April 14, 2009

Active Voice vs Passive Voice

A whole month without posting here. My friend, writer Dina Malki, emailed to ask how I was and made the comment that my blogs hadn't been updated in awhile. My deepest apologies. I'm still recuperating from spine surgery, but have also been dealing with compromised bank and credit card accounts, having fun with visiting grandchildren, visiting with out of state grandchildren (now that I can drive again!), painting, and writing fiction again - thanks to my group at the Ohio Writers Guild.

While catching up on email, the following was posted at Yahoo group Freelance Writers and Editors as part of an active/passive voice discussion. I thought it helpful, especially to those of us who enhance our income writing AP style but also write fiction.

"We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice - that is, until we have stopped saying 'It got lost,' and say, 'I lost it.'" - Sydney J. Harris, journalist (1917-1986)


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