4/18/2024 0 Comments What is active vs passive voice![]() So what level of passive voice should we aim for? We recommend keeping it at 4% or lower within one piece of content. When you know how to use it, it can be delightful. Think of Mark Twain’s “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”. And there are plenty of cases of passive voice use for humor. Maroon 5 probably intended something of the sort when they came up with She Will Be Loved. Or you might use passive voice to make a statement. We might not yet know who stole the money. Sometimes it’s needed, perhaps because we don’t know the subject. Of course, you should not eliminate passive voice completely. How to kill passive voice in your writing Then you’re well on the road to a better customer experience. Use active language, and make it obvious who’s doing what. We don’t have time to extract the meaning out of passive sentences. Poor communications add to our cognitive load. Or bother to read it.Īnd this is, partly, because people are busy. The more words you use, the less likely it is that your customers will understand it. At 43 words, comprehension drops to less than 10%. Research shows that when the average sentence length is 14 words, readers understand more than 90% of what they’re reading. And we know that “ when you write more, people understand less”. And while it’s only a few more words per sentence, it makes a big difference if you add up a string of them. Passive sentences are also typically longer than active ones. So if you’re doing this stuff, what else are you going to spring on me? The customer feels like something is being “done to” her without notice or consent – she is powerless. Who is reviewing my application? It sounds almost sinister like we’re trying to hide something. The passive voice version brings up questions. Active voice helps you communicate more clearly and conveys trust Not how you want your customer to feel about your organization. It can sound academic, formal, and detached. It’s the domain of professors, politicians, lawyers. Think – would you say these words to a friend? People rarely speak in passive voice. It gives an idea of whether anyone would actually speak the words you’ve written. ![]() On that note, try reading your work aloud. No customer wants to feel like they’re talking to a lawyer or a robot. This is why most consumer-facing companies’ “Tone of Voice” Guidelines encourage active voice. Notice how a passive voice-based sentence sounds more academic and formal. We’re reviewing your credit card application. ![]() Your credit card application is being reviewed. Passive voice sets the wrong tone of voice The person writing the first version inadvertently pushed an opaque message using passive voice. They have put you in control of how you prepare for the change. While it’s unpalatable news, your bank has been open and honest. You might still feel angry, but at least now you understand why the change is happening. We’re letting you know so that you can prepare for this change. We hav e to therefore increase your interest rate from June 4th. ![]() The Federal Open Market Committee recently increased interest rates. How would you feel? Angry at the news of increased interest rates, perhaps? And possibly frustrated that you don’t have an explanation of why this has happened. You have a credit card with this bank and a credit card balance that you’re paying off slowly. Interest rates will be increased on June 4th. What happens when businesses use passive voice when communicating with a customer? Take this example from a retail bank: Let’s set aside politicians because we might expect them to be less than truthful. It sounds simple, but it’s surprising just how much content contains passive voice. In a passive sentence, the person or item that’s “done to” is the subject of the sentence. In an active sentence, the person or agency that’s “doing the doing” is the subject of the sentence. This is easier to explain than you might think. Active and passive voice – what’s the difference? Passive But if you want your content to sound clear and understandable, you should avoid it where possible. There are legitimate reasons for using it. Who is responsible?Īs in life, we should not be ‘fundamentalist’ about passive voice. But not so great if you want to be clear, unambiguous, and appear trustworthy. You see, the thing about passive voice is you can omit the actor or ‘doer’ of the action. It’s obvious he used passive voice deliberately to avoid responsibility. Take Ronald Reagan’s famous non-apology of “mistakes were made”. Passive voice can make sentences sound vague.
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