How do you use passive voice to express general truths or facts in academic writing?

"A bee pollinates flowers"is a sentence about bees. "Flowers are pollinated by bees" is a sentence about flowers. Both are equally correct and effective academic writing stile. Readers “open a box” in their minds and put the information they read into this box. Therefore: it is good to stay with the same subject for a while if possible. If the paragraph is about flowers, then flowers are pollinated by bees. If you jump subject all the time, e.g. to stay in active voice, readers are busy opening all kinds of boxes and have difficulties placing the new information in a coherent context; the information becomes fragmentised and hence is easily forgotten. However, keeping the same subject makes the paragraph a unified entity.

You don't! Active voice gives your writing immediacy and impact. It makes your research feel ? more significant ? more relevant ? more urgent Passive voice turns even the most groundbreaking findings into distant and unimportant messages.

In academic writing, passive voice is often used to express general truths or facts when the focus is on the action or the result rather than the person performing the action. For instance, instead of saying "Researchers discovered a new method," using passive voice changes it to "A new method was discovered." This shift helps to highlight the significance of the discovery itself rather than the individual researchers. Passive voice is particularly useful in scientific writing where the process or results are more important than the contributors. It ensures that the information stands out and maintains an objective tone, which is crucial for clarity and emphasis in academic discourse.

The results found were not statistically relevant. By making the sentence about the results, the researchers might not even be taken in account. It could even be seen as some sort of bias, using the passive voice or not. The writer can purposefully remove their self from the reader's perception or consciousness.

Recomiendo limitar el uso de la voz pasiva en textos académicos en castellano solo para aquellos casos en los que el sujeto sea desconocido o irrelevante. En este contexto, la voz pasiva ingresó al castellano por malas traducciones de textos en inglés y se hizo costumbre su uso (o abuso) por imitación. Así, la voz pasiva, en mi idioma, lejos de darle fuerza argumentativa a una frase, opino que se la quita, restándole claridad y naturalidad.

Here's a sentence with a passive voice that I write almost daily: "Clinical significance has not been established." Here is how you get to this passive voice sentence: 1) Start with an active voice sentence: "Researchers have not established the clinical significance." Then 2) Identify the object of the action (clinical significance) and the verb (established). 3) Move the object of the action to the beginning of the sentence: "Clinical significance..." 4) Keep the verb in the past participle form: "...has not been established." And finally, 5) connect the object and verb with a suitable helping verb (in this case, "has"). Add any necessary modifiers or qualifiers to complete the sentence.

. To construct a passive sentence, I start with the object of the action, followed by a form of the verb 'to be' appropriate to the tense of the sentence, and then the past participle of the main verb. For example, if the active sentence is "Researchers conducted the experiment," the passive version would be "The experiment **was conducted** by researchers." This structure is particularly useful when the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant to the point I'm making. It allows me to highlight the action itself and its results, which is often more important in academic contexts where the focus is on the information or discovery rather than the individual making the discovery.

To form the passive voice, use a form of the verb "to be" followed by the past participle of the main verb. For example, "The experiment was conducted by the students" is in passive voice, while "The students conducted the experiment" is in active voice. For regular verbs, the past participle is formed by adding -ed to the base form, such as walked, studied, or finished. Irregular verbs have unique past participles, like seen, written, or gone. Refer to online resources or grammar books for a comprehensive list of irregular verbs.

The data was scrutinized by a series of computational methods. The insights are understood under a simple theoretical framework. The paper was peer-reviewed.

When crafting passive constructions in academic writing, pay close attention to verb tense consistency to ensure clarity and precision in your descriptions. Utilize modal verbs with passive voice to express necessity or possibility, enhancing the formal quality of your writing. For instance, "The analysis must be completed by the team" subtly conveys obligation. Consider varying sentence structure to avoid monotony and maintain reader engagement. Lastly, always double-check that passive voice does not obscure the meaning or agent of action, particularly when discussing complex procedures or results.

Sometimes when I am writing healthcare content, I need to highlight the action or process rather than the person or entity performing it. For example, for an article about a clinical trial report, I might write, "The medication was administered to the patients," rather than "The doctors administered the medication to the patients." This puts the focus on the action of administering the medication rather than the specific individuals doing it.

To add on this, passive voice is often used in academic writing to emphasize the action rather than the actor, especially when the actor is unknown or irrelevant. It's common in scientific reports to focus on the process or results, like "The experiment was conducted," rather than "We conducted the experiment." This style can make statements sound more objective and formal. For instance, in my documentation, I might write, "The data were analyzed using statistical methods," to highlight the analysis process without personalizing the research activity.

It's difficult to get rid of the pretense idea of neutrality, which should be pursued to some degree, but is materially impossible. Making clear to the reader who's the actor and thinker behind the actions and ideas and be considered even more honest than adopting a certain usage of language that hides intentions, biases and perspectives that not only are unavoidable, but could offer precious insight to the research or the reader.

When using passive voice in academic writing, consider its utility in highlighting the action or result over the actor, especially when the actor is less important than the action itself. Employ passive voice when discussing widely recognized processes where the doer is assumed, such as in established scientific methods or standard operational procedures. It is also useful when aiming to present findings or data in a neutral, unbiased manner. Remember, passive voice is particularly valuable in cases where mentioning the specific actor could distract from the main message or is simply unnecessary for the audience's understanding.

In my academic writing, I use passive voice to express general truths or facts when the focus* is on the action or result rather than the actor. This is particularly effective when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or obvious within the context. For instance, when stating a universal scientific law or an observation, such as "Gravity is experienced by all objects with mass," the passive voice underscores the phenomenon itself. Additionally, I employ passive voice to maintain a formal tone and to create a sense of objectivity, which is essential in scholarly discourse. It's also useful when I want to avoid assigning blame or responsibility, as in "Mistakes were made," which diffuses accountability. .

In order to avoid the doubt with the doer or lack of accountability that may happen when passive voice is used, the writer has to be sure of the aim of writing-to emphasize on the content (object/recipient) or the subject (executor/doer). Often, in academic writing where the general information is highlighted and also in research papers where the findings are presented and studied upon, passive writing becomes more relevant and appropriate.

In my academic writing, to avoid the pitfalls of passive voice, I ensure that its use enhances clarity rather than obscures it. I am mindful to not overuse passive constructions, as they can make the text seem heavy and difficult to read. I also avoid passive voice when the agent of the action is important to the context; in such cases, active voice provides a clearer and more direct statement. When I do use passive voice, I make sure the subject of the sentence is clear, so that the reader knows what or who is being acted upon. Additionally, I check that passive sentences do not become too wordy or vague, which can happen if the agent is omitted without good reason. .

In my academic writing journey both as a student and tutor, I have learnt a few things to avoid in the use of passive voice. For example, overusing passive voice can lead to ambiguity and weaken the impact of your statements. For instance, "Mistakes were made" lacks clarity about who made the mistakes. Instead, use active voice: "Researchers made mistakes." Passive voice can also make sentences longer and more complicated, which is not ideal for conveying general truths or facts. For instance, "The experiment is being conducted by the team" can be more concisely stated as "The team is conducting the experiment." Aim for directness and clarity by favoring active voice, especially when attributing actions.

Selecting the necessary contexts in which to use a passive voice is indeed very important, to make the text clearer, and also more transparent about the inevitable human conducting the experiments and writing the text. Using always a passive and distant voice is related to the false idea the data and knowledge are god given, or existing in a different sphere of reality.

Writers should strive for clarity, precision, and active engagement. First, identify instances where passive voice may obscure the subject or action, leading to ambiguity. Then, actively rephrase sentences to prioritize the subject acting, thus enhancing readability and coherence. Be vigilant of passive constructions that weaken the impact of assertions or obscure responsibility. Maintain a balance between passive and active voice, using each strategically to achieve specific rhetorical goals. Revise and edit your writing thoroughly, seeking feedback from peers or mentors to ensure clarity and effectiveness. By adopting these strategies, writers can navigate the complexities of passive voice and produce stronger, more compelling prose.

To master passive voice in academic writing, practice by rewriting excerpts from impactful research papers in your field, alternating between passive and active voices to understand their effect on clarity and engagement. Utilize tools like grammar checkers that highlight passive constructions, helping you become more aware of your usage patterns. Engage in peer review sessions focusing solely on voice to deepen your understanding of its impact on readability and authority. Additionally, practice summarizing data or results passively, then actively, to discern which approach best conveys precision and emphasis in your discipline.

For a beginner to be proficient in writing using the passive voice, you can practise by following the simple structure of passive writing- object/recipient + verb + subject/doer. As for the verb, remember to use the past participle form and also the correct tenses. Using the correct tense can be done by identifying the right condition- present/past/future in your writing. Examples: i) Critical measures against crime(object) are implemented(verb-present simple) by the government(subject/doer). ii) Using the correct tense (the object here is information/process) can be done (verb here uses the modal "can" and past participle) by identifying the right condition(the subject or agent).

To practice passive voice, start by identifying active voice sentences and transforming them into passive constructions. Experiment with different tenses, subjects, and objects to understand the nuances of passive voice usage. Analyze how passive voice alters sentences' focus, tone, and emphasis. Utilize writing prompts or exercises specifically designed to incorporate passive voice. Additionally, read academic texts or articles and identify instances of passive voice, noting how it contributes to the overall style and tone. Finally, seek feedback from peers or instructors on your passive voice usage and revise accordingly. With consistent practice and experimentation, you'll understand passive voice and its applications in academic writing

To summarize the above points, passive voice can be effective in academic writing when the focus is on the action or result rather than the doer. For example, "The theory was proven" emphasizes the theory, not the researcher. Use it to maintain objectivity, as in "The results were analyzed," which avoids attributing the action to a specific person. It's also useful when the actor is unknown: "The cave paintings were created circa 30,000 BCE." However, use it sparingly to avoid vagueness and ensure your writing remains engaging and clear.