“Myths Word on Card Index Paper,” SinARTCreative, Unsplash.
Similar to many other false rules discredited in the book Bad Ideas About Writing, the idea that the English passive voice should be avoided at all costs is highly emphasized in writing culture. In Collin Gifford Brooke’s essay “The Passive Voice Should Be Avoided,” he addresses faults in arguments urging the use of the passive voice and proposes a better alternative. With the help of Geoffrey K. Pullum’s “Fear and Loathing of the English Passive,” Brooke concludes that teaching its appropriate uses and allowing writers’ discretion in its usage is a better alternative to avoiding the passive.
One of the most prevalent criticisms leveled at the passive voice is the inexactness it may lend. Because of its ambiguity, the passive voice is often used to label writing as weak and inferior. Brooke explains that “when we consider a single sentence, more often than not, the most direct version will appear to be the better option.” (141). Arguments against the passive fail to consider the reality that writing is often extensive and surrounding sentences are related to one other. Sentences within paragraphs provide context that allows for the appropriate usage of the passive voice, which introduces variety and improves the quality of a writing.
AlexLMX, Unsplash.
Furthermore, advice to choose active over passive for its assertiveness ignores the fact that not “every sentence is supposed to come at you like a punch in the gut…” and erroneously assumes that “passive clauses can’t deliver a gut punch.” (Pullum 19). When writers are fully educated on the proper context for employing the passive voice, they can recognize and recreate these conditions in their work to skillfully integrate the passive. In addition to being able to identify situations where they prefer the passive, they can maintain control over the nuance and subtlety of their work without adhering to the hard and fast rule of always employing the active voice.
“Deception,” Gustavo Muñoz Soriano, Unsplash.
Another common allegation about the passive voice is that it obscures accountability. Critics claim that because the passive voice does not explicitly indicate the subject of the actions within a sentence, it buries the subject and obscures their involvement. This accusation is related to that of the previous paragraphs in that it is derived from poor examples of passive usage. It is not wholly baseless as the passive voice can be used to obscure responsibility, but so can the active. Pullum addresses this in his article, noting that “Omission of the passive complement (not simply use of the passive) permits agents to be left unspecified. … They are not the slightest bit sneaky or evasive when the identity of the agent is either thoroughly irrelevant or entirely unknowable.” (18-19). He explains that ambiguous agents are caused by inappropriate use of the passive, not by the passive itself. Reinforcing the premise that with proper education on how to use the passive voice, writers would not have to obey the rigid rule of avoiding the passive voice.
Brooke also indicates agreement with this in his essay. “The passive voice can certainly be abused, but in the hands of a skilled writer (like Rockmore), it is an invaluable strategy.” (Brooke 143). Additionally, this feature is a grammatical concept that can be employed to ensure cohesive flow and refine a writer’s skill set. Teaching proper passive usage enables writers to make the most of this concept in its proper circumstances. For example, it can be used to introduce elements of suspense to a work of fiction.
“Two People Shaking Hands,” Cytonn Photography, Unsplash.
Throughout their articles and with the help of various examples, both authors make it clear the allegations against the passive voice can be summed up to oversimplification and incorrect understanding/usage of its suitable contexts. Well-meaning advisors and advice recipients are uneducated on the actual context required by the passive; the blind leading the blind. The rational solution is to shed light on effective and befitting passive voice usage by properly teaching it. Both authors are also unified in this conclusion. “We should be teaching writers the skilled application of the passive voice, rather than teaching them to avoid it altogether. Understanding sentences in context rather than isolation would allow writers to take up questions of cohesion and coherence.” (Brooke 143). Brooke suggests that teaching applications of the passive would be more advantageous than avoiding it. “The standard teaching about shunning the passive should be abandoned entirely. … Intelligent discussion of how non-canonical clauses fit into discourses just might have beneficial effects on the work of novice writers…” (Pullum 22). Pullum reinforces the alternative deliberate approach to teaching what situations are appropriate for the passive voice.
Ultimately, the passive voice, like the active, can be used in deceptive ways. Nonetheless, it is useful in its respective settings and can significantly enhance the quality of a writing. It would be more beneficial to teach the proper usage of the passive voice and empower writers to choose which voice they believe works best in any situation.
Works Cited
AlexLMX. “Human Stomach With Boxing Glove,” Unsplash, Unsplash, 5 December 2018, unsplash.com, Accessed 06 December 2021.
Brooke, Collin. “The Passive Voice Should be Avoided.” Bad Ideas About Writing, edited by Cheryl E. Ball and Drew M. Loewe, Digital Publishing Institute, 2017, textbooks.lib.wvu.edu/badideas/badideasaboutwriting-book.pdf. pp. 139-43 Accessed 09 Nov. 2021.
Cytonn Photography. “Two People Shaking Hands,” Unsplash, Cytonn Photography, 23 March 2019, unsplash.com, Accessed 06 December 2021.
Pullum, Geoffrey. “Fear and Loathing of the English Passive.” Science Direct, Science Direct, 22 January 2014, sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271530913000980. Accessed 09 Nov. 2021.
SinARTCreative. “Myths Word on Card Index Paper,” Unsplash, Unsplash, 26 April 2018, unsplash.com, Accessed 06 December 2021.
Soriano, Gustavo. “Deception,” Unsplash, Unsplash, 24 May 2020, unsplash.com, Accessed 06 December 2021.