Take your writing to the next level with this simple guide.
The following rules of grammar and style will tremendously improve anyone's writing skill. Includes Passive and Active examples and explanations following each word.
- PASSIVE VERBS TO AVOID -
* Is
* Was, Were
* Had, Has
* Be, Been, Being
* No, not, and forms of no such as don’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t, can’t, weren't
The following examples illustrate how eliminating these passive verbs shortened or combined sentences, and conveyed a more immediate message to the reader, and always set up the sentence for an active verb.
Is
PASSIVE: Vicky is in a foul mood. She landed in prison.
ACTIVE: Vicky’s foul mood landed her in prison.
Was, were
PASSIVE: Joan played tennis when she was in her prime.
ACTIVE: Joan played tennis in her prime.
Had, Has
PASSIVE: Tom had great skill that surpassed his teammates.
ACTIVE: Tom’s skill surpassed his teammates.
Be, Been, Being
PASSIVE: He had been at the motel for hours.
ACTIVE: He stayed at the motel for hours. *Exception to the rule: Human being
No, Not, forms of no such as Don’t, Shouldn’t, Wouldn’t, Can’t, Weren't - Replace with these negative active verbs: Never, nothing, nowhere, nobody, cannot.
PASSIVE: He can't run the marathon. ACTIVE: He cannot run the marathon.
PASSIVE: No one expected her to jump. ACTIVE: Nobody expected her to jump.
PASSIVE: Greg didn’t want to live. ACTIVE: Greg wanted to die.
PASSIVE: Allison would not visit her mother. ACTIVE: Allison refused to visit her mother.
- MORE PASSIVE VERBS TO AVOID -
“Seems you got a lot guy.”- Remember this phrase and avoid using any of the words because they are all passive verbs.
Examples:
Seems - PASSIVE: The flag seemed to wave in the wind. ACTIVE: The flag waved in the wind. 'Seemed’ makes it unclear if the flag waved or remained still.
You - Unless the writer specifically knows the person they are writing to, he/she must avoid using this word because the ‘you’ only applies to the person the writer addressed it to. Example: You are the love of my life. The writing will alienate everyone who reads this because the author intended it only for his/her partner.
Got or Get - PASSIVE: Steve got a cup of coffee. Did Steve brew it, picked up, or purchase a cup of coffee? These three variations convey a completely different and more specific character action that engages the reader.
A lot - PASSIVE: Chris suffered a lot of bruises on his body. ACTIVE: Chris suffered three bruises on his body. A lot of bruises to the average person may mean three bruises while a lot to a prison inmate might mean ten bruises. Better to write a number to make clearer for readers.
Guy - PASSIVE: The guy strode through the park. ACTIVE: The teenager strode through the park. With this slang term, readers may mistake the term ‘guy’ for an adult, young adult, or teenager.
*Important Note: Disregard these rules when writing dialogue or referencing quotes.
