Tip 714: Keeping Things Short, Part IVd

From the Writing Workshops: Keeping Things Short IVd

Using Passive Voice Appropriately: The Last of the Series

Passive voice is appropriate in three ways. 

And that’s it. 

Y eso es.

Und das ist es.

E questo è tutto.   

One: Passive voice is appropriate when whoever received the action is more important than whoever did the action: “The President was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital.” The President was more important than the limosine driver.  

Two: Passive voice is appropriate when you don’t know who did the action: “The package was lost in the mail.” Who knows who lost the package?

Three: Passive voice is appropriate when you don’t want to mention who did the action: “The copier’s been broken.” (You’re protecting the new young intern.) Be careful; this may be an ethical black hole. Once you start . . .    

Following Up on an Earlier ChallengeWe finally found a memorable quotation in passive voice. But notice how Franklin Roosevelt follows the first principle (“when whoever received the action is more important than whoever did the action”):  

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

To Roosevelt and his audience, “the United States of America” was their first concern. To a Joint Session of Congress eighty-one years ago yesterday. 

Interesting. 

We love this stuff.