Passive Voice Misuse: Examples and Fixes

It is quite unlikely that the classics which students grew up studying in their schools would be selling as good even in the current days. For instance, the books that used to be the best sellers in the current years may not hold good in the next hundred years to come. This is because writing evolves with time and is a process that is ever-changing. Today’s readers may not be connecting well with the content that had been written in the past years. Therefore, in the fast-paced world today, to grab the attention of the readers quickly, the writers need to be quite catchy and precise in developing their content.

In this regard, the misuse of passive voice is something that requires to be known so that people understand what actually the passive voice is and why it must get used in the least manner in the case of writing. Contents developed in active writing help in keeping the readers engaged from the first word till the last. The better a person understands what passive voice use is, the more the person will be able to analyze the misuse of the passive voice in case of writing and this will help in transforming the writing pattern of the person.

Passive voice is something that helps in dominating the writing when the subjects in the sentences get acted upon by the verbs. For instance, the use of passive voice is like the spilled coffee being cleaned by Barista. This is quite crucial when fiction gets written and the subject is doing the action. Reading through a novel about the response of the protagonist to the events is quite boring than reading how a protagonist makes a choice and then acts on it. If the subject or the protagonist is put in the limelight, the reading turns even more engaging.

Therefore, the corrected sentence can be put as Barista cleaned the coffee that got spilled. Simply cutting on a few words in the sentence made it quite original and precise to read and also made the sentence quite simple to apprehend for the readers. Therefore, it always gets recommended that the writers or content developers never misuse the passive voice simply add fillers to the content and drag it big enough to grab the attention of the readers. It is vital to remember that catchy and valuable contents grab the attention of the readers rather than the ones that get exaggerated in length by the homework writers.

One of the main misuses of the passive voice as noted by the experts in the field is that it can make the writing of people quite weak and even complex sometimes. Using the passive voice in writing results in:

• The protagonist seems passive
• The protagonist seems reactive and not proactive in nature
• The story and the content turn quite boring for the readers
• The story turns quite weak on an overall basis

For instance, the misuse of the passive voice can be understood using the following example so that people get to understand why the user must get avoided the sentences.

Peter was going to a store. The sun in the afternoon was quite hot and made him sweat. His mother asked him to get eggs because his teacher asked him to get cookies in the class.

In the above example, it can be said that Peter seems to be quite reactive and the entire story fails to appeal to the readers as the subject here is not getting highlighted in the correct manner. However, the sentence can get perfectly recreated with the use of the correct verbs so that it can be made appealing.

Peter wiped off his sweat as he went down to the stores in the afternoon under the heat of the sun. He required buying eggs for making cookies to be taken to the class. He had been asked by the teacher to bring cookies and therefore his mother asked him to get eggs from the store.

In the above sentence now, Peter seems to be proactive in his work and actions and this makes the entire storyline quite attractive to the readers. The misuse of the passive voice takes place when the writer narrates the story in just a simple manner like:

• Peter went to the store
• The sun in the afternoon was hot
• His mother asked him to get eggs
• His teacher asked him to get cookies in the class

The use of the active voice, on the other hand, helps Peter in turning into a hero of the story as he is seen to wipe out his sweat and then visit the store to get eggs for making cookies. Therefore, Peter is seen doing all the actions when written in the active voice and this entails more interest in the minds of the readers to go further through the story created by the author.

The writer must be understanding the meaning of the passive voice misuse so that the problem can be fixed and it is being ensured that the subject in the sentence is getting highlighted and doing every action and the other people are just supporting players in the story. However, if the story is writings something about the villain in the play, then the use of passive voice can be accepted as he does not require turning heroic in front of the readers.

The avoidance of passive voice misuse, therefore, offers more clarity to the writing and the new writers in the field can gain a more competitive edge in the market if they have the habit of writing in the active voice to portray their writings and thoughts strongly in the minds of the readers. This also helps in reducing the editing times of the content as the sentences are direct and quite comprehensive so that even novice readers can understand what the writer is trying to tell through his content. Passive voice misuse can turn any piece of writing quite flat and awkward and therefore must be avoided under every circumstance.