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"the GHI window appears" is NOT in the passive voice. Passive voice requires a transitive verb ( a verb that takes a Direct Object).
See dictionary def. of passive below.
The verb 'appears' is intransitive, hence it can NEVER be used in the passive voice, it would be ungrammatical
**'the GHI window is appeared'????
The critics of the phrase 'the GHI window appears' obviously bemoan the lack of a CAUSATIVE agent. Not every sentence requires a CAUSATIVE agent. If necessary, once could say
"Press the (whatever) key to CAUSE the GHI window to appear"... again, this can get pretty crazy. In the last analysis, being clear and using simple direct language does not preclude using either the passive voice or intransitive constructions!
My two cents..
techwriter -at- my-deja -dot- com
PASSIVE - Grammar.. Of, relating to, or being a verb form or voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject is the object of the action or the effect of the verb. For example, in the sentence 'They were impressed by his manner', 'were impressed' is in the passive voice.
>From: Chris Musser <ChrisM -at- webridge -dot- com>
>To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
>Subject: RE: Displays versus Appears-Which One?
>Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 17:26:42 -0800
>Reply-To: Chris Musser <ChrisM -at- webridge -dot- com>
>
>My dictionary (a Webster's) says that "display" is a transitive verb. To use
>it as you have ("the GHI window displays") is incorrect, as transitive verbs
>require an object.
>
>Your previous editor may have dinged you because "the GHI window appears" is
>in the passive voice. The construct is pretty common, though (probably
>because no one wants to say, "the application displays the GHI window").
>
>Chris Musser
>Technical Writer
>Webridge, Inc.
>503.601.4259
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