Thursday, February 20, 2014

Eliminate passive voice...with zombies.

Zombies are always butting in where they aren't welcome. Now they are working their way into the unassuming passive sentence.

Here's a simple test to help student writers determine if they are using the passive voice. (I learned this one on Pinterest.)

If you can add "by zombies" at the end of your sentence, it's passive.

The cookies were eaten as quickly as they were cooked...by zombies!

A school bus was driven to the edge of the precipice...by zombies!

The child was read a bedtime story...BY ZOMBIES!

Only you can prevent a zombie prose invasion. Unless there's a calculated purpose for using a passive sentence, make it active. And don't look back!




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