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How to check for passive voice in word mac12/29/2022 ![]() ![]() If using Microsoft 365, you have a new editing feature - Editor. Now let’s learn how to detect passive voice when writing in Word. This is why I have an editor, even though I’ve been writing most of my adult life. Most of us need a second pair of eyes to catch mistakes we can’t catch ourselves. Our brains know what we meant to say and when proofing, our brain tends to read what we meant rather than what we wrote. It’s not a question of intelligence, but rather our physiology. When writing, we often slip into passive voice without even realizing it, and the real obstacle is this: Humans have difficulty proofing their own work. The rain forest is being destroyed by humans.Īfter reading the short definition of passive voice above, you should be able to easily detect it in the second sentence - “being destroyed” being the clue. Now let’s look at a quick example of both: Passive voice is often awkward and hard to understand. What matters the most is that active voice is engaging and, well, active. Must-read Windows coverageĭefend your network with Microsoft outside-in security services It won’t find everything, but it is a good start. One of the easiest ways to catch passive voice in your writing is to run a find task for the words be and being. An auxiliary verb is a verb used to form tense and mood with other verbs. What is passive voice?įinding passive voice in your writing is probably easier than writing a simple definition for passive voice without using passive voice! In instances of passive voice, the auxiliary verb be in some form, which includes are, and sometimes is, always precedes the verb. There’s no demonstration file you won’t need one. ![]() Editor is also available as a browser extension for Edge and Chrome. However, Word’s Editor is available only in Microsoft 365 and Word for the web. I’m using Microsoft 365 on a Windows 10 64-bit system, but you can use an earlier version. SEE: Windows, Linux, and Mac commands everyone needs to know (free PDF) (TechRepublic) In this tutorial, I’ll show you how Word finds instances of passive voice in your Word documents and helps you rewrite them as active. Regardless of whether you’re writing a business letter, technical documentation, or the great American novel, use active voice unless you have a specific reason not to. Active voice has the advantage of being more succinct and understood. We often speak in passive voice, but you should use active voice when writing whenever possible. ![]() In grammatical terms, active voice has an explicit subject, while the passive voice subject receives the action of the verb. You probably learned about passive and active voice during grade school grammar as I did. Let Word find your passive voice content and help you correct it. Passive speech is awkward and sometimes hard to understand. How to find and rewrite instances of passive voice in your Microsoft Word documents ![]()
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