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How would you get rid of passive voice?
Well, the first thing is to be able to recognize passive voice when you’re using it. Passive voice occurs when the noun or pronoun that should be the subject of the sentence (i.e. performing the action) is not, or you can’t identify the subject at all.
Active: Bill threw the ball.
Passive: The ball was thrown.
Passive: The ball was thrown by Bill.Most often, when you use passive voice, you’re also using the “to be” verb. If your paper is full of “is, are, was, were, am,” etc., then you probably will have some passive voice problems.
To fix them, make sure that the subject performs the action in the simplest way possible. Also, if you can use a verb, instead of a noun or a descriptive phrase, do so (i.e. replace “Bill was frightening” with “Bill frightened us”).
Passive voice does have its place, though. If you need to make the tone of something less personal (especially for business or instruction purposes), it works well.
Examples:
“A mistake was made in billing, but we are working to correct it.” (Passive, then active)
“The test was administered on May 1st” (passive– we don’t really need to say “I” or “We” or “The test company”).In general, though, you want your writing to be more direct than that, so you should work to make your sentences active. Only use the to be verb when you really have to. When you can see who is doing what to whom, it makes the writing lively and clear, and more specific.
2. What would make a speech especially strong and persuasive?
A persuasive speech needs to do several things:
1. Claim
You are trying to persuade the reader, so your opinions and claims need to be believable and supportable. Don’t make absolute statements, or act like your predictions are truths (“would happen”).2. Support
The more evidence you have, and the more you support EVERY claim you make (even the little ones, the sub-arguments), the more people will trust you and believe you.3. Use the appropriate tone
Match the tone to the situation: is the piece formal, or informal? Don’t use “I”, “You”, or “We” for more formal pieces– stick to 3rd person instead. Also, make sure that you are definitive and confident, but don’t overstate your claims. Being absolute doesn’t sound confident– it sounds cocky, or worse (naive, deluded).When in doubt, keep things simple, realistic, and in 3rd person. Learn to identify which of your statements are claims (opinions), and which are supporting statements (facts and logic). Question your own assumptions and claims as though someone were debating you.
To me, the most persuasive writing doesn’t hit me over the head, demanding that I agree. Instead, it shows me why its statements are logical and believable, and states them in such a way that it is hard to disagree with them.
3. If you have 3 minutes left for the SAT essay, and you wrote 3 okay paragraphs, would it better to use those minutes proofreading your essay, or adding a conclusion?
I would say you should write a conclusion. Three paragraphs is a little on the short side unless they were very developed. In any case, since the argument really counts more than the other elements (grammar, style) reminding the reader of your thesis and support for it is probably more important than any editing you could do in three minutes.
I suppose my real answer is this: if you have a conclusion in mind, and you’re ready to write it, go ahead! However, if can’t think of what to write in 20 seconds or so, you might look at other areas of your essay to shore up.
Your number one concern should be making sure that your thesis statement in the first paragraph is clear, and that it takes a side. If you are confident you have done that, and that you have some support, you’re in good shape. Write a quick conclusion.
Remember, a tried-and-true essay format is this one:
1. Tell them what you’re going to say (intro)
2. Say it (body)
3. Remind them of what you said (conclusion)