GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - A SHORT GUIDE (Cont.)
Passive Voice:
- Use the passive voice when the doer of action is unknown, unimportant, or not to be mentioned for some reason. Laboratory reports are correctly written in the passive voice.
- Active : I heated the liquid to 100 degrees centigrade.
- Passive : The liquid was heated to 100 degrees centigrade.
- Use the active voice to emphasize the doer of the action.
- Passive : It is recommended by the architect that steel be reinforced concrete be used.
- Active : The architect recommends that steel reinforced concrete be used.
Punctuation:
- Punctuation properly used helps you say what you mean to say. Improperly used, it slows down communication and, at times, stops it. Learn to punctuate by rule, not by intuition. Do not over punctuate. Overuse of comma is a big offender.