Microsoft, Passive Voice, and You
Shadowweaver06 and I were talking about Microsoft's disdain for passive voice and the fact that no one we knew, ourselves included, had any idea what it was. So... here's a copy and paste from several sites that I got from googling the phrase "Microsoft passive voice".
Active voice uses direct action verbs. Passive voice uses "to be" verb forms. Active voice is more direct. Passive voice emphasizes what was found, not who did the finding. Passive voice can be pedantic and wordy in the hands of amateurs.
Active Voice
In sentences written in active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.
Example given: The dog bit the boy.
Passive Voice
In sentences written in passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The agent performing the action may appear in a "by the . . ." phrase or may be omitted.
Example given: The boy was bitten by the dog.
Doesn't it make you feel better to know that Microsoft feels some verbs are inferior? As though our society didn't have enough problems with homophobia, racism, classism, sexism, and terrorism, we can now add verbism to that list. Thank you Bill Gates.
Active voice uses direct action verbs. Passive voice uses "to be" verb forms. Active voice is more direct. Passive voice emphasizes what was found, not who did the finding. Passive voice can be pedantic and wordy in the hands of amateurs.
Active Voice
In sentences written in active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.
Example given: The dog bit the boy.
Passive Voice
In sentences written in passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The agent performing the action may appear in a "by the . . ." phrase or may be omitted.
Example given: The boy was bitten by the dog.
Doesn't it make you feel better to know that Microsoft feels some verbs are inferior? As though our society didn't have enough problems with homophobia, racism, classism, sexism, and terrorism, we can now add verbism to that list. Thank you Bill Gates.