1561 Passive voice audio

The speaker discusses the use of the passive voice in writing and the implications it has on taking responsibility for one's actions. They argue that using the passive voice can be seen as a way to avoid accountability. The speaker suggests that when evaluating new friendships, one should pay attention to how often others use the passive voice, as it may indicate a lack of loyalty and support. Hello, Jeremy Dees here, and welcome to the Insight Post for the 25th of October 2023. Beware the passive voice. We are taught to avoid using the passive voice in our compositions, writes he using the passive voice. After all, it is easier to read the cat sat on the mat than the mat was sat on by the cat. Apps such as Grammarly and Yaste caution against using the passive voice, as did my English teachers at school years ago. If you say something, be direct and don't beat around the bush, and Google will like you because your text is easier to read. However, there is a more subtle interpretation of the use of a passive voice, as Natalie Haynes highlights when she describes how Pandora was sent to Epimetheus in Nathaniel Hawthorne's retelling of Pandora's story. Passive irresponsibility. Haynes describes the passive voice as a tremendous aid in avoiding responsibility. She goes on to describe how, I am sorry I hurt you, can be a heartfelt and sincere apology, whilst I am sorry you were hurt is, in her words, a reason to boot someone out of your life and never see them again. Zeus and the Olympic gods set up Pandora to bring mayhem and chaos to humanity. Still, Hawthorne's use of the passive was sent abrogates the gods' from any responsibility for Pandora's actions. The litmus test of the passive voice. Why does this matter to you, a parent whose children have flown unrest? Well, your network of friends and supporters is changing, the school gate crowd are dispersing to do their own thing, and unless you want to come to loneliness, you will prioritise finding new friends and connections to take you through the next phase of your life. The passive voice is a quick and dirty way of assessing how supportive and loyal your new friends might be. Too much use of the passive voice, and we rather than I, indicates an unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions, and that is not a good trait in a friend. When you hear someone using the passive voice, you might want to take Haynes' advice and boot them out of your life and never see them again. The passive voice is a way for friends to avoid taking responsibility for their actions and is a litmus test for their loyalty and support.