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To: squarebarb
When I read other authors, I purposely look to see if they use the passive voice and how often they use it. Right now, I have an old copy of Arthur Hailey's Airport. I know it was a best seller, but I don't like it.

He writes mostly in the passive voice.

The only time I notice the passive voice is when it is pointed out to me. Other than that, I don't. Not when I read... I never stop and say, my word, this is all written in passive voice.

It is easily corrected. But I wonder if it really is that big of a deal.

For the most part, I use passive voice only when I have to. Active voice is easier to write in.

375 posted on 04/21/2007 7:18:52 AM PDT by carton253 (I've cried tears and stayed the same.)
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To: carton253

I will check my King James here in a minute.

I can imagine that modern and ancient Hebrew are very different — what we have in the KJ is, I think, from about 700 B.C. and of course there must be vast changes. But I wonder how it changed, since it was not a generally-used language from -— maybe 200 A.D.?

Modern English and even Middle Ages English are very different.

No, I don’t care for Arthur Haily much either. His writing is very flat. In a bit I will see if I can come up with some passive voice examples.


376 posted on 04/21/2007 7:37:44 AM PDT by squarebarb
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