- Passive Voice in Business Writing - click
An author writes in the passive voice when he or she shows a subject that is acted upon rather than a subject who does the acting. The passive voice uses a transitive verb, or a verb that takes an object, and also generally employs some form of the verb "to be" such as is or was.
Examples of the passive voice include, "The door was slammed shut" (by whom?) or "Toni was hit by a ball."
Most people who provide writing tips urge authors to avoid the passive voice in favor of the active voice. The active voice shows the subject of the sentence acting rather than being active upon. If you were re-writing the sentences above in the active voice, for instance, you might write, "John slammed the door." or "The ball hit Toni."
Active vs Passive Voice
In most cases, prose written in the active voice is easier to follow and more enjoyable to read. The sentences are crisper, cleaner, and lend more excitement and immediacy to the work. After all, isn't it more fun to read, "Todd kissed Janie passionately on her swollen lips" than "Janie was kissed on the lips"?
As with any rule, however, the one about using active voice has exceptions. Sometimes using the passive voice can serve your purpose better.
Using Passive Voice When You Don't Know – Or Care – Who Committed the Action
Saying something like, "My house was robbed last night" is perfectly correct. In fact, trying to put this type of sentence into the active voice makes it sound a little silly. "A robber robbed my house last night"? It simply doesn't flow.
You should also use passive voice when it doesn't matter who completed the action. Consider, for example, the sentence, "Mrs. Grier was completely overcome by the standing ovation and had to be helped from the stage." The focus should rightly be on Mrs. Grier's emotional state, not on who assisted her off the stage.
Business Writing – Passive Voice Can Establish Facts Without Affixing Blame
Many business experts and politicians believe that the active voice sounds harsh and accusatory. Writing, "You haven't paid your rent," is an accusation; writing, "Your rent hasn't been paid" is merely stating a fact.
A politician who claims that "mistakes were made" is impugning the entire decision making process and not necessarily accepting any personal blame. A politician who claims, "I made mistakes," may be more honest, but will almost certainly be torn to pieces by political rivals.
Similarly, the business writer who wants to take a team building approach to solving problems frequently uses the passive voice to explain the situation that must be resolved. Writing a memo to the nursing department of a long term care facility that says, "You didn't give the residents their meals until almost bedtime," is likely to put employees on the defensive and lead to excuses and blame cast upon other departments. A more neutral statement such as, "The residents didn't receive their meals until almost bedtime. How can we fix that?" is more likely to elicit helpful suggestions.
Business Writing – Rules and Regulations
Any psychologist will agree that the best way to get a person to do something is to tell them they can't do it. For this reason, business writers often choose to write rules in the more neutral passive voice. For instance, "Patrons are asked not to feel the zoo animals" as opposed to "You can't feed the animals" or "Customers are reminded to extinguish their cigarettes at the entrance" as opposed to "You have to put our your cigarette before you go in."
Improve Writing by Mixing Active and Passive Voice
The active voice is typically more engaging and fun to read. You should write the majority of your sentences in active voice. Just remember that the passive voice has purposes, too. It can obscure unknown or unimportant information, and its neutral, authoritative tone is useful for establishing facts and guidelines without giving offense or casting blame.
The best writers are able to switch back and forth between the active and the passive voice depending on the tone that serves their project best.
Sources
English Grammar Online. Passive Voice. Accessed 8/31/10.
Undergraduate Writing Center, the University of Texas at Austin. Passive Voice. Accessed 8/31/10.
