Here's a question from Brian in Iowa.

He writes,

It drives me crazy when people write impassive voice.

How can I teach people to tell the difference between passive and active voice and to stay

away from passive voice?

End quote.

Well Brian's right, the first step is to help people understand the difference between

active and passive voice.

Because although many people believe they should avoid the passive voice, fewer people

can define it or recognize it.

I'll start with active voice because it's simpler.

In an active sentence, the subject is doing the action.

A very straightforward example is the sentence,

Steve loves Amy.

Steve is the subject and he's doing the action.

He loves Amy.

The object of the sentence.

Another example is the title of the Marvin Gaye song,

I heard it through the grapevine.

I is the subject, the one who's doing the action, hearing.

I is hearing it, the object of the sentence.

I heard it through the grapevine.

...