Subject:Re: active vs. passive voice From:Mike Starr <mikestarr-techwr-l -at- writestarr -dot- com> To:Michelle Vina-Baltsas <Michelle_Vina-Baltsas -at- datascope -dot- com> Date:Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:16:04 -0500
Even though I'm in the minority (possibly even alone) in rejecting the
MMOS received wisdom, I avoid passive voice by using a phrase like:
"<product name> displays an Add User dialog box similar to the one shown
here."
From my perspective, it reads much better and is much easier for the
user to understand when I use this type of phrase. It also give me the
added benefit of eliminating captions and figure numbers.
However, I also believe it's important that all members of a team use
the same approach. Get together with your team, thrash it out and come
to an agreement on which approach to use. If there's a team lead, that
person should listen to all sides of the discussion with an open mind
and make a decision. Incorporate that decision into your corporate
documentation style guide and move on.
Mike
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Michelle Vina-Baltsas wrote:
> I've read many threads on this listserv related to the use of "appears"
> vs. "displays" or "is displayed". During a meeting yesterday, with my
> fellow tech writers, we had a heated discussion about whether we should
> use "is displayed" or "displays" when writing a result (For example,
> "Select the XYZ button. The EXY dialog box is displayed.") One writer
> insisted that the use of "is displayed" should not be used because it is
> in the passive voice. To be honest, my head was spinning so quickly that I
> decided to refrain from offering my opinion. I did tell them I'd
> investigate though.
>
> Is the use of "is displayed" passive voice?
>
> Thank you,
> Michelle
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