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ClearTips: Edit yourself
When to use the passive voice: If the actor should be left out
Some rule mongers would say that the passive voice should
never be used (or would say that you should never use the passive voice).
True, it generally is better to use the active voice because it is more
direct and more concise. But the subject of the sentence should dictate
voice. At issue is whether the subject of the sentence is the subject
of the paragraph.
The passive has two justifiable uses, both of which turn
on whether the actor is less important than what is acted on.
| I manipulated the variables to see whether
I could determine the direction of causation. |
CHANGE TO
|
The variables were manipulated to determine
the direction of causation. |
| The Department of Commerce of the United
States government increased the incentives to encourage producers
to export |
CHANGE TO
|
Incentives were increased to encourage
producers to export. |
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