PASSIVE VOICE (first blog)

Hello ladies and gents!

One of the biggest problem I've observed in your writing is passive voice. Some are more heinous offenders than others, but either way, I want to deepen your awareness of it. This way, you will recognize it when you see it and therefore avoid it.

I promise that your college professors will appreciate that you know the difference...my first lit/comp professor MASSACRED me on my first paper for my use of passive voice and my overuse of the verb "to be."

Passive voice is not inherently bad; there are times when you SHOULD use it (creative writing is a nice place for it). However, in analytical writing, active voice is always the best choice.

So, here's your second weekend assignment (other than reading Young Goodman Brown"):

Watch the video here: http://www.flocabulary.com/active-passive-voice/

We're going to circumvent the system: it will ask you to log in...

username: erouleau@saintrays.org
password: englishrocks

If it doesn't come up, just type "passive voice" into the search engine. The full title is "Active and Passive Voice" by the Grammar Detective.

In the comments, either find a place where you've used passive voice and then correct it, or write two sentences--one in passive voice, and then that sentence rewritten to be in active voice.

Any issues, just jot them in the comments. I get email notifications every time one of you posts.

Just post before we meet again! See y'all Monday!