Passive Voice
In the past, many engineers stressed that
the passive voice should be used in writing. However, this trend is
changing. Some instructors, publications and industries now accept
the active voice in written documents. To differentiate between the
two, consider the following:
- I used the electric identifier to solve the problem.
- The electric identifier was used to solve the problem.
The first sentence is in active voice. It stresses
who completed the work, "I." The second sentence is
in the passive voice. It stresses the work completed,
"The electric identifier was used." Typically, if you use a
first person pronoun (I, we) you are writing in active voice. Always be
sure you know which voice you should use in your writing.