Technical Writing: Passive Voice – When Emphasizing Process or Object Over the Doer
Introduction
Imagine you’re reading the instructions for assembling a piece of furniture, but instead of clear steps focusing on what to do, it’s filled with sentences about who did what in the manufacturing process. Confusing, right? This highlights the importance of using the passive voice in technical writing, where the focus is often on the process or the object rather than who is performing the action. Understanding how and when to use the passive voice is crucial not just for clarity but to ensure that the reader focuses on the most important aspects of your text. This grammar point matters significantly in technical writing, scientific reports, and even in everyday communication where the action’s receiver is more relevant than the doer.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- Understand the structure of the passive voice and how it differs from the active voice.
- Identify when and why the passive voice is used in technical writing.
- Convert sentences from active to passive voice, emphasizing the process or object.
- Analyze and edit texts to improve clarity and focus using the passive voice.
Explanation
The passive voice is formed by using a form of the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were) followed by the past participle of the main verb. For instance, "The researcher conducted the experiment" in active voice becomes "The experiment was conducted by the researcher" in passive voice. This shift not only changes the focus of the sentence but can also make the text more formal and objective, which is often desired in technical writing.
In technical writing, the passive voice is particularly useful when the process or object is more important than the person or entity performing the action. For instance, "The bridge was built in 1990" emphasizes the construction of the bridge rather than who built it. This approach can make instructions or descriptions clearer by keeping the reader’s attention on the essential elements.
Examples:
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Active: The company releases the software.
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Passive: The software is released by the company.
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Active: Scientists discovered the new element.
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Passive: The new element was discovered by scientists.
Guided Practice
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Fill-in-the-Blank: Provide sentences in active voice and have students convert them to passive voice, filling in the blanks with the correct form of the verb "to be" and the past participle.
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Sentence Transformation: Begin with simple sentences for conversion from active to passive voice, then gradually increase the complexity by adding modifiers and additional information.
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Error Correction: Present sentences that misuse the passive voice and have students correct them, focusing on clarity and accuracy.
Interactive Activities
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Grammar-Board Game: Create a board game where students advance by correctly converting sentences from active to passive voice or identifying whether sentences are in the correct voice for their context.
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Peer Editing: In pairs, have students write short paragraphs that describe a process or instructions for doing something. They then exchange texts and edit for correct use of the passive voice, focusing on clarity and emphasis on the process or object.
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Analyzing Authentic Texts: Use examples from instruction manuals, scientific articles, or technical reports. Have students identify instances of the passive voice and discuss how it contributes to the clarity and focus of the text.
Assessment and Feedback
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Formative Assessment: Use quick quizzes or have students show their understanding through thumbs up/down signals during the interactive activities to gauge their grasp of the passive voice in real-time.
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Summative Assessment: Assign a short writing task where students must describe a technical process or object, using the passive voice appropriately to emphasize the most critical elements.
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Feedback: Provide specific comments on students’ use of the passive voice, noting areas where the choice of voice improved clarity and focus and pointing out where active voice might have been inadvertently used or could be more effective.
Outro
Today, we’ve explored the importance of the passive voice in technical writing, focusing on when and how to use it to emphasize processes or objects over the doer. The ability to manipulate sentence structure for clarity and focus is a powerful tool in any writer’s arsenal. As an extension activity, consider writing a set of instructions for a simple task, such as making a cup of tea, first using active voice, then rewriting it in passive voice to notice the difference in focus and clarity. This practice will further solidify your understanding and application of this essential grammar point in real-world writing scenarios.