The Passive Index

Editing passive verbs is a powerful way to improve your writing style and is the number one rule of good editing. It makes your writing, concise, direct, forceful and natural.

Here are some examples:

Passive: It should be noted that this annual report has been produced as a first draft. Active: This annual is the first draft. The active redraft is 60 percent shorter.

Passive: It is considered necessary to make sure that target completion dates are assigned to each stage so that progress of the project can be measured. Active: Target completion dates are necessary for each stage of the project to measure progress. The active redraft is 46 percent shorter.

Passive: This web page is intended to show a typical house plan that has been made available with every order that is placed for a new timber-framed house. Active: This web page shows a typical house plan available with every order for a new timber-framed house. The active redraft is 33 percent shorter.

The Passive Index compares the number of passive verbs - the most common style problem in writing - with the number of sentences in your document.

You should edit as many passive verbs from your writing as you can. A Passive Index of under 10 - equivalent to one passive verb for every ten sentences is the score of top writers.

Don't worry about how to edit passive verbs - StyleWriter has lots of advice to explain how easy it is to do.

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