Transcript Making Verbs Work Passive versus Active Voice Use strong verbs. • Verbs provide the momentum of writing. • Proper verb choice makes the difference between crisp, clear writing and.

Making Verbs Work
Passive versus Active Voice
Use strong verbs.
• Verbs provide the
momentum of
writing.
• Proper verb choice
makes the
difference between
crisp, clear writing
and bloated,
clumsy writing.
What is the difference?
A sentence is in the active voice
when the subject does the acting
instead of being the recipient of the
acting.
Active: Lowell depicts a grim view
of marriage.
Passive: Marriage is depicted as grim
by Lowell.
What is the difference?
A verb that conveys action—as
opposed to a verb that merely
links the subject to a thought.
Active: Jim tossed the report
away.
Linking: Jim was tired of the
report.
Active verbs
• just naturally go with writing
that is in the active voice.
• When you put the subject
front and center, doing
something, you will probably
find yourself using stronger,
more interesting verbs.
Active voice is generally stronger
•Both kinds of verbs are useful in
writing. That’s why we have
both.
•But, unless you’re a diplomat or
bureaucrat or some other kind
of weasel, you need to rely on
the active voice more than the
passive.
Active Voice
• Uses direct action
verbs
• Has a clearly defined
actor and action
Passive Voice
• Uses “to be” verb forms
• Emphasizes what was
found, not who did the
finding
• Can be pedantic and
wordy in the hands of
amateurs
Which verb form to use
• Largely a matter of what you
want to emphasize
– Active Voice emphasizes an
action taken by a subject.
– Passive Voice
• emphasizes what was found, the
end result.
• hides who was responsible for the
action.
Replace wimpy verb phrases
Weak verb phrases
• Make a
determination
• Perform a
measurement
• Carry out an
analysis
Strong verbs
• Determine
• Measure
• analyze
Transform into active voice
• Change nouns ending in –tion,
-ment, and –ance back into
verbs.
Indication

Contamination 
Measurement 
Variation

indicate
contaminate
measure
vary
Use “is” verbs sparingly
• Is beginning  begins
• Is used to detect  detects
When to use “is”
• If sentence defines or equates
Lowell’s poem is a sonnet.
When not to use “is”
• In sentences that do not
present a definition or equality
• To analyze
Verb tenses
• Using active voice eliminates
awkward tense shifts
Parallel Construction
• Verbs must be in the same
form
Parallel vs. Non-parallel
faulty parallelism:
She revels in chocolate, walking under
the moonlight, and songs from the 1930s
jazz period.
good parallelism:
She revels in sweet chocolate eclairs,
long moonlit walks, and classic jazz
music.
good parallelism:
She loves eating chocolate eclairs,
taking moonlit walks, and singing classic
jazz.
Advantages of active voice:
• Shorter, more direct
• More forceful
• Greater clarity (The
reader knows
immediately who is
doing what.)
• Sharper imagery
Which is more effective?
• Stay away from the hot
wire. It can kill you.
• The hot wire should be
avoided. You can be killed
by it.
Should you ever use passive voice? Yes.
• Jon Franklin says that if you try to write
entirely in the active voice, you are likely
to produce something unreadable.
• He’s right. The active voice is great,
but you can have too much of a good
thing.
Use passive voice
• When the actor is unknown or
unimportant.
The knife was found beside the body.
• Or when you want to focus on
the receiver of the action
more than on the actor.
The teacher was fired for his political
activism.
Use passive voice
• When you want a gentler or
more diplomatic approach.
A teenage girl was killed Tuesday by
a gunshot wound that police said
was self-inflicted.
• When you want to strengthen
the impression of objectivity—
as, for example, in a research
report.
Use passive voice
• When you want to achieve a
particular effect—whether it
be wry, sardonic, sarcastic or
comedic.
Good writers use both voices.
• Use active voice whenever
possible.
• You need to know when to
use one voice or the other,
and when to use them
together.
Credits
• Celia M. Elliott, University of Illinois,
[email protected]
• John Rains, Writing Coach, The
Fayetteville Observer,
[email protected]
• Dr. L. Kip Wheeler, Carson Newman
College,
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/gram_paral
lelism.html
• Patricia Burgey, UWG