We need a hero

What’s amiss with these sentences?

“The glass slipper was left behind.”

“The Death Star has been destroyed.”

“The Queen Vic caught fire.”

The heroes are missing, that’s what. And it’s harder to get into a story when there's no-one involved in the action.

It's also not as clear as it could be.

Which is why today, my friend, we’re talking about active vs passive. In the grammar sense. 🤓

Quick recap: The active voice makes it clear who is doing the action, while the passive voice often obscures it.

Let’s revamp those sentences:

“Cinderella left behind the glass slipper.”

“The Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star.”

“Phil torched the Queen Vic.”

Why does this matter? It's not just about clarity; the active voice is an opportunity to show accountability, while the passive voice shirks responsibility.

For a more grisly example of this we turn to none other than serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. “And then they would be strangled,” he says in the Netflix drama, leaning heavily on the passive voice in order to distance himself from the crime. Come on Jeff, this is no time to be coy.

Are there areas of your own communication where you're skirting around the issue?

While the passive voice can be useful at times, often as a way of being polite, ("It's been noted that deadlines are frequently missed") it’s the active voice that puts you in the driving seat of your message.

So, if you’re ready to take charge, dust off those verbs and let's see some action.

Passive:
A mistake was made.

Active:
Princess Leia made a mistake.

(Highly unlikely, but good of her to say).