you will need to use the passive. "The sentence 'The bag was picked up by John' is in the passive voice because the subject of the sentence, bag, is the passive receiver of the action. "The sentence 'John picked up the bag' is in the active voice because the subject, John, is also the thing or person doing the action of 'picking up.' "When a verb is in the active voice, the subject of the sentence is also the doer of the action.
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