How Do You Fix Passive Voice and Other Grammar and Style Mistakes?

Sometimes writers allow passivity to creep into their work, which undermines their ability to write. For a debut author looking to get published, this might be enough to put their work in the scrap heap. This could rob them of the + points their content would have earned.

These are just some of the problems you will encounter if you use the passive voice in your writing. Today, we’ll show you some tips on how to fix this so you can create a cleaner and more impactful sketch.

The humiliation of passivity

Why is all this talking about passivity? What’s the truth? To be fair, it’s not too bad, but it’s not great either. The passive voice can make sentences sound trivial and prevent an entire work from reaching its true potential—not quite a combination that gets you the editor’s approval.

This is why writers who want their content purchased and published should use passive voice checking best. This means using online editing tools, working with experienced editors, and arming yourself with a keen eye for passive abuse.

When editing your article, pay special attention to linking states or verbs. Here you can see the abuse of the passive voice. The word “by” also often denotes an error.

Fixed passive errors and other common errors

You can’t expect editors to do everything. Defending your writing also requires effort on your part to spot the passive voice and other grammatical and stylistic errors.

1. Remove weak verbs.

Knowing how to correct passive sentences helps you to write stronger sentences. You can start by replacing weak, defining verbs with richer, more expressive overtones. One of the signs of bad verb use is the use of the word “very”. Certainly, there are more descriptive and concise verb alternatives than those modified by this adverb.

2. Eliminate unintentional redundancy.

Yes, sometimes repetition is required when trying to make a point. However, here we are talking specifically about repetition or unnecessary repetition.

The more you practice writing short, the more it becomes second nature to avoid repetition. You will be trained simply to construct sentences in the most direct way with no decorative words.

3. Avoid using prosthetic limbs.

Pressure to increase word count does not justify the presence of prosthetic limbs. Unless you’re writing an academic paper, you want to keep these short phrases to a minimum.

Phrases like “at this point in history” or “in my opinion” sound good in speech, but they have almost no use in writing except to fill sentences with catchphrases. . Keep your sentences short and straight to the point by refusing to include false details.

4. Put an adjective before your noun.

You’re probably no stranger to writing this sentence: “He’s rude, cold, and blind to her feelings.” Needless to say, this isn’t the first or last time you’ve written a dead verb as the antecedent of an adjective or even an adjective group. The temptation to do so can sometimes be too strong.

However, it would be better to structure the sentence like this: “A cold, cold and careless guy who doesn’t pay attention to a young girl’s love.”

5. Change the word order in your sentences.

Changing from passive to active is sometimes all in the order of a sentence. Just restructure your sentences so that the topic is said at the beginning of the sentence. That will remove him from the nasty passivity.

6. Passive removal doesn’t work.

Remember we said that using the passive voice in writing isn’t so bad? Well, using them to create “effects” is one of those times.

Each of us has a unique writing style that affects the way we tell stories and structure our sentences. Thus, even an odd choice like the use of the passive voice in some sentences may simply be what a particular writer’s narrative style requires.

However, beyond that, you want to use an active voice. This style of writing allows you to record scenes or events with clearer details and more emotion.

7. Reduce words.

There are several styles, aside from prosthetics, that contribute to the word. Long words or expressions often confuse the meaning of sentences and leave them open to interpretation.

In general, writers don’t want readers to confuse their message with something else. So while being verbose isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can make the work less impressive. Of course, intentionally babbling is another story. Writers can use this to bring some element of appeal to their prose.

Why passive correction?

Writing clearly and specifically is what resonates with readers. Take your writing to this level by screening for verbs that have died in the revision process. These seven tips will eliminate nearly all of them.