Passive VerbsPassive verbs do have their place in writing. They are perfect to use when a writer prefers obscurity, or when the subject is unknown, or even when specific details would be out of place. Passive verbs are unspecific in their nature. When you use them in your writing, they add a sense of uncertainty. This could convey the wrong message to your reader. For example, in this complex sentence, “The plastic computer manufactured in the United States was sold by London, creating overstock in Europe,” lacks clarity. The active form, “London purchased an American-made plastic computer and overstocked European markets” is much clearer. Both sentences get the point across, but the active verb does it in a much shorter and concise fashion. Using active verbs is a sign of professional writing. It prevents reader confusion and conveys the correct message immediately. The more complex the sentences, the more reader confusion can occur. For example, in this sentence, “To run a marathon, drink a lot of water or be dehydrated,” the reader may think that you need to either drink a lot of water or be dehydrated in order to run the marathon. We can fix this confusion by using an active verb, “If you run a marathon be sure to drink a lot of water, or you could become dehydrated. A simple way to ensure that you are using predominately active verbs is to always place the subject before the verb. It's also easy to catch yourself using the passive form while writing detailed or flowery prose. As you learn to make the distinction between passive and active verbs, you will notice that the quality of your writing improves.
|
