Active and Passive Voice

barbara Mellix

" Each experience of writing was like standing naked and revealing my imperfections, my 'otherness"

cynthis Ozick

" Writing is an act of courage"

Donald M. Murray's "Zero Draft"

"Many writers feel that they are not writing when they are drafting; they are only writing when they are revising."

when is passive voice appropriate?

1) if you wish to emphasize the receiver of the action 2) to minimize the importance of the doer 3) to achieve a tine of coolness or stiffness 4) to create a sentence that avoids naming to actor of a particular deed

sometimes writers...

1) repeat an element found in the introduction 2) restate the thesis 3) ask the reader to understand an action that the essay seems to invite 4) asks themselves " why have I told you this?"

In the level 1 the writer needs to decide what

1)Have you conveyed the proper meaning? 2) have you done what you promised the reader you would? 3) have you provided enough support? 4) have you focused clearly enough on your main point?

7 basic points to keep in mind

1)vary the length of your sentences. short sentences are more emphatic (use to make key points) 2) vary the structure of your sentences 3) watch wordiness 4) use the active voice 5)make verbs reflect an action rather then a state of existence 6) make sure the elements that should be parallel are parallel 7)eliminate cliches and jargon

Last paragraph

A good concluding paragraph will draw on an essay together,restate it and summarize

First paragraph

A good introduction art paragraph will capture the attention of the readers and provide them a nutshell a paragraph (try some variety)

first paragraph

A good introductory paragraph will capture the attention of the readers and provide them a nutshell paragraph. Try some variety

Level 2

Checking the organization

advice given in class

Don't radically rearrange, don't move intro elements to the end unless absolutely necessary, and don't use generic subjects

active voice

If the subject performs the action the verb and clause are in the active voice

passive voice

If the subject receives the action, or is acted upon, the verb and the clause are in the passive voice.

You can't be sure of what you're ______ until you have written what you want to___

Introducing introduce

How is writing a dynamic and unpredictable process?

Murry's Diagram plan, draft, revise, edit, proofread ( a constant cycle)

Pay particular attention to the _____ and _____paragraphs

Opening closing

One good way to see whether you have said what you intended is to read your manuscript_____

Outloud

what do professional writers do?

Professional writers seldom rely upon their own judgement

How does revision distinguish writing from speaking?

Revision affords the writer additional chances to get the meaning right

When you have answered the questions from the first level as well as you can, you are ready to move on to a closer examination of _____,considering the ____ of each paragraph and the_______ of your essay as a whole

Structure, unity,organization

Revision at this level is not merely a way to fix problems that you can see on the page.it is also a way to identify____

What was not said

how do you transform a sentence from passive to active?

You make the "doer" of the action the subject of the sentence

last paragraph

a good concluding paragraph will draw an essay together, restate it, and summarize it.

level 1

appraising the content

formula for "passive voice"

be verb+past participle=passive voice

principle parts of be

be, being, been, was, am, is, are, were,

How can a good writer be distinguished from a poor writer?

by their attitude towards revision

_____ is the disease of American writing

clutter

revision

concluding remarks

what should you do if you are this reader for someone else?

don't think that It is a kindness not to criticize thins you think need attention

what do you check when editing your paper?

grammar, spelling, mechanics, and punctuation

What is the deepest level of revision?

level 1

Coherent

logically and cosnistant

Writing is intensely _______. we offer the world a part of ourselves and we don't want to be rejected. But it is important to overcome undue _______ if you want to write well. Be _______ with others and encourage them to be____ with you

personal sensibility honest honest

level 3

refining the style

after studying the structure of your work as a whole, you should then check to see whether the individual _________ can be improved

sentences

memorize this!

strip down your writing before you build it back up

voice

the indication of whether the subject performs or receives the action of the verb

What is the significance of a prepositional phrase starting with the word by?

the object of a prepositional phrase is often the doer of the action

what does it mean to let words incubate?

to come back to, to see with new eyes, to

Unified

to make or become a whole, flows

what does revise mean

to see again

how can you get more from this reader?

try to make your reader understand that you are not looking for praise. Be frank with then about anything that concerns you and direct their attentions specifically

we are a society strangling in

unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargons

"soliciting help from _____,_______ ______ can help you gain a new ________ on what you have written

well-disposed, thoughtful readers perspective

when do writers feel that they have put themselves at risk? why is that?

when we show others our writing, becuase writing is so intimitly bound up with who we are

when can you begin to recognize your own developing maturity as a writer?

when you are able to accept and profit from constructive criticism but also seek it out.

When are you ready to edit your paper?

when you believe that you have said what you want to say the way you want to say it.

what must you do if you want to write well?

you must write often and read often, appraise your work critically, and think crucially about what you have read