ACTIVE/PASSIVE VOICEACTIVE/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 PASSIVESTRUCTURE

ACTIVE = DOER --- VERB --- RECEIVER

ALL QUALIFIERS WILL ZERO THEIR WEAPONS BEFORE QUALIFICATION.

PASSIVE = RECEIVER ---VERB --- DOER

ALL WEAPONS WILL BE ZEROED BEFOREQUALIFICATION.

DISADVANTAGES OF USING PASSIVE VOICE

LEAVES CRITICAL INFORMATION UNSTATED

EVADES RESPONSIBILITY

INCREASES LENGTH

“CLUES” TO CORRECTPASSIVE VOICE

PUT THE DOER BEFORE THE VERB.

APPROPRIATE CLOTHING WILL BE WORNBY ALL PERSONNEL.

ALL PERSONNEL WILL WEAR APPROPRIATECLOTHING.

“CLUES”

DROP PART OF THE VERB.

THE SOLDIER WAS TRANSFERRED TOFT BRAGG.

HE TRANSFERRED TO FT BRAGG.

“CLUES”

CHANGE THE VERB.

PERSONNEL ARE PROHIBITED FROM SMOKING DURING REFUELING OPERATIONS.

PERSONNEL MUST NOT SMOKE DURINGREFUELING.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE PASSIVE VOICE

BEAMISAREWASWEREBEINGBEEN

PAST PARTICIPLEENDING IN –ED OR –EN

GIVENTAKENIMPLEMENTEDCONDUTED ORDERED

ACTIVE VOICE IS MORE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE …

IT IS A STRONGER FORM OF EXPRESSIONBECAUSE IT INDICATES THE AGENT ANDSHOWS 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.