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e describing the details of
experiences, you can get away with synonyms when writing more broadly about themes and
topics.
For example, if your essay is about your skills in interpersonal interaction, you could use such
similar phrases as "communication strengths" and "building trusting relationships."
Verb Tense
The reason we are devoting nearly an entire section to tips on removing the passive voice from
your writing is that it's both a very common flaw and very easily correctable. Within this section
we also will explain how to choose more active language even when the passive voice is not
involved.
Defining Passive Voice
Passive voice occurs when the subject and object of an action are inverted, so the subject is
the recipient of the act instead of its performer. For example:
Passive: The man was bitten by the dog.
Active: The dog bit the man.
Passive: I was told by my teacher to come at noon.
Active: My teacher told me to come at noon.
Note that the word "by" is present in these two examples. A sentence can be passive without
the word "by," but it is always at least implied. For example: "I was given bad directions [by my
friend]."
Passive voice always involves a to be verb. To be verbs include am, are, been, being, is, was,
were. On the other hand, a sentence can include a to be verb without being passive. For
example:
"I have been involved in this organization for several years."
"He is leaving in five minutes."
Later we will discuss ways to avoid to be verbs even when they are not in passive-voice
constructions.
When Passive Voice is Acceptable
There are generally two cases when passive voice is acceptable: 1) when there is no defined
or tangible subject; 2) when the emphasis really should be on the object of the action. In these
cases, the alternative is often awkward and less natural sounding.
Case 1: He is referred to as "the great one."
Awkward Alternative: The general public refers to him as "the great
one."
Case 2: For the fifth time this year, Johnson was hit by a pitch.
Awkward Alternative: For the fifth time this year, a pitch hit Johnson.
Avoiding Passive Voice
As we've already shown, the basic approach to avoiding passive voice is quite simple. Identify
the subject of the action (the noun that follows "by" or is otherwise implied) and bring that to
the front of the clause. Remove the to be verb. Adjust any other word-order issues as needed.
Try these five examples as an exercise:
1. He was given too many chances to start over by his friends.
2. She was instructed to remain seated by her teacher.
3. Their efforts were obstructed by brilliant defensive strategy.
4. The machine was started by the operator on time.
5. The door was shut by the angry mother.
Answers:
1. His friends gave him too many chances to start over.
2. Her teacher instructed her to remain seated.
3. Brilliant defensive strategy obstructed their efforts.
4. The operator started the machine on time.
5. The angry mother shut the door.
Achieving Active Writing
Active language comes not just from avoiding passive voice but further requires the use of
strong action verbs. In addition to avoiding to be verbs, you should try to replace helping verbs
such as have, had, has, do, does, did and other vague verbs like got and get.
Before: I had opportunities to develop my skills.
After: I sought 本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。