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PASSIVE VOICE: Thomas Jefferson’s support of the new Constitution was documented in a letter to James Madison. ACTIVE VOICE: Thomas Jefferson documented his su

by hp6 3y ago

PASSIVE VOICE: Thomas Jefferson’s support of the new Constitution was documented in a letter to James Madison. ACTIVE VOICE: Thomas Jefferson documented his support of the new Constitution in a letter to James Madison. IMO the passive voice makes much more sence for this example.

totetsu 3y ago
a letter sent to James Madison documented Thomas Jefferson’s support of the new Constitution. ?
- kbelder 3y ago
  Maybe documented sent letter a James Madison to Constitution the new of support Thomas Jefferson's ???
NoMoreNicksLeft 3y ago
Passive doesn't just sound better in the example, it's objectively correct. Jefferson wasn't attempting to document anything. That wasn't the action he was taking at all. We only consider it documented after the fact; it's completely incidental to what he was trying to accomplish. Therefor, only the passive voice describes what occurred. The only people actively documenting anything are those who deliberately set out to create documentation of events (and I think they might all be assholes, as a rule... so maybe he was actively documenting?).
zelphirkalt 3y ago
It depends on whether Thomas Jeferson wrote the letter or someone else.
watwut 3y ago
Imo, the difference is in the focus. The passive voice version makes the "support of the new constitution" the most important thing the sentence is about. The active voice makes "Thomas Jefferson" the most important thing the sentence is about. So, it really depends on what the rest of the paragraph is supposed to be about.
- didntcheck 3y ago
  Which is why the blanket aversion many style guides have to the passive voice makes no sense. Use it when it makes sense to use it, obviously. Often, the subject of the verb really is of little importance, particularly in formal accounts of events

by hp6 3y ago

totetsu 3y ago

a letter sent to James Madison documented Thomas Jefferson’s support of the new Constitution. ?

kbelder 3y ago
Maybe documented sent letter a James Madison to Constitution the new of support Thomas Jefferson's ???

NoMoreNicksLeft 3y ago

Passive doesn't just sound better in the example, it's objectively correct. Jefferson wasn't attempting to document anything. That wasn't the action he was taking at all. We only consider it documented after the fact; it's completely incidental to what he was trying to accomplish. Therefor, only the passive voice describes what occurred. The only people actively documenting anything are those who deliberately set out to create documentation of events (and I think they might all be assholes, as a rule... so maybe he was actively documenting?).

zelphirkalt 3y ago

It depends on whether Thomas Jeferson wrote the letter or someone else.

watwut 3y ago

Imo, the difference is in the focus. The passive voice version makes the "support of the new constitution" the most important thing the sentence is about. The active voice makes "Thomas Jefferson" the most important thing the sentence is about. So, it really depends on what the rest of the paragraph is supposed to be about.

didntcheck 3y ago
Which is why the blanket aversion many style guides have to the passive voice makes no sense. Use it when it makes sense to use it, obviously. Often, the subject of the verb really is of little importance, particularly in formal accounts of events