To change a passive construction to the active, you can use these methods:
1. When the agent (the person or thing that does the action) is identified in the sentence, put this agent at the beginning of the sentence, as the subject. The subject must always be the noun that does the action of the sentence, as shown in the following diagram:
Example:
WRITE: A Uswitching relayU connects the circuits. (Active)
NOT: The circuits are connected by a Uswitching relayU. (Passive)
2. Change an infinitive verb to an active verb.
Example:
WRITE: The computer UcalculatesU the altitude from these values. (Active)
NOT: These values are used by the computerUto calculateU the altitude. (Passive)
3. In procedures, change the verb to the imperative ("commanding") form.
Examples:
WRITE: UContinueU the test. (Active)
NOT: The test Ucan be continuedU by the operator. (Passive)
WRITE: URemoveU oil and grease with a degreasing agent. (Active)
NOT: Oil and grease Uare to be removedU with a degreasing agent. (Passive)
4. In descriptive text, when the agent (the person or thing that does the action) is not identified in the sentence, you can use the pronoun subjects "you" or "we" in the active sentence if the agent is the reader ("you") or the manufacturer ("we").
Example:
WRITE: On the ground, you can open the valve with the override handle. (Active)
NOT: On the ground, the valve can be opened with the override handle. (Passive)
Example:
WRITE: We do not use the bypass filter now because... (Active)
NOT: The bypass filter is not used in the system because... (Passive)
NOTE: In this case "we" stands for the manufacturer. Note also that the use of personal pronouns can help to make a text more interesting to read.
How to Describe an Action
RULE: 3.7 If there is an approved verb to describe an action, use the verb (not a noun or other part of speech).
If there are different ways to write something, use the construction in which an approved verb shows the action. This is because the primary function of a verb is to express action.
Example:
WRITE: The ohmmeter UshowsU 450 22 ohms.
NOT: The meter gives an UindicationU of 450 22 ohms.
WRITE: (a) UPushU in the GPW GND ACT switch.
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