Transcript Active - TeacherWeb

Correcting passive and second person
constructions
Change passive to active
 Eliminate all of the following passive verbs from
formal writing: am, are, is, was, were, be, being,
been
 Read the sentence. Sometimes, you may be able
to do a simple “switcheroo,” front to back and
back to front:
(passive) Mary was given the award by the
principal.
(active) The principal gave the award to Mary.
Remember that passive is not wrong; prefer active.
Change passive to active
 Many times, however, the correction is not that
easy. You may have to reword the sentence:
(passive) The matter was settled quickly, but there
were too many unanswered questions.
(active) I settled the matter quickly, but many
unanswered questions still exist.
Note: A writer may discover several ways to
change from passive to active.
Change passive to active
The following exercises may require a change
from passive voice to active voice. Write the
original. Then make the best correction.
Original:
Tall buildings and mountain roads
were avoided by Janet because she
feared heights.
Change passive to active
Active:
Because she feared heights, Janet avoided tall
buildings and mountain roads.
or
Janet avoided tall buildings and mountain roads
because she feared heights.
or
Fearing heights, Janet avoided tall buildings and
mountain roads.
Change passive to active
Original:
I was surprised by the
teacher's lack of
sympathy.
Change passive to active
Active:
The teacher’s lack of
sympathy surprised me.
Change passive to active
Original
For several years, Mark
was raised by his elderly
grandmother.
Change passive to active
Active:
For several years, Mark’s
elderly grandmother
raised him.
Change passive to active
Original:
An unexpected tornado
smashed several homes
and uprooted trees in a
suburb of Knoxville.
Change passive to active
Whoa….don’t make a change! Smashed and
uprooted are active verbs.
An unexpected tornado
smashed several homes
and uprooted trees in a
suburb of Knoxville.
Change passive to active
Original:
There is a better way to
write this sentence.
Change passive to active
Active:
Rewrite this sentence.
or
Compose this sentence
differently.
Change passive to active
Original
The major points of the
lesson were quickly
learned by the class, but
they were also quickly
forgotten by them.
Change passive to active
Active:
The class learned the
major points of the lesson
quickly, but they also
quickly forgot them. or…
Change passive to active
Active:
The class learned, but
quickly forgot, the
major points of the
lesson.
Change passive to active
Final points
Read each sentence with a passive
verb. Then rewrite each sentence,
keeping the original meaning.
Once you finish the corrections,
read the paper again to make sure
that you have removed all forms of
the verb to be.
Second person
Writing in the second person is OK if giving
directions or speaking directly to a person;
for example:
Will you please lower the sound on the TV?
or
Kim, do you have your assignment?
or
First, you should call your mother.
Second person
Avoid “preaching” which is making a statement
such as:
When you listen to the CD you will
understand why Electric Grapefruit
is a great band.
Maybe the reader has no interest in the
CD, or maybe the reader will not enjoy
the CD when she listens to it.
Second person
Rewrite this sentence, eliminating second person.
Original:
If you do not follow
directions, your TV may
not work.
Second person
If I do not follow the directions,
my TV may not work.
or
When setting up a TV, follow the
directions to make sure that it
works.
Second person
Original:
Why do you have to fill
out so many forms to
apply for financial aid?
Second person
Revision:
Why must a student fill out so many
forms to apply for financial aid?
or
Why do colleges require parents to
complete many financial aid forms?
Second person
Final points
Avoid writing in second person
in a formal essay. Write in the
second person when speaking
directly to a person or when
providing directions.