Passive and Active Voice: When to Use Each for Stronger Writing
“DON’T USE PASSIVE VOICE,” writers shout from atop their mountains of self-superiority. “YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO,” I shout back, with my fingers in my ears and my tongue sticking out in an extremely mature fashion. The thing is, snooty writers aren’t entirely wrong when they decry the use of the passive. Active is often a stronger, more concise way to write. But there are times where the passive is the right choice. So get a slice of pie and let’s go to grammar school. What Are Passive Voice and Active Voice? In active voice, the subject of the sentence is taking the action. In passive voice, the…
11 Tools That Can Make You a Better Writer
My father has been building things since before I was born. In his 20s, he was a furniture maker, first independently, and later for the famous Kittinger Furniture Company in Buffalo, NY (where my sisters and I were born.) His career has taken him from craftsman to plant manager to company president to owner of his own furniture company. But he is, at heart, a builder. And that means that every home he’s had since I was a kid included a workshop chock full of tools. Wood-handled chisels. Drills and nail guns. Jars full of screws, nuts, bolts, and other methods of joinery that I couldn’t identify. Gallons of wood…
