Now tell me please, how does someone as assertive as I am, too
frequently write in a passive voice? I write as it flows from my finger to the
keyboard. I’m finished with the first draft when I type the last word. Then, I
clean it up later. What my friends in a writers group I attend point out after
I read a chapter, “I heard some passives in there.”
What is a passive voice? Here is an example:
If it could have been written by a better writer, it
would have been.
A little saying I give to psychotherapy clients is: “If you could’ve,
you would’ve. But, you couldn’t so you didn’t.” Now, that is not passive, but
it is assertive.
After writing four novels, I finally found a way to spot passives
quickly. It’s all thanks to the WORD 2010 magic little check box. Here it is. In
a document:
1.
Click “File”
2.
Click “Options” at the bottom
3.
Click “Proofing” on the left
4.
Under Correcting Spelling and Grammar in WORD,
go down to Writing Style: Click “Settings”
5.
Scroll down to Style
6.
Click Passive Sentences
I wrote: Your passive sentences will be underlined for you. In my Spell
Check — “will be underlined” —was UNDERLINED. So let me fix that. The program will underline
the passive sentences for you.
I know you have already found this great aid to writing. If you haven’t,
try it. Happy writing.
Doris
Doris Gaines Rapp
Copyright 2015 Doris Gaines Rapp